International Rescue Committee is a major actor in humanitarian aid and post-conflict development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. IRC began working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1996 to respond to the humanitarian needs of people affected by armed conflict in the east of the country. Currently, IRC works in the areas of health, including the Ebola response, good governance and reconstruction, emergencies response and the protection and empowerment of women and children.

Scope of work

Under the supervision of the Field Coordinator and in close coordination with the Senior Emergency Coordinator (SEC), the Deputy Field Coordinator (DFC) will work as a liaison between Country Program and the Emergency Unit to support leadership in Beni/Butembo, with a focus on support to operations and strong project implementation. The DFC will supervise heads of projects and operational leads on projects related to the emergency response in Beni/Butembo. The DFC will also work with the country program (CP) counterpart, the SEC, to develop a strategy to transition and/or integrate the Ebola and non-Ebola or complex emergencies portfolio for the IRC in Grand North Kivu.

Responsibilities:

Field Operations Management

• Coordinate operational support for complex emergencies teams, with particular focus on supply chain, HR, and finance;

• Coordinate with SEC, technical coordinators and sectoral managers to support effective implementation of project activities in accordance with IRC policies and procedures;

• Lead assigned operational functions and ensure coordination amongst key functions including (Supply Chain, Admin, Finance, IT and Security) of the field base assigned to and facilitate support from the coordination based in Goma.

• Assist budget holders in the review of budget vs. actual reports with operations staff and ensure appropriate and timely action is taken regarding finance

• in coordination and consultation with the Field Coordinator and Country Program Deputy Director of Finance (or other arrangements to be defined), oversee the financial management of assigned field office operations, including cash management and transactions, operating budget;

• Ensure complete and accurate use of all finance forms and timely communication of financial issues to the Deputy Director of Finance

• Ensure to master, apply and disseminate necessary information about IRC and donor finance and logistics policies, including all aspects of procurement and asset management, to staff concerned;

• Support emergency needs assessments and emergency program implementation in response to the developing humanitarian situation as needed.

Programs delivery and strategy

• Lead effective delivery of projects under his/her responsibility, oversee the heads of projects, and ensure necessary support and coordination to enable the effective and timely planning, monitoring and review of all key components of the project cycle (procurement, spending, and recruitment plans, etc)

• Liaise with the Country Program’ Deputy Directors of Programs, the Deputy Director of Programs, the Deputy Director Finance as well as Technical Coordinators on programmatic, strategic or operational questions to enable the effective implementation of the projects under his or her supervision, proactively identifying challenges and proposing solutions.

• Identify opportunities, as well as contribute to the development of new proposals and programs for the area of intervention, led by the Grants team.

• Actively contribute and participate in the review of the Grand Nord’s operational, financial and strategic plan in order to ensure necessary capacity to support the effective and rapid implementation of ongoing program’s activities, as well as respond to future programming needs, including those related to the anticipated scale down of the Ebola response.

• Support the development of an operating budget for the base.

Safety and Security

• Work with Senior Humanitarian Access and Security Manager for the Grand Nord to review security plans and protocols on a regular basis and ensure they are up to date for all relevant sites;

• Collaborate with Senior Humanitarian Access and Security Manager and Field Coordinator to manage security incidents in an efficient and time sensitive manner, based on IRC protocols;

• Ensure health (including Ebola specific), safety and security protocols are followed at all times. Take corrective, timely actions as required and in consultation with the Field Coordinator;

• Support possible identification of new locations of intervention based on humanitarian principles through assessment of needs, evaluation of access, and evaluation of capacity of extending coverage if necessary.

HR and Staff Development

• Ensure ongoing capacity building of relevant operations team through support to direct and technical supervisors and ensuring staff performance evaluations and individual development plans;

• Create an enabling environment, supportive of staff development and high performance, as well as take corrective measures as necessary Ensure adequate on-boarding process for new comers;

• Ensure adequate application of safeguarding system, dissemination and communication of whistle-blower procedures and promote a culture of respect, transparency and accountability in line with the principles of integrity promoted by IRC.

Coordination and Representation

• In coordination and consultation with Field Coordinator, liaise with local partners/authorities/NGOs and other stakeholders affected by or involved in project implementation (e.g. provincial level including donors, government actors, local traditional leadership, beneficiary populations and their representatives);

• Ensure effective communication and coordination between Country Program staff and the Ebola Response Team around implementation of activities, work and delivery plans, internal and external communication and security needs

• In coordination and consultation with Field Coordinator and Heads of Projects, represent IRC to external actors, including authorities, ministries, international and national NGOs, and attend coordination meetings at the field level;

• Establish and maintain networks with UN, INGOs, and local partners to promote strategic partnerships.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Field Coordinator – Beni/ Butembo

Position directly supervises: various staff including operational and project leads – management line may shift according to changes in context and response

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Closely works with Senior Emergencies Coordinator, support functions in Goma, DD-Operations, DD- Programs, Project Leads/ Managers.

External: May Serve as IRC representative in outside meetings, other non-governmental organizations, inter-agency groups and foundations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience leading operations and/or projects in emergency settings, preferably in Africa

• Demonstrated ability to run remote field offices and oversee field staff

• Experience in logistics, HR/Admin, and security management

• Experience managing operations (including security) in conflict-impacted setting

• Excellent interpersonal skills and cross-cultural communication

• Excellent staff capacity building and training skills

• Strong problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills

• Strong computer skills

• Flexibility, ability to work independently and meets deadlines

Language Skills:

Command of French and English required. Knowledge of Swahili is an asset.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• High degree of flexibility and ability to work under sometimes extreme hardship conditions against tight deadlines;

• Ability to turn intention into practice with mentoring and coaching;

• Humility and respect and ability to work in multicultural/multi-ethnic environments;

• Strong computer and communication equipment skills, including Microsoft Office applications;

• Must be able and authorized to drive manual transmission 4WD vehicles.

Specific Security Situation/Housing

Work location is security phase 4 (Red) so the Deputy Field Coordinator will be expected to respect the various security protocols in place in the province and in country. Phase 4 requires clear contingency planning in place with staff prepared should hibernation or evacuation be called. This is an unaccompanied position and will be provided with shared housing/hotel accommodation.