Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Manager

Job Description

More than 3.6 million people have fled across borders to seek safety in the 1st month since the escalation of conflict in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and over 6.5 million Ukrainians are reported to be displaced internally. As the vast majority of the displaced are women, girls, and boys, this could become the worst humanitarian crisis Europe has seen in decades.

Between February 7-23, 2022, an IRC team undertook a scoping mission covering Poland and Ukraine to better understand the context, humanitarian and civil society landscape, and anticipated service gaps in the event of an escalation of conflict in Ukraine and consequent displacement into neighboring Poland. As of February 24th, the IRC has pivoted to an emergency response, and have identified partner agencies in Ukraine to facilitate immediate assistance that can be used where it is the most needed. Simultaneously, the IRC is establishing operations across Ukraine to complement partner response services either in breadth or scale.

This position will be based in Dnipro, with occasional travel to other locations in Ukraine as permitted and occasionally to Rzeszow Poland, and other locations. As this is a fluid and rapidly changing context, the location of this position and length of assignment may change based on the needs of the program.

IRC seeks a dynamic programme manager to fill the role of Economy Recovery and Development (ERD) Manager. The ERD Manager will oversee day to day implementation of cash, basic needs, and livelihoods programming Ukraine, including supporting strategic planning, decision making, and supervision of staff.

Main responsibilities

Under the supervision of the ERD Coordinator, the ERD Manager will be responsible for:

• Ensure the technical quality and effective implementation of a range of IRC Basic Needs Assistance and Livelihoods Programming including Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), employment and enterprise support for refugees; in both partner and direct projects.

• Support business development for CVA and livelihoods programming that bridges immediate support to the large-scale refugee arrivals as well as future recovery/resilience needs.

• Ensure up to date partner mapping and lead value/chain and market assessments to inform activity design.

• Refine a comprehensive strategic approach to the integration of livelihoods programming and CVA across all IRC programming (direct and with partners).

• Provide overall oversight and leadership for ERD team staff, including supporting operational functions for achieving the goals of the project, hiring and staff management, and budget management.

• Ensure that gender, protection and environmental stewardship are mainstreamed in all programming under direct responsibility

Program quality/Management and implementation

• The ERD Manager is responsible specific project coordination with partners and directly in line with the IRC Country Strategic within IRC international priorities, frameworks and policies.

• Provide technical support for ERD activities; define and implement activities to achieve the greatest coverage and impact possible.

• Provide mentoring, quality control and coordination to strengthen program outcomes.

• Develop and adhere to detailed implementation plans to ensure program implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems and adaptive management principles to reach desired impacts.

• Collaborate with key staff and senior members of other technical sectors to prepare strategic work-plans with clear objectives and achievement benchmarks, long-term and short-term priorities, implementation plans, financial projections and tools for evaluation.

• Ensure the integration of cash and voucher assistance activities across outcomes mainly with health, education, and protection (including activities provided by partners)

Partnerships

• Identify and develop partnerships with local and international implementing partners as appropriate for program design and service to clients based on IRC’s PEERS standards of equal and effective partnership.

• Strengthen relationships with local municipalities in project sites.

• Build relationships with private sector partners and linkages to support livelihoods and employment programming.

Team management/Staff Supervision & Development

• Oversee project implementation team and ensure that all staff are following work plans.

• Support staff technical capacity building plans that promotes a culture of learning through systematic analysis and reflection of program data and lessons learned and ensure staffs receive training accordingly.

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

• Assist ERD staff in identifying professional development needs and opportunities.

• Provide continuous performance feedback to staff; identify performance issues and work with staff and Human Resources to document and address issues in a timely manner.

• Assist with and as necessary lead the recruitment of ERD personnel.

Coordination & Representation

• Per directed by the ERD coordinator, develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.

• As directed, attend relevant cluster and working group meetings at appropriate levels.

• Support the development of partnerships with local private sector actors and municipalities.

Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability and learning

• Ensure proper data collection and information management systems are used for projects in-line with MEAL support.

• Analyze relevant data and share information for projects to support learning and adaptive management.

• Support written program evaluations and reviews ensure documentation of lessons learned informing reporting and program development.

• Support the ERD Coordinator and client responsiveness officers in addressing complaint and feedback from clients and partners

Business Development

• Support co-design sessions that involve potential partners and are responsive to client needs

• Support the development of concept notes and proposals related to ERD programming expansion and continuation, including budgets, logical frameworks, relevant indicators, and written narratives.

Reporting

• Write ERD program narrative reports for review by ERD Coordinator and Grants team.

• Support the provision of up-to-date information on success stories to Comms and Advocacy team

Job requirements

Education: minimum university degree in International Development, Business Administration, Economics, or Humanitarian Response preferred.

Demonstrated skills and competencies:

• At least 3 years of relevant work experience in cash and voucher assistance, livelihoods, social protection, and/or other humanitarian and development programmes with demonstrated experience in both direct implementation and working with partners.

• Knowledge and experience of cash and voucher assistance, market and value chain analysis, private sector engagement, livelihoods mapping, access to finance and micro enterprise support.

• Previous experience managing programming in complex contexts as well as ability to manage, supervise, coach and mentor staff.

• Experience in effectively managing program budgets and workplans.

• Demonstrated knowledge of gender and proficiency in managing projects that mainstream gender

• Proven ability to work well in and promote teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure with professional grace.

• Willingness to travel to different cities within Ukraine and Europe.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook

Languages Requirements: Fluency in Ukrainian and English. Polish is a plus

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality 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.

Gender Equality: 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.

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.

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