Circa £42,000 plus contributory pension
BACKGROUND
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian relief and development organisations. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive, recover and rebuild their lives. The IRC delivers emergency aid, protects children, provides health care, prevents and responds to violence against women and girls, safeguards human rights and helps to kick-start economic recovery. Working in more than 40 countries, the IRC has restored hope and opportunity to many millions of people.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian relief and development organisations. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive, recover and rebuild their lives. The IRC delivers emergency aid, protects children, provides health care, prevents and responds to violence against women and girls, safeguards human rights and helps to kick-start economic recovery. Working in more than 40 countries, the IRC has restored hope and opportunity to many millions of people.
The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.
The IRC’s global headquarters are in New York. Our European headquarters were established in London in 1997 to support the organisation’s global activities and particularly to diversify its donor base and be able to better advocate with European policy-makers on behalf of the people we serve. Since 1997, IRC-UK has grown rapidly with income rising from £30,000 to £56 million in 2012. The IRC also has offices in Belgium and Geneva.
IRC-UK
IRC-UK comprises approximately 40 staff across five departments: Policy and Advocacy; External Relations; International Programmes (donor funding); Finance and Administration and International Programmes Technical Units (Women’s Protection & Empowerment, Children & Youth Protection & Development, Governance & Rights, Economic Recovery & Development, Emergency Preparedness & Response, and Research, Evaluation & Learning).
IRC-UK comprises approximately 40 staff across five departments: Policy and Advocacy; External Relations; International Programmes (donor funding); Finance and Administration and International Programmes Technical Units (Women’s Protection & Empowerment, Children & Youth Protection & Development, Governance & Rights, Economic Recovery & Development, Emergency Preparedness & Response, and Research, Evaluation & Learning).
PROGRAMME SCOPE
IRC was one of the first humanitarian organisations to launch specific programs for survivors of sexual violence, implementing gender-based violence (GBV) programs in refugee settings and other conflict-affected communities from 1996. Over the past 16 years, IRC has pioneered and implemented programmes that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in refugee settings and in other conflict-affected contexts, making the IRC a global leader in this field. IRC presently implements women’s protection and empowerment (WPE) programmes to support social and political environments that foster women’s freedom from violence, discrimination, and exclusion, allowing them to be active participants in rebuilding their countries. Today, IRC manages WPE programmes in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Haiti, with funding from governments, the UN, foundations, and private donors.
IRC was one of the first humanitarian organisations to launch specific programs for survivors of sexual violence, implementing gender-based violence (GBV) programs in refugee settings and other conflict-affected communities from 1996. Over the past 16 years, IRC has pioneered and implemented programmes that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in refugee settings and in other conflict-affected contexts, making the IRC a global leader in this field. IRC presently implements women’s protection and empowerment (WPE) programmes to support social and political environments that foster women’s freedom from violence, discrimination, and exclusion, allowing them to be active participants in rebuilding their countries. Today, IRC manages WPE programmes in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Haiti, with funding from governments, the UN, foundations, and private donors.
IRC is seeking a Project Coordinator to be part of the project management team of a five year research project on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in emergencies and conflict settings funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
The project falls under DFID’s Violence Against Women and Girls Research and Innovation Fund and has a budget of up to £5 million.
Based in IRC’s UK office in London, the Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring effective coordination across the consortium members and internal stakeholders. The Coordinator will support the Project Director in ensuring that the project is implemented in accordance with DFID regulations, IRC policies and international standards of researching VAWG, by looking at the systematic and practical implementation of these procedures and ensuring reporting commitment are met. The Coordinator will take over the Director’s representational link when necessary and will be the point of contact with DFID on all administrative issues related to the contract management. This position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding and is anticipated to begin in December 2013.
The Project Coordinator will report to the Project Director and work closely with the Finance Officer, project partners and other staff. The Coordinator will be responsible for collating and preparing reports to DFID and supporting the Director in the oversight and management of the Project.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The objective of this project is to produce rigorous, operationally relevant, research and evidence on drivers, prevalence, trends over time, and effective prevention and response mechanisms in conflict and humanitarian emergencies.
The objective of this project is to produce rigorous, operationally relevant, research and evidence on drivers, prevalence, trends over time, and effective prevention and response mechanisms in conflict and humanitarian emergencies.
This project will produce rigorous, operationally relevant research that is accessible to decision-makers influencing strategic investment, policy and programming to prevent and respond to VAWG, at the national and international level. This will include partners developing global policy (e.g. WHO and UN Women), as well as bilateral agencies, national governments, civil society organisations, DFID country staff and advisers, the research community and media.
The Project Coordinator will assist and coordinate with Project Director to liaise with IRC’s technical unit, partners and IRC country offices to deliver the project, in a high-quality, effective, and efficient manner.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS AND KEY CONTACTS
• Reports to the Project Director
• Key contacts:
• Consultants and research staff from other organisations
• DFID
• IRC finance, research, evaluation and learning (REL) and technical unit staff.
• Reports to the Project Director
• Key contacts:
• Consultants and research staff from other organisations
• DFID
• IRC finance, research, evaluation and learning (REL) and technical unit staff.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Management and Monitoring
• Work with the project team to develop project plans, including full logical frameworks
• Support the Project Director to implement adjustments to account for any gaps in reporting/data collection and work closely with field and address them
• Coordinate with the project finance officer to ensure the budget reflects current activity plans
• Support the Project Director to communicate needs for project monitoring tool development and strategies/templates to address them
• Assist and coordinate technical staff, Partners and field offices to implement project tracking tools
• Maintain an in-depth knowledge on donor and government policies and support field and Technical Unit staff to:
• Ensure that Partners’ responsibilities are tracked and evaluated, and that updates on their contract management performance are communicated in a timely and professional manner to appropriate stakeholders
• Act as the liaison between the project and IRC head offices (NY and UK) and act as the focal point for all project-related communication to relevant internal departments
• Maintain comprehensive electronic files for the project, and ensure project team and partners have access to relevant records
• Facilitate project coordination, information-sharing and guidance on donor rules to IRC and Partner’s project staff
• Supervise and complete special projects as assigned by the Project Director that may fall outside of this job description.
Project Management and Monitoring
• Work with the project team to develop project plans, including full logical frameworks
• Support the Project Director to implement adjustments to account for any gaps in reporting/data collection and work closely with field and address them
• Coordinate with the project finance officer to ensure the budget reflects current activity plans
• Support the Project Director to communicate needs for project monitoring tool development and strategies/templates to address them
• Assist and coordinate technical staff, Partners and field offices to implement project tracking tools
• Maintain an in-depth knowledge on donor and government policies and support field and Technical Unit staff to:
• Ensure that Partners’ responsibilities are tracked and evaluated, and that updates on their contract management performance are communicated in a timely and professional manner to appropriate stakeholders
• Act as the liaison between the project and IRC head offices (NY and UK) and act as the focal point for all project-related communication to relevant internal departments
• Maintain comprehensive electronic files for the project, and ensure project team and partners have access to relevant records
• Facilitate project coordination, information-sharing and guidance on donor rules to IRC and Partner’s project staff
• Supervise and complete special projects as assigned by the Project Director that may fall outside of this job description.
Partner Coordination
• In coordination with the project team, work with Partner’s staff to develop project documents including inception report, monitoring plans, contracts and activity plans
• Supervise and coordinate partnership processes.
• In coordination with the project team, work with Partner’s staff to develop project documents including inception report, monitoring plans, contracts and activity plans
• Supervise and coordinate partnership processes.
Reporting
• Coordinate the production of all narrative reports from Partners, IRC project team and field offices, and provide feedback to improve product quality, accuracy, and style
• Ensure high quality, timely and coherent reporting, both financial and narrative
• Be responsible for submission of donor reports and information, communication of compliance questions or project challenges.
• Coordinate the production of all narrative reports from Partners, IRC project team and field offices, and provide feedback to improve product quality, accuracy, and style
• Ensure high quality, timely and coherent reporting, both financial and narrative
• Be responsible for submission of donor reports and information, communication of compliance questions or project challenges.
Relationship with DFID
• Liaise with DFID, and other operational partners through attendance at scheduled and ad hoc meetings and consultations upon the Project Director’s request, and represent IRC and IRC’s interests by maintaining positive and constructive relations
• Ensure that the project team and Partners are aware of all relevant DFID communication, changes in their regulations, and meetings or conferences.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
• Masters level education in gender, public health or a related subject
• Excellent organisation, coordination and project management skills including budgeting and developing project management documents such as logical frameworks and monitoring tools
• Excellent written English including the ability to edit, synthesise information and produce high quality reports
• Experience and a good understanding of international development
• Proven ability to operate in a complex organisation, across functions and work on own initiative and collaboratively as part of diverse teams
• Ability to manage a varied workload, work under pressure, prioritise and meet deadlines
• Excellent influencing, negotiating and communication skills
• Excellent IT skills (Word, Outlook, Excel)
• Self motivated, flexible and adaptable to the needs of the organisation.
• Liaise with DFID, and other operational partners through attendance at scheduled and ad hoc meetings and consultations upon the Project Director’s request, and represent IRC and IRC’s interests by maintaining positive and constructive relations
• Ensure that the project team and Partners are aware of all relevant DFID communication, changes in their regulations, and meetings or conferences.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
• Masters level education in gender, public health or a related subject
• Excellent organisation, coordination and project management skills including budgeting and developing project management documents such as logical frameworks and monitoring tools
• Excellent written English including the ability to edit, synthesise information and produce high quality reports
• Experience and a good understanding of international development
• Proven ability to operate in a complex organisation, across functions and work on own initiative and collaboratively as part of diverse teams
• Ability to manage a varied workload, work under pressure, prioritise and meet deadlines
• Excellent influencing, negotiating and communication skills
• Excellent IT skills (Word, Outlook, Excel)
• Self motivated, flexible and adaptable to the needs of the organisation.
Desirable qualifications, experience and competences
• Experience of managing donor funded contracts
• Experience working on DFID on commercial contract management
• Experience with VAWG in conflict and emergency contexts
• Good understanding of research design and methodology.
• Experience of managing donor funded contracts
• Experience working on DFID on commercial contract management
• Experience with VAWG in conflict and emergency contexts
• Good understanding of research design and methodology.
How to apply:
To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter (maximum three pages) describing, with examples, how you meet the person specification to: applications@rescue-uk.org
Applications will not be considered without a CV and cover letter.
The closing date is: 10 am (UK time) Monday 30th December 2013
Interviews will be held on the 2nd and 3rd January 2014, please confirm your availability for this date.
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.
So as to minimise administrative costs, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
IRC-UK strives to be an equal opportunities employer. IRC-UK is committed to equality of opportunity and to non-discrimination for all job applicants and employees, and we seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.
