Livelihoods Technical Advisor (Climate Resilience) at International Rescue Committee

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary: The International Rescue Committee (IRC), responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive, recover and gain control of their future. The IRC is working to improve the safety, health, education, economic well-being, and power of people in crisis affected places. The Economic Recovery and Development Technical Unit (ERD TU) supports the development and implementation of sustainable and ethical programs such as, but not limited to, cash and voucher transfers, food security promotion, climate-smart agro-pastoral production and enterprise development and employment promotion. The TU’s technical assistance to this wide variety of programs ensures quality and use of evidence-based best practices; promotes innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion; and drives data-based management.

Job Overview/Summary: The Livelihoods Technical Advisor (TA) focused on Climate Resilience will take a lead role supporting IRC countries on crafting and implementing evidence-based projects to improve livelihoods programming to high quality standards. Moreover, we expect all TAs to be well versed in gender-sensitive programming and be able to support gender-transformative approaches. To this end, the TA will work closely with TU team members from the cash & emergencies and livelihood teams as well as staff from the health, protection, and governance technical units. The successful candidate will work in a range of focal countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The country portfolio is subject to change, when, necessary.

The ERD team is looking to further develop its resilience portfolio with a particular focus on Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation (DRR), natural resource management, anticipatory action, and green jobs. The Livelihoods TA will support the further development of climate resilient livelihoods programming.

The position requires a dynamic, self-motivating, driven and forward-thinking personality with experience in working remotely with a broad range of people from very different cultural backgrounds. The remote nature of this position with both the TU team and countries teams that are being supported means that TAs need to be excellent in pro-active communication and relationship building.

Standard job functions:

Provide technical support to country programs

• Assist in the design, quality implementation and M&E of programs across all ERD TU’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework (OEF) outcomes to an average of 6-8 countries in accordance with our Technical Assistance model.
• Provide experienced advice to and build capacity of TU and country colleagues on especially climate resilience programming.
• Communicate regularly with country staff through phone and email. Provide remote support and conduct regular field visits to assess quality of programs, deliver technical support and trainings, provide strategic guidance and recommendations, and engage in knowledge sharing.
• Support recruitment of key field positions (management/coordination level and consultants).

Drive tool development, integrated programming, and innovation

• Research, adapt and write evidence-based technical program guides, manuals, and other resources to improve and innovate livelihoods and resiliency programs, with a particular focus on remote roll-out and training using technology interactively.
• Collaborate with other technical units to promote integrated programming, avoid redundancy, and integrate gender equality, inclusion, context flexibility, client responsiveness, partnership, and ICT
• Participate in ERD TU strategic design, special projects, meetings, communications material development, intra-net content development.

Local partnership building and business diversification

• Support countries and TU in pursuing emergency and long-term business development opportunities for livelihoods projects and resilience building. Tasks include donor and partner mapping, relationship-building (with a focus on local partners and private sector partnerships), program design and narrative review, and technical proposal development.
• M&E framework review and/or development promoting mobile monitoring, IRC and donor standard indicator use and data-use for management

Representing and communicating internally and externally

• Engage in prioritized networks, working groups, panels, and external fora on livelihoods issues
• Regularly provide briefings and responses to information requests on livelihoods and ERD programs, emerging issues, and political developments to many audiences, including IRC colleagues, donors, the media, UN agencies, inter-agency networks, and new recruits.

The TA will undertake other special projects and tasks as needed within the realm of his/her expertise and within the TU’s function.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director, Livelihoods

Other Internal and/or external contacts: Close coordination and collaboration with members from the ERD TU team and other TUs

Job Requirements:

Education: Highly competent in agriculture, livestock, or related natural/environmental/earth science demonstrated through Bachelor or master’s degrees or equivalent work experience in practice or research functions.

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of shown experience in international emergency and development programming
• Experience in leading large evidenced-based economic and livelihoods development programs, including staff and budget management, preferably in conflict- or disaster-affected environments
• Proven technical expertise in climate resilient agricultural programming for crop and or livestock (including agro-pastoralist) production management systems is specifically desired for this position
• Demonstrated dedication to a Do No Harm approach, gender quality, diversity, and inclusion
• Shown success in large business development for economic programs and familiarity with key donors and their funding streams.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Language: Demonstrated excellence in writing and editing in English and working proficiency in French and or Spanish is highly desirable.
• Capacity to work flexible hours, as appropriate to accommodate for different time zones
• Ability to travel 30 – 40% of the time, including to countries of higher levels of insecurity.
• Excellent interpersonal skills involving listening to, interacting with, and communicating clearly with people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds, and senior level internal and external partners, with a high degree of professionalism and pro-activity.
• Solid organizational skills: proficiency inworking independently and productively in a fast-paced environment and under remote team and management structures
• Proficiency with Windows-based software, knowledge management tools, remote training and engagement tools, and familiarity with mobile monitoring tools