Project Coordinator - PlayMatters

Job Description

Background of IRC:

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 eight 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.

Position Summary:

IRC is seeking a Project Coordinator in Ethiopia for a five-year project that is currently in its 3rd year of implementation, “PlayMatters”, funded by the LEGO Foundation. This position will be a part of the larger PlayMatters initiative to increase play-based learning opportunities for nearly 1 million pre-primary and primary school aged refugee and host community children impacted by the humanitarian crises in East Africa and living in Ethiopia and Uganda. This project aims to build children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and creative skills through play in their homes, schools, and communities and will be implemented in partnership with War Child, Plan International, Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action.

The Project Coordinator for Ethiopia will be responsible for coordinating across these partners and IRC Ethiopia staff to ensure the project delivers high impact programming for children. In addition, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring design and implementation of project activities engages other key stakeholders required to achieve results such as government officials, the UN and other humanitarian coordination actors, as well as other implementing agencies outside of the consortium. The Project Coordinator will ensure that the project achieves the expected results in Ethiopia and is implemented in accordance with the donor agreement, donor regulations, and internationally recognized quality of assistance standards. The Project Coordinator will report both into the IRC Country Program Senior Management Team as well as into a PlayMatters Senior Regional Management Team based in Uganda. The Project Coordinator will jointly work with the regional management and technical team to also ensure a coordinated and cohesive program approach across Ethiopia and Uganda, to jointly learn and ensure results across the two countries.

Job Responsibilities:

Consortium Technical Leadership

- Collaborate with the Director of Programs in Ethiopia and Project Director (based in Uganda), to facilitate and coordinate project management through the Country Steering Committee (CMC). - Collaborate with the Deputy Project Director, to lead the Project Management Committee (PMC) as in the partnership terms of reference. - Represent and coordinate the PlayMatters project with Government stakeholders, UN agencies and other humanitarian actors in Ethiopia and ensure internal and external dissemination of information about project progress. - Lead and coordinate technical planning, implementation, and monitoring of PlayMatters project activities in IRC and among consortium partner organizations. - Establish, manage and maintain relationships with key system actors to advance evidence-based policy discussions to integrate Learning through Play within existing education and humanitarian systems - Jointly work with the PlayMatters regional team to provide strategic and technical leadership and define country level activities to achieve the greatest impact toward project goals and objectives. - Develop, review, and monitor, in coordination with key country, regional project staff and partners, annual work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track.

- Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions. - Regularly communicate and coordinate with the Regional PlayMatters Project Director, Deputy Director, Technical leads on technical and project management issues.

Program Management

Work Planning and budgeting

- In consultation with the grants and partnerships unit, regional project management and technical teams, provide leadership in work planning, work plan review processes within IRC and among partner organizations. - In consultation with finance department, consistently track and review project budget performance in IRC and lead discussions among consortium partners on budget performance versus actual, value for money alongside progress on targets. - Oversee technical direction and project delivery to ensure activities are in line with the project wide performance framework and work plan and meet all standard operational policies and procedures. - Oversee management of partners/sub-grantees in Uganda and provide financial and operations support that optimizes resources through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, and timely submission of reports to the donor - Coordinate technical PMC staff participation in outcome reference group meetings and ensure that decisions made in these reference groups are communicated and implemented in the PMC agenda. - Lead quarterly Project Cycle and monthly BvA meetings.

Research Monitoring Evaluation Accountability & Learning (RMEAL)

- Lead the development and tracking of Key Performance Indicators for project progress monitoring and learning - Conduct regular visits to project sites, as possible, to provide technical assistance and ensure proper implementation and monitoring of project activities. - Support field staff to use project data to track progress and engage in meaningful course correction discussions at regular and frequent intervals; as well as ensure data is tailored to facilitate similar discussions at the country and regional senior management level.

Reporting

- Contribute to monthly, quarterly, and annual donor reports through both formal and informal debriefings and written inputs. - Lead in proper utilization data and evidence using simple tracking tools e.g., dashboards to inform on project progress, learning opportunities for informed decision making at implementation and regional level - Provide monthly update to Director of Programs and Grants and Partnerships Unit on project technical and financial progress of the project.

Human Resource Management

- Identify capacity strengthening opportunities of staff on project strategy, planning, budgeting, reporting, approaches, and Learning through Play Methodology and ensure adequate and appropriate training is given. - Maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility. - Lead planning for and conducting timely performance management discussions and reporting for staff. - Conduct timely human resource planning and recruitment based on prevailing needs, in consultation with the country and RPT HR and technical teams.

Qualifications

- Advanced degree from an accredited university in education, international development, or related field. - Minimum of 8 years of experience managing education programs for refugees or crisis-affected populations. - Experience managing large-scale, multi-million-dollar, complex, multi-partner projects. - Experience working alongside government, UN and other humanitarian actors in development and emergency contexts - Demonstrated success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation. - Strong communication skills, both oral and written. - Fluency in English required.

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.