Senior Governance Manager – Any field location in Iraq

Requisition ID: req47182

Job Title: Senior Governance Manager – Any field location in Iraq

Sector: Governance

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Iraq

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee responds to the worlds worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC established programs in Iraq in 2003 to address the overwhelming needs of displaced people in Iraq and the neighboring countries. Since re-establishing its presence in Iraq in November 2007, the IRC has been assisting thousands of internally displaced families in the northern, central, and southern governorates in the sectors of protection, gender-based violence (GBV), early childhood development, economic recovery, Child Protection, and emergency humanitarian assistance. Today, the IRC works in close coordination with the humanitarian and development partners in Iraq and local stakeholders to address the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Returnees, and Host communities. We operate in several governorates throughout Central and Southern Iraq, including Anbar, Ninewa, SAD, and Kirkuk, with additional offices in Erbil and Baghdad.

The IRCs Governance team amplifies the voices of people in Iraq impacted by conflict and crisis. We empower people to control their future by championing their right to influence issues and shape systems that affect their cities, towns, and communities. To achieve this, the Governance program at the IRC aims to empower people to influence and participate in decisions that affect their lives, influence governments, civil society organizations, community representatives, and service delivery organizations to provide effective and responsive services, and promote collaboration between individuals, groups, and providers of services so that differences are resolved peacefully.

Job Overview:

Governance and Peacebuilding Stream

The Senior Governance Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing the Governance Sector’s four-year Strategy (2024-2028). Responsibilities include supporting the Governance Coordinator in new business development by comprehensively understanding community needs and integrating them into the drafting of project proposals and concept notes. In addition, the Senior Governance Manager will actively contribute and support the Governance Coordinator to enhance the capacities of Governance field staff and partners on governance and peacebuilding related topics, ensuring they are equipped with the essential tools to elevate program quality. Furthermore, this role involves collaborating closely with the Governance Coordinator to identify new partnerships at both the government and non-government levels. The Senior Governance Manager will actively participate in advocacy efforts on both national and subnational levels.

Consortium Management Workstream

The Senior Governance Manager will work closely with the local partners staff, other IRC, local partners Program Departments, other stakeholders to implement the BMZ funded project titled Strengthening resilience and supporting livelihoods and peaceful coexistence of vulnerable groups from the IS-exempted areas.

The Senior Governance Manager will make regular trips to the project implementation areas and  will oversee the overall management of the implementation of activities with the officers and Sr. Officer in partnership with the local implementing partners. The Senior manager will be responsible for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of project activities. The Senior manager ensures monitoring and evaluation tools and ensures compliance with the Donor’s requirements in carrying out activities. The Senior manager will be the first person in charge of drafting the reports to be shared with the Donor (monthly, quarterly and annual), which implies an excellent approach in data collection. The Senior manager must communicate regularly with the Governance and ERD coordinators to find solutions to the problems encountered in the implementation of the activities. In addition, the Senior manager must regularly seek the support of a technical supervisor both at IRC and at the consortium level to ensure the good quality of the team and local partners services.  

Location of Work: This position will be based in Erbil or Mosul, depending on the candidate preference responding to Ramadi and Mosul.

Responsibility and Tasks:

Governance and Peacebuilding Workstream:

1-Technical Quality

• Support the Governance Coordinator in providing a sound technical basis for the consolidation and harmonization of all Governance activities across field sites and tools/methodologies, with an emphasis on maintaining and improving program quality.
• Support the Governance Coordinator in providing technical guidance to field teams on Governance and Peacebuilding activities and monitor the quality of work.
• Support the Governance Coordinator in the development and delivery of appropriate trainings for IRC staff and partners on peacebuilding and governance and ensure that trainings for IRC staff and partners and other sectors staff, as well as external actors are of high quality.

2-Program Strategy and New Business Development

• Support Governance Coordinator in grant management, proposal development of Governance programming.
• Support in developing IRCs Governance sector four years strategic action plan and monitor its implementation.
• Ensure all interventions are in compliance with the IRCs strategic action plan.
• Work alongside the Governance Coordinator and the Partnership Unit to develop and implement a partnership strategy governance and peacebuilding entities in Iraq. Engage with relevant government stakeholders at the local and national levels to promote power outcomes. 
• Work closely with the Governance Coordinator to ensure mainstreaming and linkages of Governance sector activities across IRCs programming (ECD, CYPD, GOV, WPE, ERD), as appropriate.

3-Coordination, Partnerships and Advocacy

• Support when required advocacy activities led by the Governance Coordinator and PAC Coordinator.
• Work with Governance Project Managers and Field Coordinators in identifying field level advocacy and external influencing opportunities.
• When requested by the Governance Coordinator, participate in donor engagement, particularly at field visits.
• Represent, where appropriate, the Governance sector in strategic meetings such as the Ninewa Peace and Reconciliation Working Group.
• Support the Governance Coordinator in review and updating the stakeholder analysis and identifying new partnerships with government and non-government actors.

Consortium Management Workstream:

1. Implementation and management of project activities

• Set up and update the project management tools: Work plan, spending plan, procurement plan, and indicator monitoring table;
• Prepare and ensure the presentation on the progress of the project during the project evaluation and monitoring meetings at IRC level;
• Cooperating with the local partners and IRC staff, will write Donor reports including the collection of information from the various business sectors and the preparation of complete internal and external reports (monthly, quarterly and annual);
• Ensure the compliance of program activities with the commitments made to the Donor and the orientations of the local partners;
• Respond to all requests for information or external solicitations related to the project as a whole;
• Plan and support officers, Sr. officer, and local partners in the implementation of the following activities:

oMap local stakeholders and conduct stakeholder analysis;

oLead on the planning and implementation of the capacity assessment exercises for the implementing partners;

oEstablishment/strengthening of community groups such as peace committees, youth committees, and women committees;

oOrganize community-based social cohesion events, such as participatory sessions to identify and analyze conflicts while ensuring Do No Harm, community, community awareness sessions on the risks of community conflicts in their communities, intra / inter-community dialogues for conflict management, community mobilization activities during international days, and annual workshops to assess community action plans;

oOrganize capacity-sharing activities from the local partners, local committees, and local authorities on social cohesion, governance, and livelihood priorities;

oDevelop and disseminate key messages for the prevention of community conflicts;

oDevelop strategies at the local level on social cohesion, conflict management, and risk mapping;

oRegularly visit field sites and work closely with officers and Sr. officers to plan and adjust the program to improve results based on best practices and outcome and evidence-based approaches;

oIn collaboration with the Information Management team, lead in the development and implementation of any assessments/research including labor market assessments, conflict assessments, value chain assessments, gender analysis, etc.;

oOversee implementation of livelihoods program activities implemented in Mosul and Ramadi through the local partners;

oConduct regular monitoring of program activities to ensure programs are delivered in line with the IRCs Livelihoods theories of change and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), maintaining program records as per activity guidelines, to ensure transparency and compliance with internal and external protocols;

oEnsure proper documentation of all activities, including documentation of beneficiary eligibility and cross-checking, project studies, attendance records, etc.;

oSupporting the local partners in leading registration of clients, completing the intake forms, enrolling in business training, join the committee of business grants, selecting service providers for apprenticeship and vocational training, coordinating with local authorities and other stakeholders in the target locations;

oAny other tasks providing by supervisors.

Monitoring and evaluation and reporting on project activities

• Plan and support officers and Sr. officer in the organization of monitoring and evaluation sessions for conflict management activities;
• Participate in data collection activities with beneficiaries (Baseline, midline and end line survey);
• Regularly complete, with the support of officers, the database and dashboard of project indicators at the end of each month and share with the M&E team;
• Complete the reporting tools in consultation with the M&E department and respond to any comments;
• Ensure that documents relating to activities and other project resources are filed and archived by officers (lists of participants, activity reports as well as supporting documents for expenses incurred);
• For each activity, make sure that the database has been updated.

Administrative, financial and logistical management

• Work closely with the Governance Coordinator and ERD Coordinator on the overall management of the project: compliance with commitments and deadlines, planning and systematic monitoring of budgets;
• Work closely with the Governance Coordinator, ERD Coordinator, and the officers to ensure monthly expenditure forecasts for project activities and submit them to the hierarchy for consolidation;
• Revise the expenditure plan according to the activity planning;
• Ensure expenditure compliance with IRC and donor policies and procedures;
• Monitor the supply of project equipment by maintaining regular exchanges with the logistics team;
• Ensure the management of project assets and monitor their inventory at the appropriate time;
• Communicate to the hierarchy any decommissioning and / or deterioration of project equipment;
• Make sure that any transfer / donation of equipment is accompanied by the relevant documents;
• Organize and plan the movements of project staff in collaboration with the logistics team;
• Make sure that all service and consultancy contracts are properly classified within the framework of this project.

Communication and collaboration

• Ensure the representation of project activities in the field of social cohesion and livelihood;
• Participate, if and when possible, in the coordination meetings of the management team at the IRC Iraq office;
• Ensure quality representation of IRC with partners and during consortium meetings;
• Coordinate field visits by donors and other people external to the program.

Partnership:

oDeveloping the capacity building/development plan for the partners based on the pre-award assessment result.

oWork with the Grants and Partnerships team to ensure that the appropriate mechanism is identified for IRC partners.

oDevelop partner monitoring plans and assist financial monitoring.

oWork closely with the partners and reviewing the M&E plans, reports, activities, etc.

Team management:

oLine manager for the social cohesion officers;

oProvide ongoing support, coaching and capacity development opportunities.

oIdentify issues, problems and/or concerns affecting the program with the social cohesion and livelihoods projects team and present recommendations to the ERD Coordinator and Governance Coordinator;

oRespond to any questions from the field teams regarding implementation, strategy, operations, security approvals, movement plans, etc.

oEscalate issues as needed to the ERD Coordinator and Governance Coordinator.

Other

Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  100% to Governance Coordinator.
Position directly supervises: Support the officers and Sr. officer in the field offices.

Other Internal/External contacts:

Internal: Partnership coordinator; MEAL Sr. Manager, finance partnership officer, and grant manager. 

External: Partner organizations; Clusters working groups

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree social sciences, community development, economic development, NGO management, Governance, or any other similar training;
• Work experience of at least 5 years in project management and coordination, including at least 2 years in a position of social cohesion and livelihood; which minimum 2 year in a managerial level  including strong financial literacy.
• Demonstrated knowledge on peaceful conflict management and non-violent communication, conflict risk mapping, community engagement, community-driven development, participatory development processes, livelihood development, private-sector engagement.
• Demonstrable experience in participating in coordination forums, high-level meetings, and strategic forums;
• Ability to represent the programme or organization in external events;
• Experience working with communities, particularly in conflict-affected areas;
• Experience working with vulnerable people representing different backgrounds;
• Have a minimum of 7 years experience in NGOs;
• Demonstrated experience in working with local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs);
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and working with local and national government representatives;
• Demonstrated experience in successfully leading, building, and strengthening a team in an evolving, fast paced environment;
• Demonstrated experience of facilitating trainings/workshops or learning events for staff and volunteers on relevant aspects of A good understanding of the gender issue;
• Good ability to work independently as well as in a team;
• Organizational and communication skills;
• Demonstrate tact and a keen sense of discretion;
• Experience and demonstrated success managing projects, reports and budgets.

Strengths

• Strong contextual knowledge of the areas of operation and community dynamics;
• Rigorous and dynamic character;
• Ability to work under pressure and in unstable conditions;
• Strong team management and staff development skills;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and a team spirit;
• Respect the instructions and safety rules;
• Good knowledge of Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint software;
• Be punctual, available and versatile;
• Arabic and English are essential (written and spoken).

Standards of 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.

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 maternity leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: Per the Iraqi Ministry of Health COVID-19 guidelines, IRC requires candidates who are selected for positions to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter IRC premises. However, the exemption is only accepted per the Iraqi Health regulation and upon the provision of a negative PCR test.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity.  We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Notice to all Job Seekers

IRC implements an equal employment opportunity policy, and our recruitment process is based on merit.

Applicants and/or successful interview candidates (both internal and external) are not required to pay any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

If anyone asks you for any financial or non-financial favors to help you secure a job at IRC, kindly report to [email protected].

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