Field Coordinator

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee 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, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damatru of Yobe State. Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs on primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, economic recovery and development.

Job Overview/Summary

The Adamawa Field Coordinator (FC) leads IRC’s response in Adamawa State and its respective field sites, including some program areas in Southern Borno State. As the most senior representative in this area of operations, the FC is responsible for the implementation of all program and operations activities in the project locations. The FC should have a good top-level knowledge and understanding of all activities in their location, in particular the constraints faced by their team, and be actively working with their teams to manage and trouble shoot problems as they arise.

Oversight responsibilities include both operations and programs. Operational oversight includes security, human resources and administration, supply chain, IT and finance. Program oversight includes current programs in health, nutrition, environmental health (EH), ERD, protection (child protection, WPE, PRoL) and education.

The Adamawa Field Coordinator will be based in Mubi with frequent travel to communities served, IRC’s office in Yola, and to IRC’s operational hub in Maiduguri, Borno State, and to Abuja as deemed necessary.

The successful candidate will be confident, articulate, organized and able to represent IRC to partners including beneficiaries, community leaders, CSOs and donors as well as handle sensitive, complex issues in a diplomatic way that puts the needs of beneficiaries first.

Major Responsibilities

1. Ensure all IRC staff, programs, and operations in Adamawa and Southern Borno are covered by effective security management;

2. Coordinate implementation of programming, in collaboration with Technical Coordinators/Managers;

3. Ensure efficient operations (supply chain, HR, IT, finance) to support programming;

4. External coordination to ensure IRC’s position is understood, protected and advanced;

5. Team management of diverse programs and operations staff;

6. Collaborate with members of IRC Nigeria’s Senior Management Team and the Country Leadership Group to ensure information sharing, reporting, and implementation of country program policies and strategic action plan.

7. Follow up and update the County Program on evolving context and beneficiary humanitarian, early recovery and development needs.

Key Working Relationships

The Adamawa Field Coordinator reports to the Deputy Director of Field Management and is a member of the Country Leadership Group. The Field Coordinator maintains a close and communicative working relationship with the Deputy Director of Programs for proposal development, grants and partnerships management, and monitoring and evaluation, and with the Deputy Director of Operations for Supply Chain, HR and IT and with Safety and Security Coordinator for staff safety and security issues. Also the FC will maintain close working relationship with the Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator. The FC must also maintain close working relationships with the Senior Program Coordinators, the Grants Team and the various technical and operational support leads. Local heads operations (Finance, HR-Admin, IT, Security, and Supply Chain) in Adamawa State will report to the Adamawa Field Coordinator in MiP with their respective technical support leads. The FC will also have an informal oversight on programs leads for Health, Nutrition, EH, ERD, PRoL, WPE, Child Protection, Education and M&E and on dotted line reporting relationship.

Position Reports to: Deputy Director of Field Management

Indirect/Technical Reporting:

Position directly Supervises: Local leads for Finance, HR-Admin, IT, Security, and Supply Chain

Key Internal Contacts:

§ Country Program: Deputy Director of Field Management and the Country Director

§ Region/Global: With leads of HR, Supply Chain, Finance, IT, Safety and Security and GEDI as needed

Key External Contacts: IRC clients, UN agencies, INGOs, LNGOs, LGA and State government authorities, traditional, religious and community leaders, and donors, as required

Qualifications

Job Requirements

· Master’s degree preferred (management-related or general operations preferred);

· Minimum of five years’ experience managing operations and/or projects in INGOs in developing countries, preferably in Africa;

· Demonstrated management and leadership skills, including team management and staff development;

· Experience in field office management, including programs, supply chain, HR, administration and security management, preferably in conflict-impacted settings;

· Excellent management, organizational, interpersonal, and cross-cultural communication skills;

· Strong problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills, preferably including negotiations and conflict resolution skills;

· Strong socio-political analysis skills, with demonstrated ability to assess the impact of dynamic contexts on an INGO, and vice versa;

· Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, and Outlook, Power Point;

· Flexibility, ability to work independently and meet deadlines;

· Fluency in English and knowledge of local languages is an asset

· Ability to Travel at least for 25 % of time to field sites in Adamawa State, Southern Borno and other locations as needed

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, 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.

Female applicants are thus highly encouraged to apply. Also, to fulfill our ambition for internal mobility, Internal candidates are highly encouraged to take keen interest and apply.

Working Environment

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.

Specific Security Situation/Housing

The Adamawa Field Coordinator will be expected to respect the various security protocols in place in country. Adamawa State is currently in a security context that requires clear contingency planning, with the possibility of hibernation or relocation. A government curfew exists and staff are required to be in their respective guesthouses by curfew; this is subject to change depending on changes in context. Like any other staff in Mubi, the duty station, the field coordinator is expected to stay in his/her own house.