Reporting and Communications Specialist

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In early 2014, IRC opened a field office in Mubi town of Adamawa state in NE Nigeria followed by offices in Yola (Adamawa state) in November 2014 and Maiduguri (Borno state) in October 2015. Currently the IRC receives support from a range of donors including ECHO, USAID, FCDO, GIZ, SIDA, GAC, UNOCHA, and a number of private donors and foundations funding programming in protection, health, nutrition, livelihoods, education and governance.

The Reporting and Communications Specialist is responsible for providing grants management, communications, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) support for the IRC’s recently awarded Opportunities to Learn (OTL) consortium project funded by USAID. The post holder will support donor compliance, timely reporting, document filing, donor/external visibility and data collection/ analysis. This position reports directly to the OTL Chief of Party (COP) and will work closely with the programs, IRC grants and MEL teams.

Job Overview/Summary:

Major Responsibilities:

Lead program communications and reporting activities, including preparation of reporting deliverables, success stories, press releases, and other internal and external program communications.

Assist the COP in identifying and amplifying relevant results-related content for social media and stakeholder outreach purposes.

Coordinate with the Programs, MEL, and relevant Technical Leads in programmatic reports, in accordance with USAID guidelines and formats, ensuring reporting is USAID compliant.

Grants Management

- Maintain comprehensive electronic files and ensure IRC colleagues and have access to relevant records and information. - In coordination with relevant colleagues, respond to requests from USAID for information and respond to donor compliance questions from IRC staff/partners as needed. - Ensure that relevant staff members are aware of all donor communications, changes in regulations, and meetings or events. - Ensure the production of high quality program progress reports as per USAID requirements; - Manage all reporting deadlines, and coordinate and consolidate reports as necessary to ensure documents are of the highest quality and in line with donor requirements. - Support the production of project amendment documents as needed, in coordination with relevant consortium and partner staff. - Liaise with HQ units (Regional Unit, Awards Management Unit, Technical Units) to ensure reports and amendments meet internal standards and are responsive to donor requirements. - Monitor and support the use of grant/project management tools to ensure accurate tracking of reporting and programmatic adjustments through the project life cycle. - Act as a focal point for HQ grants administration and compliance colleagues, including maintaining submissions on IRC’s online opportunity management tracking system (OTIS). - Contribute proactively to Project Cycle Meetings in collaboration with relevant project leads to ensure timely, quality implementation of project.

Reporting

- Ensure timely compilation of program and project data to meet internal, USAID and sector coordination reporting requirement and deadlines; - Ensure templates and processes are fit for purpose to collect relevant quantitative and qualitative information required for reporting to a range of stakeholders; - Conduct capacity building with program and support staff to ensure reporting requirements and toolkits are used effectively; - Ensure that all documents are uploaded on box and are updated when due.

Communication

- Develop, implement and monitor a communication and visibility plan to facilitate better understanding among other partners, USAID, beneficiaries, the media and the general public and government stakeholders about the OTL achievements and progress; - Act as the focal point for collecting and compiling information to produce external communication products promoting the contribution of the OTL project to the crisis response, adhering to confidentiality and data protection guidelines in all products disseminated - Develop and implement a knowledge management strategy to ensure effective communication, visibility and sharing of lessons learned/best practices within the OTL consortium - Undertake field visits to gather information and results related to the project and prepare relevant field visit reports and communication materials; - Develop and maintain relationships with communications actors in NE Nigeria, including humanitarian communications focal points, national and local press and other media, to amplify messages.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Chief of Party

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, education, international development, or related field. - Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, advocacy, and or reporting. - Strong knowledge of USAID policies, procedures, branding and marking and reporting requirements. - Ability to write clear, concise, and articulate program reports and communications materials with minimal oversight and editing.

Standards for Professional Conduct:

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, and Anti-Retaliation

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.

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, and Anti-Retaliation.