Emergency Rapid Response (Cash Transfer) Officer

Job Description

Background:

The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian international NGOs, provides relief, rehabilitation and development support to vulnerable people and communities over 30 countries. We began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali region and are currently providing assistance to Ethiopians and refugees in six regions in Ethiopia, implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery, and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

Scope and background:

IRC have been present in Ethiopia since 2000 to respond to artificial and natural disasters. IRC is currently operational in five regional states and 24 refugee camps implementing a diverse range of multi-sectoral interventions. IRC currently responds to the needs of vulnerable HHs affected by conflict-induced displacement in Shebelle and Afder Zone and surrounding districts through a multi-sector interventions that address both short and long term needs. Under the program “Emergency life-saving and complimentary assistance to communities affected by draught in Elele and Qohle Woredas of Shebelle and Afder Zone”, IRC intends to implement a multipurpose cash transfer project in the two zone in collaboration with the government, INGOs, and government partners to mitigate the impact of conflict and draught on the most vulnerable households (women, children, old people, and the person with a disability). The project intends to meet both food and non-food needs of the target households and their family members.

Cash Transfer Officer is the primary field-level position for cash transfer programming. The Officer spends most of his/her time in the field, identifying priority needs and target communities those affected by natural and artificial crisis, conducting beneficiaries verification assessment, conducting market assessment in the areas of needy community, conducting post distribution monitoring, establishing relationships with community, local government and community leaders, coordinating field-level operations, such as the delivery of materials/inputs, registration of complaints, and payment to beneficiaries. The CTO will technically report to ERD Specialist based in Addis Ababa and Emergency Response Manger based in jigjiga who is the immediate supervisor for this position.

Major key Responsibilities:

The main objective of the Cash Officer position should efficiently implement cash based assistance response, including:

Project Planning and Implementation

- Apply technical knowledge and skills to implement and/or assist in community delivery of cash based programs; - Promptly identify and recommend solutions to cash based technical issues - Prepare Purchase Requests for program supplies/activities and liaison with field SC and finance team to undertake field procurement as designated and authorized. - Participate on the on job training of how the e-voucher system works, how to handle data, accurately use the e- devices (e-voucher reader, Smartphone with application, and e-voucher) including the hand over process with the vendors - Participate in the process of identifying beneficiary communities/targeting based on robust and participatory criteria, assist other CTP staffs, if any - Ensure appropriate community messages are transferred to clients, local government partners, vendors, non-clients and other key actors - Ensure training/re-orientation of the vendor staff e- voucher system (how it works, synchronization, handling including safe keeping of e-devices) until hand over of the e-devices to IRC - Ensure the conduct of beneficiary feedback and response mechanism (BFRM) activities are undertaken and also serve field focal point for handling the BFRM data base - Work with and provide timely technical support to the IRC’s implementing partners; maintain encouraging and constructive relations with partner staff - Closely work with all IRC field team in general and with ERR team in particular how to integrate and align cash programming with other ERR activities and priorities - Fully align with IRC safety and security procedures and provide support to security monitoring and assessments ensure a safe and secure environment for program implementation - Coordinate with the cash transfer assistant.

Project Monitoring and Reporting

- Assist in the collection of data, conduct of assessments (needs, market, risks and security) and provide input for concept note/ proposal development for cash transfer project in collaboration with the local community structures and community members - Monitor progress against grant work plan; promptly identifying any current or potential delays - Produce/give to IRC and donor reports as per set schedules (monthly, quarterly and annually) on grant activities, indicators and achievements. - Assist his/her supervisors to ensure all monitoring activities are fully detailed, including systematic and timely data required under the grant and for IRC M&E purposes.

Capacity Building and Coaching:

- Aware the communities, and partners to consider cash response as one modality at appropriate situation. - Capacitate the community facilitators, staffs under his/her supervision , and others (if any) on cash Transfer Programming. - Support and mentor the FSP to meet the humanitarian principles during Cash Response program/facilitating the payment to the beneficiaries.

Coordination and Representation

- Participate on seasonal and ES-NFI cluster assessments and share findings - Work integrating with IRC supply chain, finance and admin/HR staff to process Purchase Requests, and Payment Vouchers, - Represent the IRC on MPCT coordination meetings at different level like region, zone and woreda. - Identify and work very closely with Financial Service Providers (FSP). - Build very good team sprit with IRC program and supporting staffs at field, at office level including Addis.

Qualifications

Requirements:

- Technical first degree or post graduate degree - Minimum 2 years for 1st degree and 1 years for post graduate Degree in Agri-Business Management, Economics, Marketing, Rural Development, Banking, Project Management or similar with relative experience of the position demand. - Validated abilities on cash-based program (specific abilities or skills required). - INGO experience is a plus. - Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible, and able to work under pressure. - Good communication and interpersonal skill. Knowledge of Local language has advantage.

Other skills:

- Excellent communication and problem-solving skills. - Basic computer skill in word, excel and Power Point. - Interested to work in rural areas and under stress.

IRC is an equal employment 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 or disability.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional 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, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons

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

Equal Opportunity Employer: 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, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.