Humanitarian Portfolio Snr Coordinator

Employment Category:  Fixed Term

Employment Type:  Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Colombia

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela is deteriorating, with around 19 million people—66% of the population—in urgent need of assistance. Over 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country in search of basic needs, creating an unprecedented migration crisis in Latin America and one of the largest displacement challenges globally. Colombia, hosting at least 2.9 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants, also grapples with significant humanitarian needs, affecting about 8.3 million people. This crisis stems from a mix of factors, including armed conflict, climate variability, the lingering effects of COVID-19, inflation, and institutional challenges in addressing both the needs of the internally displaced and the influx of migrants.

In response, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has partnered with numerous local organizations to provide essential services in health, protection, education, and economic recovery across regions such as Norte de Santander, Valle del Cauca, Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Nariño, and Bogotá. In Venezuela, IRC collaborates with local entities to deliver programs focused on health, education, food security, and protection. To date, IRC has assisted 576,699 individuals in these countries.

Scope of work:

The Humanitarian portfolio snr coordinator will be responsible for coordination and management for the design, planning and implementation of all humanitarian programs Colombia with emphasis on migration, armed conflict, conflict-migration interface and climate change.Working with field-level sector manager and sector leads, this role will reinforce a “One IRC” response and integration of services where possible and appropriate. The Humanitarian portfolio snr coordinator will guide the scale up and adaptations to IRC’s emergency response activity and will act as the Project Lead for the emergency grants, ensuring appropriate project management oversight in line with IRC’s Project Cycle Management. The Humanitarian portfolio snr coordinator ensures accurate and detailed information on IRC’s response activities is available to help guide program delivery and to keep relevant stakeholders informed.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Program development

• Coordinate overall emergency response implementation, ensuring it is in line with IRC´s methodologies. Encourage a one-IRC response and integration of services whereas possible.
• Explore opportunities to scale up and adapt IRC’s emergency response activities in Colombia directly and with partners. Explore partnerships to support the scale up IRCs response coverage. Collaborate with sector teams to understand the ongoing needs and response gaps to inform adaptations to IRC’s response plan.
• Work closely with the SMT to guide operational scale-up and initiation of emergency response activities.
• Collaborate with the DDP´s in Colombia and Venezuela to outline the overall programmatic strategy across the response, ensuring that program design and implementation is in line with the IRC’s SAP priorities.
• Organize and roll out an internal referrals process among the different sector departments ensuring comprehensive service provision to clients based on needs.
• Collaborate with the MEAL and Program teams to conduct assessments for emergency response in existing or new project locations.
• As requested, contribute to the design of new proposals in close coordination with sector leaders.
• Support the CD to incorporate regular context analysis and scenario planning as part of response planning and strategy.
• In collaboration with technical program coordinators, contribute to participatory and inclusive proposal design and development processes, ensuring that projects are data-driven and aligned with the IRC Colombia SAP, IRC’s Global Strategy and IRC Theories of Change.
• Manage all aspects of project workplans, including adaptations, mitigating risks and scenarios to deliver services to the affected population, and completion of results within each grant.

Program Management

• Act as the PCM Project Lead for Humanitarian Grants, facilitating project planning, opening and implementation meetings. Conduct follow-up with department focal points on agreed actions from the meetings.
• Coordinate with sector leads and field level programs leaders to update their program plans, award-specific budgets, and operating budget.
• Work closely with program and operational unit leads to ensure the project receives the support required and timely delivery of services and activities.
• Ensure response is staffed to meet response needs and flag gaps that need to be addressed to relevant department leaders. Work with Program and Operation Leads and HR Lead to develop the planning implementation.
• Coordinate with DDP to develop and modify/adapt program management tools to help strengthen project management and performance of IRC Programs in Colombia.
• Conduct regular coordination with Sector Coordinators to ensure implementation of technical approaches for quality programming.
• Ensure compliance with IRC policy, procedures and practices throughout preparedness and emergency response activities, including adherence to Do No Harm principles.
• Facilitate and foster program integration among IRC sectors and with partners in line with programmatic needs and donor commitments.
• Ensure consistent collaboration with: Technical Units to ensure regular and consistent engagement with the County Program and provide technical oversight; with Field Management to ensure program implementation is collectively planned and coordinated; with Grants to ensure IRC program implementation and project management is compliant with IRC and donor regulations; with Partnership to ensure that projects implemented by partners are provided with the necessary support and collaborative problem solving to meet program deliverables; with M&E to ensure all issues related to low quality programming is addressed and data-driven decisions are taken and implemented by programs and partners; and operation departments as needed.
• With the support of the CD, DDP and program leads, monitor the implementation of the Country Program Strategic Action Plan (SAP),withaparticularfocusonthe achievement of IRC Colombia humanitarian strategic objectives and ensureSAP reporting requirements are timely met.
• Ensure program planning and grants implementation is in line with the IRC strategy and best practices with a focus on spending status and progress against targets.
• Coordinate with the Senior Project Support Manager, Finance, Grants and Partnership departments and support program coordinators to ensure sound budget development andspendingoversightthroughtheuseofadequatefinancialmanagementtools,including regular BVAs and spending plans review and updating.

Information Management

• As requested, cooperate with grants, communications, and sector teams to contribute to the development of donor reports, case studies, and success stories.
• Collaborate with the MEAL team to conduct ongoing monitoring and feedback/accountability of programs to ensure actions are timely and appropriate.
• Oversee and actively participate in the Project Cycle Meetings

Coordination and Representation.

• Support sector managers/leads to participate in external meetings for humanitarian response coordination.
• Attend external humanitarian meeting delegated by CD.

Safeguarding:

• Ensure implementation teams are clear on and are referring to IASC guidelines for integrating GBV interventions in humanitarian response.
• In collaboration with MEAL and the Safeguarding focal point/leads, ensure client feedback mechanism systems are in place for all project activities and response team members are refreshed on minimum safeguarding standards in emergencies and refreshers are provided throughout response.

Responsibilities of SG-SST:

• For supervisory positions (with direct reports), all supervisors must ensure adequate working conditions and a healthy work environment within their area, department, or program. They are responsible for analyzing the tasks performed, identifying potential risks, and managing the necessary actions to minimize or reduce these risks. This includes adhering to and enforcing established health and safety objectives while monitoring compliance with best practices.
• Additionally, supervisors are required to participate in investigations of workplace accidents that occur within their area, department, or program. They will also encourage their team members to engage in prevention activities and promote participation in health and safety committees, workplace harmony initiatives, road safety programs, and emergency response teams. Supervisors must regularly report to relevant authorities and stakeholders, either periodically or upon request. Non-compliance to fulfill these safety and health responsibilities may be considered serious misconduct and could lead to disciplinary action, including potential termination of employment.

Qualifications

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor of Arts or Science in Social Science, Public Health, Humanities, Social Work or other related field or commensurate work experience.
• At least 5 years' experience with project management, preferably in similar emergency and humanitarian contexts.
• Ability to promote and collaborate closely with multi-level and multi-sector stakeholders. Experience coordinating with external stakeholders such as partners, UN agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
• Demonstrated skills in project management: planning, proposal development, budget management.
• Confirmed ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations. Experience with organizational capacity strengthening and partnership building is helpful.
• Some familiarity with international donors’ regulations and policies, as well as experience interacting with donor agencies is important.
• Experience leading the delivery of high-quality emergency response programs in conflict sensitive and access constrained jurisdictions is a plus.
• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situation.
• Team player - Flexibility - Ability to work under pressure and high workload with experience collaborating internally and externally with multiple stakeholders and partners.
• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible, and punctual with ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary team in cross-cultural settings, including active mentoring and coaching.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English is desirable.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Country director

Collaboration within Colombia

• Program and operations staff: including the Partnership Manager, and program focal points
• Partnership organizations to support the Partnership Manager with monitoring, reporting, compliance, and feedback
• Humanitarian organizations, including INGOs, IGOs (e.g. Red Cross), UN, and local organizations

Collaboration within the IRC

• Other Colombia-based staff, including programs, operations, security, finance, and grants
• Technical Advisors (based globally) and any roster staff required to support program staff inside Colombia
• Awards Management Unit to support all compliance and reporting for partners, as well as proposals

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC workers adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.