Background

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 lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 25 U.S. cities, we improve outcomes in the areas of health, safety, economic well-being, education, and power.

The IRC leads Gavi-funded REACH (Reaching Every Child in Humanitarian Setting) consortium targeting to reach zero-dose children in fragile, emergency and refugee settings across Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia. REACH is a $50 million, 3.5 yrs. (June 2022- December 2025) project. Its goal is to ensure “systematically missed communities and zero-dose children (ZDC) in fragile and conflict settings are sustainably reached by quality immunization services integrated with primary healthcare (PHC) platforms.”

Scope

Reporting to Senior Health and Nutrition Coordinator, the Senior REACH Project Coordinator will provide overall leadership, direction, technical guidance, coordinate planning and delivery of REACH project, including Monitoring and Evaluation, Human Resource, partnership, and budget management, ensuring high quality planning and delivery of REACH project in Ethiopia.  He/ she manages in-country coordination between IRC and partners, represents IRC/REACH at key platforms, forums and working groups at national level and is responsible for managing relationships with external stakeholders, Federal MoH, Gavi Country Team, UNICEF, WHO, BMGF and other key stakeholders and partners, maintaining a high project profile and effective collaboration.

Roles and responsibilities

Strategic leadership and oversight

• Provide overall management, strategic direction, and technical leadership to ensure project's goals, objectives, and strategy on reaching ZDC within target locations are achieved and that contractual requirements are met on time and within budget.

• Responsible for ensuring compliance with IRC’S policies and procedures and donor rules and regulations, including responsibility for ensuring sub-awardee compliance and monitoring the quality of program implementation.

• Responsible for directing the project team with an integrated vision, applying effective leadership, strategic planning, and management experience. 

Technical leadership

• Develop, implement, and evaluate technical strategies to achieve immunisation of ZDC at scale in consultation with Project Immunisation Advisor and Senior Health and Nutrition Coordinator.

• Provide technical support in implementation of the REACH project to ensure program efficiency and coherence in implementation to ensure timely delivery of work plans and results to identify and reach ZDC.

• Ensure results-oriented technical components and high-quality and timely deliverables and reports.

• Oversee implementing partners and advise on technical issues.

• Lead project teams (e.g., technical, access, vaccine logistics, and finance staff) to ensure program tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met; staff management includes hiring, supervising, and mentoring project staff.

• Oversee project deliverables, including ensuring report preparation and high-quality timely submission, and ensuring cross-cutting issues are effectively integrated into project implementation.

• Lead emergency preparedness and response for ZIP appropriate emerging health emergencies in project location in consultation with country SMT and REACH PMU.

Advocacy and representation

• Represent the project in all country level technical, policy, and programmatic fora at national level and in all relevant IRC’s country level technical and leadership forums as required to update on and advocate for REACH / ZIP.

• Primary liaison responsible for facilitating communication with external project stakeholders (Federal MOH, GAVI Country Team, GAVI Alliance partners etc), ensuring high level of coordination while nurturing relationships with all key stakeholders (including partner organizations at the national and subnational level) on all administrative and programmatic matters related to the project.

• Liaise with various implementing partners and stakeholders, to ensure effective coordination, collaboration, and synergy in implementation of last mile immunization of ZDC among the target missed communities.

• Drive projects advocacy work among the key stakeholders to will political will, plan and prioritize resources for the ZDC and missed communities. Identify and share externally the project’s progress, lessons learned and best practices.

Effective project coordination

• Overall responsibility to provide administrative and technical guidance to local implementing partners to ensure effective program delivery and grant compliance.

• Supervises the day-to-day work of staff, overseas project implementation to ensure quality programming.

• Ensures that all management systems, from technical to access to finance, actively support timely and accurate project reporting and cost effectiveness for successful implementation of the project.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Ensure the approach to M&E for the REACH Ethiopia portfolio is aligned with MEL practices and standards for the REACH project.   

• Ensure accurate presentation of data on portfolio progress. 

• Work closely with Project MEL, lead in tracking progress against targets

• Lead on final review of data components in all reports and presentations 

• Responsible for ensuring learnings from REACH Ethiopia portfolio are documented and disseminated (with support from REACH PMU and IRC Ethiopia Communications teams)

Grant and partnership management

• Responsible for project compliance: ensure REACH project is implemented in accordance with IRC policies, procedures and Gavi rules and regulations with support of Country Grants department. This entails socializing on donor rules and regulations, monitoring, advising, and escalating compliance needs and issues to SMT and PMU respective.

• Ensure regular project cycle meetings with IRC and partners to assess progress, course correct, reflect on learnings, and make adaptations from learning.

• Document and disseminate project achievements, lessons learnt for adaptive management.

• Manage partnership subaward process in line with PEERS and in collaboration with Grants and partnership department.

• Develop and implement of partners capacity building plans in collaboration with Grants and partnership department.

• Ensure regular partner monitoring and support visit by project team across all locations.

• Lead and manage country level collaboration and work with Global partners.

Implementation and Budget management

• Lead the development and implementation of costed project workplans, including budgets and monthly forecasts /spending plans for IRC and partner led implementation.

• Lead regular Project PCM meetings

• Review and approve country project budgets and expenditures in line with IRC internal and Gavi rules and regulations, policies, and procedures.

• Conduct monthly review of detailed project transactions and BvA meeting and take actions to course correct.

• Monitor partner implementation and budget utilization and provide appropriate support, including course correct as necessary.

Human Resource management

• Plan and facilitate recruitment including retention of project staff in collaboration with country SMT, Senior Health and Nutrition Coordinator and country Human Resource.

• Ensure performance goals and reviews for all direct reports and project staff.

• Ensure staff growth and development (capacity development) through mentorship, on job trainings/Continuous Professional education, formal training etc in collaboration with Human Resource Department.

• Build and nurture team cohesion through team building and regular opportunities of working together.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Senior Health and Nutrition Coordinator, IRC Ethiopia

Position directly supervises: Project Coordinator, Project M&E Officer, Humanitarian Access Focal point.

Indirect Reporting (MIP): Project Director, Gavi REACH

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal

• IRC internal functions and departments (finance, Operations, M&E, Grants, Communications and Advocacy, Access, and Security)

• REACH PMU,

• National partners

• Global Partners

External

• Gavi Country team

• Federal and State MoH

• UNICEF

• WHO.

• Other Immunometric CSO

Job Requirements

Education:

• MD/RN, RN with Public health or equivalent with a Master’s/post-graduate degree in Public Health, Public Health Nutrition or equivalent and training in management.

Work Experience:

• Over 6 years’ work experience in health, especially immunization programs; working with government (MOH and/or national programs) leadership and managing project (implementation, partnerships, M&E, Human resource, and budgets) which 4 years in management experience.

Desirable: 

• Experience in or understanding of immunization programs (national or sub-national immunization planning; capacity building for system strengthening; design of community-focused strategies to increase coverage; use of immunization data for monitoring and decision making; immunization supply chain strengthening, and demand creation)

• Strong interpersonal verbal and written communication skills.

Language Skills:

• Proficiency in English and knowledge of one or two local language in Ethiopia is advantageous 

How to Apply

Candidates who meet the above qualifications; please send your CV and application letter only through IRC career site: 

Register using this LINK

Your application letter/cover letter must include the following information: 

• Name of the position you have applied for

• Date of application 

• Summary of your qualifications and experience

• Motivation/objective of why you have applied for the job

• Please include at least 3 references from current and former supervisors.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

IRC is an equal employment opportunity employer.  IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

Professional Standards: 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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons

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 parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.