Requisition ID: req49596
Job Title: Senior Program Coordinator Venezuela
Sector: Program Administration
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: Yes
Location: Caracas, Venezuela
Work Arrangement: In-person
Job Description
The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues to escalate. Venezuelans face hyperinflation, making basic goods and services, including healthcare and food, unaffordable. Medical supply shortages make it challenging to diagnose and treat communicable diseases, sexual and reproductive health needs, and other services. Food scarcity has led to hunger and malnutrition. Between 2015 and 2018, over three million Venezuelans sought goods and services primarily in neighboring countries.
The IRC has responded to the crisis by supporting Venezuelans across the migration route, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. In Colombia, the IRC works in health, protection, education, and multipurpose cash assistance. In Venezuela, the IRC has been implementing programs through local organizations, working to strengthen their capacity to provide access to services and consolidate financial, procurement, monitoring, and evaluation capabilities.
Program overview
Since 2019, IRC Venezuela has implemented an intervention modality with partners, providing health care, child protection, women’s empowerment and protection, education, food security, and livelihood services in collaboration with local actors. The IRC recognizes local organizations not only as allies but also as catalysts and drivers of change. Effective collaborative partnerships are central to IRC’s ambitions and strategic plans. We prioritize investing in local systems, resulting in more effective, responsive, and sustainable assistance reaching more people with better outcomes.
Role scope
The Senior Program Coordinator will provide leadership and daily management of IRC’s program implementation in Venezuela. Under the Program Director’s supervision, the Senior Program Coordinator is responsible for ensuring programmatic quality and overseeing the effective implementation of IRC programs. Similarly, the Senior Program Coordinator must lead IRC’s relationship strategy with the humanitarian architecture in Venezuela, ensuring coordination, cooperation, and joint work in the field and IRC’s technical positioning in each sector. The Senior Program Coordinator will act as a focal point for technical coordinators and facilitate their relationship with partners. Additionally, the Senior Program Coordinator will represent the Venezuela program when necessary, ensuring a high level of visibility and acceptance of IRC programs. The Senior Program Coordinator participates in the Extended Senior Management Team and drives program implementation, requiring effective coordination with all functional departments within IRC.
Responsibilities:
Program Management (planning, execution, and future development)
All responsibilities mentioned below are required both “internally” (within the IRC structure) and “externally” (in collaboration with partners).
•In collaboration with the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), and program technical coordinators, contribute to participatory, innovative, and inclusive proposal design and development processes, ensuring projects are data-driven and aligned with IRC’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and IRC’s Strategy100.
•Under the DDP’s direction and in close coordination with technical coordinators, ensure timely planning, execution, and monitoring of IRC’s multisectoral programming.
•Supervise project progress regarding work plans and budgets and provide appropriate support to coordinators and other program staff to ensure work plans are adjusted as needed, objectives are met, and budgets are spent in accordance with IRC and donor internal policies and procedures.
•Ensure support for procurement planning to technical coordinators and field-based staff (both program and support), in close coordination with Operations Coordination.
•Monitor compliance, measurement, monitoring, and analysis of indicators, in close coordination with the Senior Officer and MEAL Coordination.
•Stay informed of specific local context, needs, gaps, and constraints to anticipate issues that may affect program implementation, recommend necessary adjustments, and take timely actions, in close coordination with Field Management.
•Ensure ongoing collaboration with the on-the-ground management team and support areas, such as finance, supply chain, human resources, and grants, to ensure program implementation is collectively planned and coordinated.
Key Success Pillars of Partnerships
•Drive IRC’s progress towards partnership goals and actively promote the implementation of IRC’s partnership system.
•Support technical coordinators and the partnership officer in monitoring, accompanying, strengthening, and tracking local partners across different projects to achieve program and organizational goals.
•Ensure standardization and quality of services according to international and IRC standards with all partners and in all territories.
Leadership and Staff Management
•Direct supervision of technical coordinators.
•Ensure performance objectives and key performance indicators are set and regularly reviewed.
•Regularly provide constructive feedback to the team being supervised and support them in managing the performance of their team members.
•Under the DDP’s direction, promote appropriate standards and establish necessary measures to make IRC Venezuela a safe and healthy working environment for both male and female staff.
•Under the DDP’s direction, establish annual performance goals, provide regular and timely feedback on positive and constructive performance, and provide documented semi-annual performance reviews.
•Maintain open and professional relationships with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing supervision and guidance so that staff can successfully perform their roles.
•Provide a measurable development plan that includes on-the-job learning with the aim of reinforcing technical capacity, knowledge exchange within the team, and guidance on professional trajectories.
•As needed, identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address them in accordance with IRC’s organizational personnel policies.
•Promote and oversee staff care and well-being.
•Seek opportunities to support staff in their professional growth, when appropriate.
•Adhere to and act in accordance with IRC’s global HR policies and procedures and communicate a high level of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations through words and example.
Coordination and Representation
•As needed and in coordination with the DDP and other program sector leaders and country program management, represent IRC in forums and inter-institutional debates.
•Participate in relevant working groups, both within and outside the UN thematic groups system.
•Represent and promote IRC with local authorities and coordination bodies in Venezuela, when necessary, to ensure high recognition and acceptance of IRC programs with the government, host community, and refugees.
Research, Learning, and Analysis
•Along with the DDP, MEAL coordinator, and technical coordinators, lead assessments and research aimed at generating a strong evidence base for IRC programming.
Key Working Relationships:
•Reports to: Deputy Director of Programs.
•Directly supervises: 5 technical coordinators.
•Internal: All country program staff and departments (MEAL coordinator, Senior MEAL Officer, partnership teams, and grants teams), headquarters/regional technical units (technical assistants and monitoring and evaluation specialists), headquarters research, evaluation, and learning unit, finance, and operations.
•External: Partner organizations, other humanitarian actors.
Job Requirements:
•Bachelor’s degree in international development, Social Sciences, or a related field; a master’s degree is preferred.
•At least 8 years of experience in the international development/humanitarian sector, with several years at the senior management level (international experience preferred).
•A minimum of 3 years of specific experience in senior management roles.
•Experience with multisectoral programs involving collaborative work with local organizations and funded by multiple donors.
•Previous experience working in remote management situations, especially in supporting local partners, is preferred.
Demonstrated Technical Skills:
•Excellent skills and a proven track record in managing multisectoral emergency response and recovery programs. Experience working in the context of refugees is an advantage.
•Excellent skills in managing large-scale programs with substantial budgets from diverse donors.
•Experience in overseeing logistical, procurement, administrative, and financial functions, ideally as part of program base management.
•Outstanding interpersonal and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to negotiate with a wide range of people (internally and externally).
•Ability to work independently and maintain flexibility in an environment where project changes and revisions are common.
•Good understanding and experience in managing staff and program security in dynamic environments.
Demonstrated Management/Leadership Competencies:
•A balanced mix of strategic thinking and practical skills.
•Strong planning and methodical organizational skills.
•Robust leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
•Excellent analytical, presentation, and reporting skills.
•Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to effectively represent IRC in forums and with donors.
•Superior oral and written communication skills, with the ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively to internal and external senior officials.
•Experience successfully working with local stakeholders, such as local and international NGOs, government, etc., with sensitivity and diplomacy.
•Demonstrated ability to design and lead training engagements with staff and partners to enhance skills and adapt to changing program demands.
•Proven ability to work well in and promote teamwork, thrive in a multicultural environment, be flexible, and handle pressure with professional grace.
•Strong commitment to the mission, purpose, and values of IRC.
Languages:
•Fluent professional proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
•Fluent professional proficiency in spoken and written English.
Technical/Computer Requirements:
•Full professional competency in the Microsoft Office package, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
•Experience with statistical software and data management programs.
Travel Capacity: 30-50% within the country.