Technical Advisor, Livelihoods at International Rescue Committee

Job Description

Refugees in East Africa: Boosting Urban Innovations for Livelihoods Development (Re:Build) is a 30 million Euro refugee urban self-reliance program. The program is funded by the IKEA Foundation and implemented in Kampala and Nairobi. The IRC is the Lead Partner coordinating a consortium of local and international partners to deliver the program. Re:Build seeks to support urban refugees and vulnerable host residents to achieve economic self-reliance and benefit from strengthened urban economic, regulatory and social environments. Re:Build will aim to enable change at varying levels, from better access to livelihoods opportunities and inclusive services within communities, to improved refugee-related policies and more targeted and effective service delivery from national, regional and global actors. Key features of the Re:Build approach include flexible funding, adaptive design, and knowledge and evidence generation.

 Job Overview/Summary

The Livelihoods Technical Advisor (TA) will take a lead role supporting specific IRC countries involved in the Re:Build project on crafting and implementing evidence-based programming 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 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 (with a targeted focus on Re:Build countries)

• Assist in the design, quality implementation, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of programs across all ERD TU’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework (OEF) outcomes to country programs where Re:Build is implemented
• Provide technical advice on design and implementation of Re:Build research agenda, including research pilots and full randomized control trials (RCTs).
• Provide experienced advice to and build capacity of TU and country colleagues especially on enterprise development and employment approaches and good practices. 
• Provide routine technical support and trainings to country teams to improve quality of programs, provide strategic guidance and recommendations, and engage in knowledge sharing.
• Support recruitment of key field positions (management/coordination level and consultants).

Support the technical coordination of the Re:Build program.

• Act as TA focal point to lead coordination for a range of sector experts across Re:Build.
• Serve as a member of Re:Build project management team 
• Set agenda and organize monthly technical support check in calls with advisory staff from all relevant technical and regional units
• Liaise with project management team to ensure quality technical support including developing feedback mechanisms across advisory roles and project staff
• Attend and support the development of agendas for relevant external project related meetings with donor and partners
• Along with Sr. Technical Director and policy and advocacy (P&A) team work closely to develop global and technical messaging and content to share externally 
• Work closely with the grants, operations and analytics team (GOAT)to provide budget oversight for TU led portion of the Re:Build budget

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 in the focal countries.
• 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 priority setting and implementation, all ERD TU staff meetings, communications material development, intra-net content development.

Business Development 

• Support focal 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 and Re:Build 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.

 Job Requirements

•  Education: Highly competent in livelihoods interventions 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 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 employment, microenterprise and/or financial inclusion programming 
• 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 
• 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