Senior Technical Advisor

Geneva | London | New York City | York

Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
Location: Geneva | London | New York City | York
Grade: Senior level - Senior
Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
Closing Date: Closed

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Within IRC, the Emergencies & Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) supervises the organization’s global emergency preparedness and response activities. The mission of the EHAU is to expand and improve IRC’s ability to help affected communities survive in acute emergencies and hard to reach contexts by investing in people, systems, and solutions to complex humanitarian challenges.

The Senior Technical Advisor for Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies (STA, VPRiE) will support strategic resource development and thought leadership related to the IRC’s emergency VPR programming. They will lead projects that advance VPR strategic priorities, including increasing the profile and attention to children in emergencies, promoting humanitarian leadership’s accountability to gender-based violence response, and advancing the IRC’s work on protection in emergencies. They will also be called upon to coordinate teams of emergency VPR professionals in large-scale acute emergencies, assuring the provision of immediate, scaled and quality VPR programs.

This position reports to the IRC’s Senior Director for Quality in Emergencies (QiE) and works closely with Senior Technical Advisors and Technical Advisors from Violence Prevention and Response Unit, as well as other focal points engaged in emergency response. Qualified candidates residing in any location where the IRC operates are encouraged to apply

Responsibilities

Emergency preparedness (20%)

• Support the IRC Emergency and Humanitarian Action Unit to resource and provide capacity strengthening for members of IRC Country Programs/Regional emergency response capacity.

• Provide remote technical support to country programs/regions for preparedness/readiness/contingency planning, and as needed, deploy for strategic support, including on-site mentoring and technical assistance and coordinate with relevant Technical Advisors as appropriate.

• Reinforce program quality through regular, (+/- remote) capacity strengthening and skills-deepening for members of the IRC Emergency Response Team (ERT), External Emergency Roster (EER), as well as Technical Unit Advisors (TAs), ensuring ability to operationalize the IRC’s emergency strategy and response package.

• Ensure that IRC program models and emergency strategies advance organizational commitments to gender equality outcomes.

• Collaborate with the IRC Emergency and Humanitarian Action Unit to maintain deployment capacity, both on the ERT, the EER, and Internal Emergency Roster (IER) and through partnerships with, but not limited to, universities and technical institutions.

• Lead design and development of integrated/joint program models and approaches in emergencies with other relevant STAs for Emergencies within the QiE multi-sector team.

• Manage and maintain current emergency response tools and update according to industry standards, while also supporting iterative and adaptive learning from ongoing responses.

• Orient all new EER/ERT to Violence Prevention and Response (VPR) programming in emergencies.

Emergency response (40%)

• Ensure program quality, accountability and consistency in emergency & outbreak response programming by providing remote technical support for country program led responses and IER/EER/ERT during deployments. For country program led responses, coordinate with existing TAs to ensure consistency, complementarity and continuity.

• Directly supervise ERT/ EER coordinators, providing ongoing mentoring and technical strengthening both during deployments and when not deployed for ERT.

• As required, deploy to lead emergency VPR programming or outbreak response start-up in complex or large scale emergencies (30% of time and maximum 6 weeks for single deployment). This is inclusive of but not limited to responsibilities such as:

o Rapid needs assessments, evaluation efforts, or other accountability support functions;

o Short-term DDP or emergency leadership roles, including scoping missions;

o Technical coordination and strategic leadership within a complex response;

• Support the transition of technical assistance for new country program start-ups to TU Technical Advisors.

• Collaborate closely with other appropriate QiE and Technical Excellence technical advisors, provide support to IRC WatchList countries and countries where the IRC is starting up new emergency response programming.

Learning, advocacy and strategy (30%)

• Support the development of integrated programming for emergencies and other more innovative programming areas identified by respective technical units and ERT/EER.

• Support the measurement of impact and quality of IRC emergency and outbreak responses.

• Generate research, learning and evidence of operational models and approaches that are effective in acute emergencies within and across specific sectors.

• As needed, represent IRC in technical forums or networks within respective sectors globally.

• Provide response support, technical leadership and strategic direction to the Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies team

• Contribute to the annual QiE work plan and project prioritization in collaboration with the MEAL team and EHAU STAs that is driven by the EHAU SAP ambitions and Implementation Plan.

• Participate in the QiE Leadership Team to ensure cohesive decision making and learning

• Lead cross collaboration and coordination between EHAU QiE and the Violence Prevention and Response Unit

Resource development and grant management (10%)

• Lead the development, review and submission of strategic proposals and concept notes around IRC’s innovative programming related to violence prevention and response in emergencies and in coordination with the Violence Prevention and Response Unit as appropriate.

• Provide technical quality assurance for Crisis Response Fund in coordination with relevant TAs and EHAU Sections.

• Provide oversight of joint EHAU/TU-led emergency response and preparedness grants (maximum 1 per year).

Requirements

Work Experience:

• Approximately 8-10 years’ experience in both child protection & gender-based violence prevention, with comprehensive experience in programmatic design, strategy, planning, and implementation. Experience of working at least 5 years in an emergency setting (disaster, crisis and outbreak) necessary.

• Demonstrated expertise in humanitarian emergency CP/GBV/Protection in assessment, strategy development, program design, operational planning, proposal development, implementation, and in monitoring.

• Master’s degree, in a related field such as international/humanitarian programming/public health/ social work or equivalent experience preferable. Additional experience may substitute for some education.

• Demonstrated expertise in bridging conceptual frameworks and operational guidance, ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action

• Demonstrated ability to lead and supervise teams

• Ability to provide technical assistance and transfer knowledge and skills, either through formal/informal training, on the job coaching and mentoring, adapting to needs and level

• Highly organized, with excellent skills in prioritization and multi-tasking. Shown project management experience.

• Outstanding capacity to understand country and emergency contexts

• Demonstrated success in working with donors, partners, and media, at global and field level

• Demonstrated abilities to build consensus among and facilitate decision making across multiple partners

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to facilitate effective collaboration, communication and team work

• Ability to work with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams and shown ability to develop positive relationships with global, local and remote team members

• Structured thinking, excellence in oral and written communication

• Proven ability to deliver results under pressure and in a timely manner

Language Skills: Fluency in English required; fluency in French, Arabic and/or Spanish desirable

EHAU strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a unit and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality 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

Narrowing the Gender Gap: The International Rescue Committee 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 flexible hours (when possible), maternity leave, transportation support, and gender-sensitive security protocols.

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