Requisition ID: req58975 Job Title: Economic Recovery and Development Coordinator Sector: Economic Recovery & Livelihood Employment Category: Regular Employment Type: Full-Time Open to Expatriates: No Location: Damascus, Syria Work Arrangement:In-person Job Description Background and Context The IRC has operated in Syria since 2012, providing protection, health, economic recovery, and early childhood development programs in Idleb, Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Hassakeh, and Deir ez-Zor, with new programs expanding into Hama, rural Damascus, and Homs. With a team of over 350 members, the IRC has established trust and strong community relationships, ensuring access and effective service delivery. Our longstanding experience in the country to date provides a strong foundation for the IRC to further adapt and expand its programming across Syria, in order to respond to the new realities, with a greater focus on resilience and recovery initiatives. Alongside this, the IRC also It plays a significant role in Syria’s NGO, donor, and coordination forums, holding key positions and actively engaging in advocacy efforts. IRC has over 10 years of experience in Syria implementing the Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) program that includes: cash, agriculture, and livelihoods. IRC was one of the first organizations to use cash transfers, supporting vulnerable communities with MPCA since 2014 in the northwest and 2015 in the northeast. Job overview: The Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Coordinator will provide overall strategic direction for the IRC program in Syria. This role will manage continued growth, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of livelihoods, climate, agriculture and food system, and basic needs programs in Syria. The portfolio includes direct implementation and partnerships with local NGOs and governmental bodies in accordance with the IRC Syria ERD strategy. The IRC’s ERD programming relies on market-based approaches and resilience programming. The ERD coordinator will ensure continued relevance of services in an evolving context in Syria and lead on the required program adaptation and integration of complementary activities to ensure basic needs are met and clients are assisted in accessing livelihood opportunities and the market. Working closely with the Deputy Director for Programs and other Sector Leads, the ERD coordinator will oversee the implementation and growth of the ERD portfolio in line with the country's strategy. The ERD Coordinator will also support the development of a long-term strategic vision for ERD programming in Syria within the IRC Syria strategy. The ERD Coordinator will have a strong emphasis on program development, management and implementation, team management, capacity building of national staff, and technical support to partners to ensure successful and high-quality implementation of programmatic activities. The ERD Coordinator will also represent IRC in technical working groups and relevant external forums. Additionally, the coordinator will oversee portfolio growth and positioning IRC as a lead and to go agency in ERD Responsibilities: Program Management, Technical Quality, and Strategy • Provide strategic direction, leadership, and overall technical and management support to basic needs and livelihoods programming in Syria, ensuring it is evidence-based, needs-based, context-appropriate, responsive, and operationally feasible. • Ensure smooth management, implementation, and integration of project work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, development of spending plans, and budget follow-up), ensuring the best use of resources across activities. • Ensure projects and activities are of high technical quality, meet sector standards, mainstream protection, align with IRC’s quality frameworks, and respond to community and monitoring feedback. • Work closely with IRC Technical Unit advisors to ensure relevant support, tools, quality measurements and other resources are being provided and integrated into programming. • Work closely with other sector coordinators to ensure proper integration and client centrality in projects at both the design and implementation phases • Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met and that reports are of high quality and submitted on time. • Ensure timely procurement of supplies and materials and cash payments to clients in compliance with donor and IRC rules and regulations through timely planning, specifications development, and collaborative relations with Supply Chain and Finance colleagues. • Proactively identify, assess, monitor, and implement measures to reduce or control risks that may impact program delivery, quality, or compliance. • Feed into the Emergency Preparedness Plan and make certain that resources are allocated and personnel are ready to respond in the event of an emergency. • Engage and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and coordination structures locally, including working groups, coordination groups, NGOs, UN agencies, technical, and government actors. Program Development • Proactively continue to grow the ERD portfolio and expand it to new thematic areas in alignment with the evolving context through the development of concept notes and proposals to existing and new donors, maintaining a coherent ERD strategy across IRC’s areas of intervention in Syria • Support the identification of opportunities for ERD programming initiatives to support service delivery and/or thought leadership in collaboration with country program senior management, business development staff, and TU advisors. • Engage with donors and governmental actors to discuss ERD programming initiatives and relevant evidence on needed interventions • Collaborate with national partners on the identification of business development opportunities and the design of new interventions. • Anticipate, plan, and manage programmatic and structural transitions. • In collaboration with the MEAL team, support the ERD staff in developing and adapting relevant monitoring tools to the context. Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development • Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and management competencies. • Develop and implement remote management capacity-building approaches to build the strengths of the teams in Syria. • Coach, train, supervise, and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews. • Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions. • Approve and manage time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews. • Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, minimally on a monthly basis. • Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths. • As required, identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies. • Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions. • Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff. • Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. • Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures and communicate through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations. • Conduct regular reflection or program review meetings with field-based staff to assess the level of achievement and draw on learning and data trends (including client feedback) to further inform program design and management decisions. Research, Learning, and Analysis • Identify research and learning agendas aimed at improving evidence generation feeding into programming • Lead ERD assessments and context-appropriate research aimed at generating a strong evidence base for IRC Economic Wellbeing programming and informing IRC advocacy • Leverage available data and evidence to feed into program design, program review, and donor influencing • Support the greater sharing and use of research and learning within IRC’s program sectors, including by contributing to program development and design, to ensure interventions are responsive to needs and informed by a sound understanding of the environment(s) in Syria • Identify, monitor, and report unmet needs. Explore the IRC's potential to address those needs within the parameters of the Strategic Action Plan and sector priorities. Coordination & Representation • Coordinate with other sector leads and country program management as needed, representing IRC in inter-agency forums and discussions. • Coordinate regularly with internal program and operational stakeholders, the Economic Recovery and Development, and other IRC partners. • Participate in relevant working groups both within and outside of the humanitarian coordination system • Attend relevant donor meetings and presenting ERD activities • Attend relevant internal and external community of practice • Lead responsibility for strategically developing and maintaining partner relationships with local organizations. Partner Management • Work closely with the IRC's Partnerships team to ensure the IRC's Partnership Strategic objectives are achieved • Oversee IRC's relationship with implementing partners • Ensure regular performance monitoring of partners to achieve the project’s set objectives; provide technical support and guidance as needed. • Work closely with the IRC's Partnerships team and the relevant ERD Managers, drafts and/or reviews of the ERD's annual Partnerships Strategy, Stakeholders Analysis, identifying, when needed, strategic partners to jointly achieve economic well-being outcomes for vulnerable populations • Take part in periodic Partnerships meetings, such as the Partnerships Working Group and/or Partnerships Review meetings Job Requirements: Education: BA/BS Degree in international development, economics, business, or related field, and/or related certification required. Equivalent experience in a similar role may also be accepted in place of formal education. Work Experience: • 8 years of professional experience in humanitarian response, with specific experience in market-based approaches, economic resilience programming, and economic recovery and development. • At least 3 years in a managerial position, including staff management • Demonstrated experience in managing large teams, preferably across multiple project sites • Prior experience working in emergency settings or including Syria or MENA is preferred • Prior experience in livelihood and economic resilience programming • Prior experience leading food security and climate projects is preferred • Previous experience working on integrated and multi-sectoral programs is preferred Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: • Strong technical and budget management skills, planning, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation skills • Excellent written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with external parties • INGO experience is required, and private sector experience is desirable • Strong risk management skills and agility are desirable • Capable of applying their skills and knowledge in a range of capacities, including direct implementation, advisory functions, training, and the transfer of technical knowledge and management skills to others • Works well in and promotes teamwork • Demonstrated ability to collaborate and work together • Comfortable in a multi-cultural environment • Flexible and able to handle pressure well Language/Travel: Travels: 30% percent travels Project implementation sites Language: Fluent English and Arabic are mandatory Key Working Relationships: Position Reports to: Deputy Director for Programs with close working relationships with Technical Advisors Position directly supervises: Senior Technical Managers and Program Managers Internal contacts: Grants Department, MEAL, ERD Technical Unit, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, Research Evaluation and Learning Technical Unit External: Clusters and working groups