Iraq is emerging from over three years of civil war against the Islamic State and remains one of the most complex operating environments in the world. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades and the destruction of communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair. Over 4 million Iraqis have returned in the past year, but 1.9 million remain displaced. 230,000 Syrians continue to seek refuge in the Kurdish region. The new government will struggle to rebuild trust and restore basic services.
A lead responder in Iraq since 2003, the IRC delivers aid and services that help communities survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The IRC is providing robust programming across five governorates through women’s protection and empowerment, child protection and protection and rule of law programming; cash distributions and livelihoods programming in support of economic recovery and development; education programming; and integrated early childhood development programming. Our work spans emergency response to long-term programming supporting our clients to rebuild their lives.
SCOPE OF WORK: The Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) plays a leading role in ensuring overall program responsiveness, quality and impact. The DDP ensures that programs are evidence-based and needs-driven, monitored closely, and funded appropriately. Reporting to the Country Director and a member of the Senior Management Team, s/he will supervise six technical program coordinators as well as the Grants and MEAL Coordinators. The DDP is responsible for ensuring high quality implementation of a wide range of programming across emergency to early recovery contexts and conducting day to day team management.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership and Representation
•Provide leadership and supervisory management for all IRC programming in Iraq, including mobilization and stewardship of resources, program quality and accountability, and performance management.
•Participate actively in country program management, coordination, and strategy meetings with other members of the senior management team.
•Work closely with Finance colleagues to ensure timely budget development, financial planning and cost management.
•Actively engage with donors, partner agencies and the humanitarian community in Iraq to ensure IRC is strongly represented in coordination and advocacy efforts.
•Participate actively in country program management and strategy meetings.
•Conduct regular field visits to support program teams.
•Actively liaise with IRC programs in the Middle East Region and the regional team to maximize synergies and application of best practice across the region.
Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth
•Provide cohesive leadership to IRC’s program teams in Iraq, ensuring that priorities and opportunities identified are in line with and contribute to achievement of IRC’s objectives in the Middle East region and the Iraq strategic action plan.
•Provide guidance to the program team regarding tools and strategies to ensure that programming is based on input from communities, a thorough understanding of the context, and technical best practices.
•Work with colleagues in the country program, region and HQ to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive, responsive proposals that meet internal standards, apply IRC’s global strategy, and are donor compliant; meet with donors to discuss current and potential funding opportunities.
•Work with the senior management team to develop operational budgets, which reflect a detailed understanding of situational parameters, beneficiary needs, available resources and technical possibilities.
•Through the provision of leadership support to the in-country grants team, and in close collaboration with the Finance Team, develop cost-effective funding applications aligned with the IRC’s Outcome and Evidence Framework.
•Ensure linkages in the Outcomes and Evidence Framework are supported.
•Ensure programs collaborate across sectors on outcome-based programs for greater impact.
•Manage Program Coordinators to ensure partnership plans that maximize the opportunities for collaborative partnerships Iraq are maintained and updated, consistent with the IRC’s Strategy Action Plan.
•Ensure new business development and program design are consistent with those partnership plans and the Strategy Action Plan (including through the Go/No-Go review process).
•Work closely with operational support departments to ensure systems are regularly reviewed and in place to support ongoing program operations and strategic growth.
•Remain abreast of ongoing humanitarian response and funding trends in the region and provide regular updates on these trends and analysis of how they may affect IRC programming.
•Support M&E Coordinator to develop, adapt and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems that enhance program quality, increase effectiveness and measure results.
•Identify and pursue opportunities to improve client feedback mechanisms to ensure responsive programming.
Staff Performance Management and Development
•Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, establishing a supportive environment while emphasizing accountability, providing regular and timely constructive performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.
•Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
•As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition roles and responsibilities of select coordinator positions, by end of assignment.
•Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
•Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
•Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the Iraq country program.
Grant Monitoring & Partner Management
•Supervise the Grants Coordinator in the development of quality concept notes and proposals for all IRC Iraq programs.
•Support Grants Coordinator and Grants Unit with development of a funding strategy, diversifying and strengthening donor base.
•Ensure a close coordination and collaboration with the support departments to ensure an adequate synergy between programs and operations;
•Support and supervise implementation of finance controls for program expenditures in accordance with NY and CP policies and procedures;
•Actively participate in grant meetings, including all Budget vs Actuals Meetings, Grant Opening, Mid-Term, and Closing Meetings, ensuring follow up on action points.
•Ensure Program Coordinators budget accurately and realistically, and consistently spend and implement in a timely fashion, including procurement of program supplies in accordance with approved procurement plans, while meeting targets.
•Support the Grants Coordinator to ensure that all IRC Iraq programs are compliant with their respective donor regulations.
•Coordinate with Program Coordinators, operations leads, and Grants Unit on all grant modifications, with a focus on identifying and troubleshooting potential issues well in advance
•Work through the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS), a comprehensive set of compliance tools to set up, manage, and close out partnerships and subawards.
•Ensure program staff proactively maintain positive relationships with partners, including ongoing capacity building and mentoring, as well as a culture of mutual learning.
Communications
•Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations.
•Maintain open communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Eight direct reports including the Economic Recovery and Development Coordinator, Protection Coordinator, Women’s Protection and Empowerment Coordinator, Child Youth Protection and Early Childhood Development Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Monitoring and Evaluation and Grants Coordinator.
Key Working Relationships
Internal: Country Director; Iraq Senior Management Team; Iraq Field Coordinators, ME regional team; HQ staff in various departments
External: Public and private donor agencies, international and national NGOs, UN agencies, partner organizations, foreign governments.
