Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.
IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
The MENA Regional Office, based in Beirut, Lebanon, supports 17 national societies in the region. The MENA Disasters, Climate and Crises (DCC) Unit works with one regional plan as well as provides the technical support and quality assurance to the country-cluster and country delegations. The MENA DCC unit has articulated its alignment with the IFRC plan and budget and agenda for renewal.
Job Purpose
As part of the MENA DCC unit, and under the overall guidance and leadership of the Head of DCC, the Operations Coordination Coordinator is responsible overseeing the coordination of timely, efficient and effective IFRC support to the MENA Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies through IFRC’s Country Cluster Delegations (CCD) and IFRC country Delegations (CD) to ensure innovative, high quality, timely and coherent localized responses to sudden and slow-onset disasters and crises and well-coordinated with the RCRC Movement partners.
In doing, so the coordinator provides leadership for the international coordination and support for the management of IFRC disaster and crisis assistance in support of affected National Societies. The Operations Coordination Coordinator generally focuses on coordination, leadership, strategic support, and technical guidance, with the option of time-bound operation management support at country-level, as may be needed.
Under the direct supervision of Head of Disaster, Climate and Crisis (DCC), the post-holder will provide support to CCDs/CDs and NSs in the management of the ongoing emergency response, ensuring close coordination with Movement actors, coordinating actions amongst different Units within the IFRC at the regional- and sub-regional levels, and contributing to strengthening the capacities of NSs throughout the implementation of the response and recovery operations. S/He will closely coordinate with all thematic leads and technical specialized units such as Logistics, Finance, Strategic Partnership and Resource Mobilization (SPRM), Communications, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Reporting (PMER) and Quality Assurance among other units.
Inherent to the role is the need for flexibility, the ability to travel, and the willingness to work in multiple contexts with different stakeholders. S/He must be able to deploy at short notice for significant periods travelling to remote and potentially unstable areas.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Provide support in strengthening operation’s coordination and management:
- Facilitate a shared understanding of the Principles and Rules of Red Cross Red Crescent Humanitarian Assistance, IFRC Emergency Response Framework (ERF), Rapid response guidelines, Way of Working (WoW), Agenda for Renewal, and other IFRC policies, standards, tools, procedures, and strategic guidelines among heads of IFRC Delegations, DCC extended team, National Society leadership and representatives of Movement components in geographical areas of responsibility.
- Lead the categorization of disaster and crisis levels, in accordance with the ERF, where necessary facilitating the Joint Task Force (JTF) and organising the Regional Task Force (RTF) for emergency response operations in the MENA region.
- Provide operational guidance and mentoring to Operations Managers and the extended DCC team in the MENA region in line with the agenda for renewal, the ERF and relevant SOPs.
- Closely with the rapid response focal point, guide CDs and CCDs in developing and maintaining office-specific plans for enhancing organizational readiness for disasters and crises.
- In collaboration with the Disaster Risk Management the Ops Coordinator, will support CDs, CCDs, and National Societies in facilitating preparedness-for-disaster (pre-disaster) meetings, bringing together Movement and external partners with the view of positioning them to deliver coordinated humanitarian action in disasters and crises.
- Closely with the rapid response focal point, guide CDs, CCDs and National Societies of affected countries to anticipate HR needs for emergency responses, identify suitable expert/sector profiles, determine the nature of surge capacity suitable, and formulate terms of references.
- Closely with the rapid response focal point, ensure timely deployment of IFRC global response tools and Rapid Response Personnel – when they are requested.
- Together with the Disaster Risk Management Coordinator and the rapid response focal point and the HR team, support CDs and CCDs to identify and deploy Secretariat, National Society and other Movement personnel for non-nominal surge assignments or peer-to-peer support.
- Lead and provide thought support, innovation and operational direction in response operations and recovery programming.
- Work with IFRC other thematic leads to ensure they work closely with the focal points of relevant NSs’ departments in all related operational roles and responsibilities, providing advice and recommendations that carefully consider local capacities and context.
- Initiate, plan, and mobilise IFRC-wide resources in support of assessment, planning, and implementation of the MENA NSs’ response operations.
- In coordination with PMER, capture the learning and knowledge from operations and integrate them into future response and recovery programming.
- Maintain an overview of all operations in designated countries, analyse trends and propose adaptations in preparedness, response, and recovery approaches.
- Ensure for and design integrated operational strategies considering movement partners’ respective capacities to ensure that all components of the response are co-created, planned and carried out in a coordinated, collaborative, and integrated manner.
- Lead the processes related to the Emergency Appeal/DREFs, including emergency plans revisions, and make recommendations on the scope and content of the Operational Strategy in line with standard operating procedures.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
- Ensure timely activation of the rapid response mechanism including the deployment of needed human resources in close coordination with the rapid response focal point/s.
- Network and coordinate with Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners, governments, NGOs, UN agencies, private sector and others.
- Represent the Federation Secretariat on operational briefings in internal and external fora and establish effective working relationships with key organizations and institutions.
- Develop and share regular information updates and strategic briefings as required on operational trends, innovations and emerging best practices.
- Working closely with Finance, Risk Management, Security and Logistics ensure that effective risk monitoring is ongoing within the operation and communicating risk monitoring and controls to respective CCDs/CDs.
Support to the quality operational assurance and standards of emergency operations:
- Coordinate the commissioning of mid-term, final and longitudinal evaluations of IFRC response and recovery and contribute to the management response plans where appropriate and in close coordination with PMER and Quality Assurance unit.
- Lead the support on the revision of national societies domestic plan of action narrative and budget to enhance operational information and reflect integrated programming and accountable impact across all technical areas as appropriate.
- Coordinate the development of response norms, principles and standards and support the dissemination, monitoring and evaluation of the adherence to these standards.
- Overall monitoring and follow-up with CCDs/CDs on emergency plan of action implementations, timely extension of operations and trends in financial spending rates.
- Integrate the preparedness for Effective Response (PER) approach into response operations together with the DRM team.
- Contribute to the overall planning, budgeting, and reporting of the Operational Strategy, Implementation Plan and EA and the HDCC Unit plan.
- Champion high quality accountability standards and ensure transparency and compliance with relevant policy and procedures.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of DREF and Emergency Appeal guidelines and templates, operational quality control and approval processes.
Information Management:
- When covering for assigned areas of responsibility, collaborate with relevant thematic functions on the monitoring, analysis and dissemination of timely and accurate disaster and crisis threat, impact, and response information before during and after disasters, ensuring that the Senior Management Team is informed on emerging or significant humanitarian situations as required.
- In collaboration with the Information Management (IM), lead the extraction, analysis and validation of data related to response and recovery operations and produce a range of IM products – including graphs, maps, and dashboards – .to facilitate sharing information with Movement and external stakeholders.
Coordination and Networking:
- Network and coordinate with Movement partners, UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs, national disaster management agencies, inter-governmental organizations, and private sector to ensure that the IFRC shares information and is well informed on best practices and key developments related to response and recovery operations while providing operation support.
Contribute to an effective, high quality IFRC team:
- Provide progress reports on results against objectives and risk analyses as required.
- Work with PMER&QA leads in IFRC and the NSs to ensure that planning and reporting requirements are met in a timely and efficient manner.
Education
- University degree in relevant area.
- Technical training in disaster policy, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Experience
- 5-7 years of professional experience in international disaster response and recovery Operations.
- At least 3 years of relevant field experience with RC/RC with special attention to complex operations and/or protracted crises and settings.
- Experience in project cycle management including proposal development, budgeting, and reporting, monitoring and evaluation.
- Experience in working to enhance the capacity of local partner organizations.
- Experience in establishing and following monitoring systems to track progress of implementation.
- Experience in narrative and financial reporting and proposal writing.
- Experience in the MENA region.
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and independent decision-making capacity.
- Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
- Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to represent the
- International Federation and to negotiate and influence people’s opinions.
- Knowledge of technical aspects of disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery and of key donor and partner organisations.
- Flexible and adaptable to work effectively in a multicultural environment and able to travel at short notice.
- Computer knowledge as a user – self-supporting in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Fluent spoken and written English.
- Good command of another IFRC official language (Arabic).
Preferred
- Knowledge of minimum standards for disaster relief and performance and accountability frameworks.
- Ability to lead a complex or major disaster operation if required.
Competencies, Values and Comments
- VALUES: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
- CORE COMPETENCIES: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Judgement and Decision Making; National Societies and Customer Relations; Creativity and Innovation; Building Trust
- MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES: Managing Staff Performance; Managing Staff Development
- FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: Strategic Orientation; Building Alliances; Leadership; Empowering Others
IFRC Disclaimer
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
If you appointed to or undertake a role within IFRC, whether as staff, staff on loan or secondees, you will be subject to the organization's Code of Conduct, which is available here and on our website.
Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which include prior professional conduct checks and review of criminal records. IFRC will request a conduct check from all prior employers for a period of 5 years, including but not limited to employers who like IFRC participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more details on the Scheme, please see ont-style: italic;">THE MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE SCHEME — SCHR.
IFRC ensures equal employment opportunities!
