Emergency Coordinator
Job Description
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and regain control of their future. The IRC Yemen began its programs in October 2012 and currently operates in the south and north of the country through direct programming and local partnerships. The country program operates from main offices in Aden and Sana’a and field offices in Abyan, Al Dhale’e, and Hodeidah governorates.
Position overview
After almost six years of war and economic collapse, the operating environment in Yemen is characterized by a protracted complex emergency and overlapping acute emergencies linked to armed conflict, displacement, restricted access to essential services, food insecurity, malnutrition, disease outbreaks, and natural disasters. The IRC’s programs respond to both chronic and acute emergency needs.
With support from ECHO, the IRC manages an Emergency Preparedness and Response Mechanism (EPRM) for southern Yemen. The EPRM works with a network of pre-positioned partners to respond to the immediate needs of affected populations through flexible and responsive humanitarian assistance. The EPRM supports responses in Abyan, Aden, Al Bayda, Al Dhale’e, Hodeidah, Lahj, Shabwah, and Taiz governorates.
The Emergency Coordinator is responsible for the strategic direction, leadership, and quality implementation of emergency responses across the IRC Yemen country program, with a particular focus on support to the EPRM. The position is responsible for context monitoring and emergency preparedness, emergency response coordination, and EPRM project management. This is a cross-cutting role that supports technical program teams in the areas of health, nutrition, WASH, food security, and protection. The Emergency Coordinator will also work closely with the partnerships and operational support departments.
This position reports to the Deputy Director for Programs with a dotted/technical relationship with the Regional Emergency Director (RED) and is based in Aden with regular travel to program sites across southern and northern Yemen.
Responsibilities
Emergency Monitoring & Preparedness
• Update the IRC Yemen Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP), inclusive of facilitating an inter-departmental workshop, revising the context analysis, and defining clear response scenarios. Ensure the EPP is regularly updated and remains relevant and useful for the country program.
• Review the existing internal Country Emergency Team (CET) structure and advise senior management on necessary changes to the design and functions. Provide a refresher training to CET members based on the newly defined EPP.
• Participate in country SAP planning and reviews with focus of prioritizing and integrating Emergency Preparedness actions in country SAP IP with support from RED.
• Regularly monitor and report on emergency trends across southern and northern Yemen. Using both external and internal data, provide analysis on likely humanitarian needs and make recommendations to senior management on situations which may require either direct or partner-led responses.
• Ensure the EPRM maintains a functional, context-appropriate, and user-friendly emergency alert system. Regularly assess utilization and accessibility of the alert system by a range of humanitarian and community-based actors and make adaptations as required.
• Develop a strategy to disseminate information on the availability and capacities of the EPRM, how to report an alert, and how to request a response. Ensure alignment and coordination with the broader humanitarian system and other existing emergency response mechanisms.
• Under the guidance of the EPRM Steering Committee and in collaboration with the Partnerships Coordinator, support the pre-positioning and operational readiness of a network of national NGO partners in line with IRC’s PEERS system as required.
• In collaboration with technical program leads and the Supply Chain department, support the procurement, pre-positioning, and timely distribution of context-relevant emergency supplies.
Emergency Response Management
• Lead internal coordination to enable rapid and effective emergency responses, including serving as the chair of the EPRM Steering Committee.
• Ensure all emergency alerts submitted to EPRM are quickly considered for either direct IRC or partner response. Coordinate technical needs assessments with program teams as required.
• Support program teams and as they carry out direct-IRC emergency response interventions. Advise on appropriate staffing, response modalities, and coordination requirements as requested. Serve as CET team lead as required.
• Support the Partnerships Coordinator and IRC emergency focal points in their engagement with and technical support to partners as requested.
• Ensure adequate documentation and data collection during emergency responses.
• Oversee post-response reflections and evaluations in collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) department, including analysis of client feedback.
• In collaboration with technical leads, ensure productive coordination with the cluster system, humanitarian forums, and local authorities.
Project Management
• Coordinate closely with the Deputy Director for Programs and Grants department to ensure effective EPRM project management and compliance with donor requirements.
• Develop actionable plans to ensure that all stated project objectives are regularly evaluated and achieved.
• Produce and utilize regularly updated project management tools, including workplans, implementation plans, procurement plans, and accurate financial forecasts.
• Oversee timely, relevant, and responsible use of project funds.
• Coordinate closely with the MEAL department to develop monitoring tools and collect high-quality data.
• Ensure that all internal and external reports are submitted on time and to a high-quality standard.
• Coordinate with the partnerships department to ensure a workable relationship with selected partners.
• Support the Emergency team in
Other
• Other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor to further IRC emergency programs.
Qualifications
• Minimum of five years of experience managing emergency humanitarian programs in complex operating environments, including prior experience in situations of armed conflict.
• Previous experience leading multi-sector acute emergency responses required. Understanding of inter-agency rapid response mechanisms like the EPRM strongly preferred.
• Solid understanding of the humanitarian system and roles/responsibilities of key external actors.
• Experience working with national NGO and local partners on emergency management.
• Demonstrated experience in an inter-departmental coordination role and the ability to communicate with and balance the priorities of a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent project management and reporting skills.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget management, financial forecasting, and management of spending plans.
• Excellent written and spoken English required, proficiency in Arabic an advantage.
Competencies
• Strong cross-cultural communication skills and comfortable working as part of a diverse team. Sensitive to interpersonal differences and a range of viewpoints.
• Highly diplomatic with excellent political awareness and advanced negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated advance planning and organizational skills. Able to effectively prioritize and follow multiple activities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Flexible and innovative. Able to adapt plans and pivot approaches in response to changes in context.
• Proactive, reliable, and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong people management skills.
Work Environment: There is active conflict in parts of the country and a possibility of the conflict expanding into other locations. The situation in Aden is currently quiet but remains unpredictable. Security will be thoroughly discussed during the interview process.
Housing: Lodging in Aden is in a shared IRC guesthouse. All IRC sites have electricity and internet.
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.
The IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
Qualifications