Senior Scaling and Learning Manager

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. 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 reaches over a million children annually with education and child protection programs in 25 countries around the world.

Years of war in Syria have pushed millions from their homes and into poverty, and millions more have become refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and further afield. Equally complex is the emergency in Iraq, where waves of fighting and displacement have overwhelmed infrastructure and services and pushed communities to the brink. The economic, social, and health effects of these dual crises have changed the entire region. In the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq) IRC responds to displaced people’s acute and longer-term needs with integrated programs that improve health and safety, prioritize children’s education, foster economic wellbeing, and empower communities to regain control over their lives.

Early Childhood Development Programming

High-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs provide the foundation for children’s future academic success, health, prosperity and wellbeing. A large body of scientific evidence emphasizes the need for increased investment in early childhood, particularly for children experiencing conflict, crisis and displacement; these children are extremely vulnerable to the long-lasting effects that prolonged stress has on the developing brain. With the generous support of the MacArthur Foundation’s inaugural 100&Change grant, the LEGO Foundation and the Bezos Foundation, the IRC and Sesame Workshop have partnered to provide quality early childhood development programs for refugee and host communities in the countries affected by the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East. Focusing on children in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria over the course of five years, the Ahlan Simsim and Play to Learn projects combine a depth of in-person activities, Mass Media content and digital programming, aiming to reach 1.5 million children and caregivers across the region.

Scaling & Learning

The ultimate objective of Ahlan Simsim and Play to Learn projects is to ensure sustained impact on children’s lives in a cost-effective, and replicable manner that is tailored to and integrated into existing early childhood development (ECD) systems across the region. This work is founded in a scaling approach that focuses on the needs of the communities we serve, grounded in the context and aligned with national strategies and priorities, with the goal of reaching as much of those needs as possible for as many people as possible. To that end, a critical component of Ahlan Simsim and Play to Learn projects is partnerships with governments and local ECD actors in co-developing and up taking ECD offerings into national systems and structures thereby impacting a critical mass of young children across the region for years to come.

Main Responsibilities

The Scaling and Learning Senior Manager will be responsible for:

• Leading on the development of learnings from scaling initiatives, from country specific and regional perspectives

• Document the Ahlan Simsim Scaling and Play to Learn scaling story in collaboration with country scaling focal points

• Co-lead on the finalization of the scaling handbook, learning development guidance and other learning tools as relevant

Lead on the development of learnings from scaling per country and on a regional level

• Support IRC Ahlan Simsim country teams in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Syria to fill the scaling tools routinely and as needed.

• Work with the scaling focal points in the different countries on data input, analysis and generation of learning per pathway and per country.

• Validate the learnings with key local partners through meetings and workshops

• Work with scaling and RMEL focal points in countries to integrate monitoring data into the scaling learning development

• Coordinate closely with the RMEL country and regional level to ensure learnings from scaling are embedded and aligned with the Ahlan Simsim Learning agenda

• Align learning from scaling with learning from advocacy and technical ECD work

• Finalize learning products for external sharing

• Co-facilitate regional workshops to identify patterns across countries and develop regional scaling learning products

Follow up and document the Ahlan Simsim and Play to Learn Scaling story

• Conduct regular KIIs with IRC staff and partner staff to document their scaling journey

• Analyze data and information collected to develop the process of scaling in different countries

• Collect all learning across country and region and analyze the different pathways to scale

• Follow up closely with country teams for monthly updates input in trackers

• Co-develop with the scaling and partnerships lead the Ahlan Simsim scaling story

Co-lead on the finalization of the handbook and learning development guidance

• Work closely with the Scaling and Partnerships Lead to integrate learnings into the scaling handbook

• Develop a detailed guidance notes with the related tools for collecting learning from the scaling process

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Regional Partnerships and Scaling Lead

• Position supervises: N/A

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

• Internal: ECD staff (regional and countries’ teams) specifically scaling and RMEL focal points.

• External: Local partners and authorities, donors, Sesame Workshop.

Requirements:

• 3-5 years proven experience working in the field of partnerships and development.

• Must have experience working with local actors and teams from different backgrounds

• Experience in developing work plans and timelines

• Experience in process evaluation and analysis

• Experience in humanitarian aid projects and/or social impact projects, preferred

• Excellent English (written and spoken) and Arabic skills (spoken);

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with various types of people and business functions.

• Must be a multitasker with strong planning, organizing and strategic thinking skills, strong analytical skills and comfortable working in a fast paced, multicultural environment.

Working Environment:

• Standard office work environment

• Travel required – potential visits to countries in the region (Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria).

• The position reports to Regional Partnerships and Scaling Lead and is part of the ECD Regional team, with the possibility to be based in Jordan, Iraq or Lebanon.

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

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