International Rescue Committee recruits 01 Senior Manager, Education and Governance

International Rescue Committee recruits 01 Senior Manager, Education and Governance

Organizational 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.

The IRC opened the country program in Mali in 2012. Our programs span the range from humanitarian relief to early recovery activities, focusing on child protection, education, economic wellbeing, nutrition, health, water and sanitation. We work both in the north, central and south of Mali. Conflict and drought have displaced hundreds of thousands both within Mali and in neighboring countries. The security situation in the north remains fragile. Nevertheless the needs of IDPs and host communities affected by conflict are widespread and the issue of humanitarian access is a continuous process. The IRC works in the north of Mali to provide essential WASH, Education, and Health services at a critical time, child protection and Economic wellbeing programs in the most remote areas. The post is designed to contribute to enhance the capabilities and build the resources of populations to prevent and mitigate crises, manage change and enhance self-reliance and resilience.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Programs at Head Office – Mali, the Senior Manager will be responsible to assume leadership and oversight of the activities, coordinate the various technical experts and align them to the project activities for the vision, strategy, design, monitoring, and quality delivery of the implementation of the project. Senior Manager will be based in Bamako with frequent visits to the field sites.

The Senior Manager role will also include capacity building of national staff and partners engaged in the implementation of the project. In accordance with project focus on integrated programming, the Senior Manager will work closely with in-country Coordinators covering other sectors such as Economic Recovery and Development, WASH, Gender and especially Education. The Senior Manager will be supported by Technical Advisors (TAs) based at IRC HQ to ensure effective, high quality delivery of all education and governance components. This position supervises directly 3 staffs:  governance, communication/advocacy and M&E managers.

Responsibilities:

• Technical Monitoring and Program Quality
• Provide subject matter expertise and technical assistance to the program, technical staff of the consortium;
• Provide analytical and evaluative techniques to identify, consider, and resolve issues or problems;
• Lead and/or reviews and monitors programmatic functions, i.e. development of work plans, budgets and quarterly/annual reports.
• Monitor and review closely budget expenditures, forecasts vis a vis project implementation;
• Prepare and coordinate Grant Opening/Review/Closing meetings;
• Participate in and/or prepare necessary project-related reports and presentations
• Organize and support, as needed, project trainings, conferences, workshops, and meetings.
• Supervise senior technical staff and provide guidance to mid- and junior level staff members.
• Ensure that education, wash, construction, economic recovery and development and governance components utilize standardized protocols, policies and guidelines, as recommended by the Ministries of Education, Civil/social protection, etc.;
• Ensure that relevant entities of the Education Ministry, the Ministry of Energy and Water through its National Direction of Hydraulic are involved in quality control of the construction of water points in school;
• Ensure that all education, wash, economic recovery and development and governance activities are consistent with established international and national best practices, in close collaboration with the Education,  ERD, WASH and governance TAs;
• Lead all research and learning activities in relation to Education, ERD and governance;
• Ensure appropriate follow-up and decision-making on data relevant to the consortium’s Education, WASH, ERD and Governance programs;
• Ensure all stakeholders are provided with updates on the project on education and governance in Mali, HQ and the regional WASACH team, including Head of Office – Mali, Technical Unit, donors, etc.;
• Ensure regular performance monitoring of partners to achieve the set project’s objectives; provide technical support and guidance;
• Supervise the development of relevant M&E systems and ensure regular follow-up on monitoring data relevant to IRC and the partners’ education and governance programs to feed into on-going review of project cycle and decision-making for programming;
• Provide overall supervision to ensure that the implementation of the project aligns with the project proposal and donor’s requirements;

Strategic Planning

• Monitor evolving needs of the target communities and adjust the programmatic priorities as necessary;
• In collaboration with HQ-based Technical Coordinators and Senior Management Team – Mali, lead the overall development of an overall strategies of the project in line with IRC Mali Strategic Action Plan and IRC’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework;
• Work in collaboration with the gender sector/focal point  to ensure that design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation take into account existing gender disparities
• With the gender focal point ensure that relevant action are taken to address gender disparities, inequalities throughout the implementation of the program;

Coordination, Communications and Advocacy

• Design and lead technical assessments as a basis for education and governance program development;
• Work with relevant national and regional entities to ensure that gender specific policies are being enforce through the implementation of the program;
• Together with regional and HQ teams, identify communication opportunities for internal and external audiences highlighting humanitarian needs related to education and governance programing;
• Together with CD, DDP and relevant coordination mechanisms, identify opportunities for advocacy on issues related to governance and education.
• Liaise with the local, regional and national authorities to advocate for policy enforcement in accordance of the overall strategy of the government in education and governance;

Coordination and Representation

• Collaborate with other in-country technical coordinators, to ensure an integrated strategy to achieve education and safety outcomes as in the country’s SAP;
• In coordination with the supervisor, represent the consortium to UN, international and national NGOs,  Ministries of Education, and donors for education and governance;
• As Education, wash and governance focal point at project level, participate actively in external Education, wash and governance and Cluster forums in coordination with the education and wash coordinators;
• Participate in internal coordination and management meetings to promote effective and efficient information sharing, problem-solving and decision making;
• Ensure all stakeholders and partners are provided with updated information on education and governance programs in Mali, including Head of Office – Mali, Technical Unit, donors etc.;
• With support from the programs team, ensure accountability to beneficiaries, gender sensitivity and inclusion are adequately addressed in IRC’s Education and Governance programs.

Staff development

• Develop and implement continuous staff capacity building plan to ensure quality education, wash, ERD and governance programming;
• Ensure respect for IRC HR policies during the recruitment process;
• Provide timely and quality performance evaluations;
• Promote the IRC Way with all supervisees.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Masters level qualification in Social Sciences, International Development, Education, or related subject
• A minimum of 4-7 years professional experience in leading/managing Education and/or governance projects in humanitarian contexts. Experience in managing multi-sector projects would be an asset.
• Proven experience in managing and/or technically supporting education, wash in school, and governance activities;
• Excellent professional approach, strong building skills and proven ability to build staff capacity
• Prior experience and excellent understanding of working in emergency settings or insecure environments
• Strong leadership, management, project planning, monitoring and evaluation, analytical interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong budget management and reporting, skills;
• An initiator of initiatives, able to plan, prioritize and manage multiple tasks under pressure and deliver tangible benefits to a team
• Proven problem solving and results oriented
• Strong written and oral communication skills, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment and effective in representation and liaison
• Flexible work attitude – the ability to work productively in a team environment and independently
• Able to respond rapidly to changing environments and work under pressure
• Fluency in French and English required
• Experience of working in West Africa or Mali a plus
• Excellent Computer skills: MS Word, Excel