Field Coordinator -Assosa, Ethiopia

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. IRC has been working in Ethiopia since 1999 and is implementing coordinated, community-managed programs aimed at improving the quality of lives and recovery of livelihood of the disaster-affected population, including host communities, through promoting individual participation, strengthening institutions, and emergency response.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Field Coordinator is in overall in charge of the day-to-day activities in the field site. They will supervise the day-to-day activities of various program and operational units /departments staff in their site. The Field Coordinator is responsible for ensuring cross departmental coordination and collaboration, that timely support is provided for effective program implementation, staff health, safety and security, effective representation of IRC in the operational area, compliance to IRC policies and procedures and accountability to clients and colleagues.

Detailed Responsibilities and Tasks:

Program: 

• Ensure programs are implemented on time, to budget, to the required high standard and in line with the donor’s award.
• Ensure all program activities are supported by appropriate M&E and CRM structures and activities.
• Assist each program and operational unit manager with technical advice and support. Ensure program and operations teams receive the required level of support and monitoring from Addis departments
• Travel regularly to oversee and follow up on progress at all program locations. Prepare and distribute field visit notes with main finding, agreed action points, timeline for delivery and who is responsible for delivery.
• Continually and vigorously search for relevant new program opportunities.
• As required by donor contracts, the Field Coordinator will ensure reports on project activities are developed and submitted in a timely manner Addis, and that reports provide the level of detail required to meet commitments to donors.
• The Field Coordinator will play a significant role in the development of donor proposals for their site. Ensuring that proposals are supported by:
• timely and robust assessments,
• program budgets which reflect the sites operating environment and needs, and
• realistic program activity plans

Policy Implementation: 

• Ensure the consistent implementation of all IRC/Ethiopia policies, manuals, and procedures.
• Ensure IRC WAY and the organization policies are implemented accurately, and employees are aware of the how-to raise concerns.
• Ensure all staff attend mandatory trainings, particularly as related to Gender awareness, Safeguarding, SEA, Fraud awareness/prevention and Safety and Security.

Supply Chain: 

• Overseeing the field office SC department and the functioning of supply chain including procurement planning, purchasing of goods and services, their transport and storage,
• Ensure the maintenance of a system for supervising and identifying all IRC assets.
• Ensure that all contracts with suppliers and vendors are fully legal and protect IRC possible.
• Ensure organization, planning, and maintenance of the fleet and equipment, and the functioning of the means of communication appropriate at the field office.
• Ensuring the proper set up / rehabilitation / running of base premises (office / guest house),

Human Resource Management: 

• Supervising and motivating direct reports, follow up their performance, providing mentoring, to ensure staff performance and development.
• Provide counseling and support in the resolution of employee relations problems. With support from HR, take appropriate disciplinary action in line with IRC’s HR policies.
• Ensure recruitment of new staff takes place in a timely manner, including the early raising of PRF.
• Delegate program duties in a responsible manner. Provide leadership; promote professional working relationships, and inspiring staff members to lead their staff and programs within budget and goals.
• Conduct one to one bi-weekly meetings with the core site team, maintain documentation of the discussion to ensure follow up.
• Conduct monthly all manager meeting in your respective field office, document the discussion for follow up, including documenting agreed actions points, assigned owners, timelines for implementation of agreed action points.

Financial Management: 

• Ensure oversight of Financial and administrative matter in the field site, including approving cash expenditures, maintain operations with the operating budget, approving payroll, travel expenses, office matters.
• Ensure the field office is in full compliance with IRC and donor guidelines and requirements.
• Ensure timeliness and completeness of field office financial reports – both internal and government financial report.
• Monitor and manage budget allocated for the field office from donor in the form of grant/contract for program implementation timely.
• Review BvA report and ensure health grant/contract budget utilization/spending in place
• Ensure financial exposure/risk is reported timely.
• Facilitate and support financial monitoring activities in your respective field office.
• Ensure the implementation and enforcement of IRC financial policy including the CP authorization matrix.
• Ensure government financial regulatory requirements (Income tax, W/H tax, pension, etc)  are collected and liquidated or handled timely.

People’s management: 

• Conduct one to one bi-weekly meetings with your core and direct reporting team members, document notes of discussion for follow up and to retrieve when needed.
• Conduct monthly all manager meeting in your respective field office, document notes of discussion for follow up and to retrieve when needed.
• Conduct regular field trips to see activities under your responsibility, submission of field trip reports, agreed actions points, assigned owners, timelines for implementation, monitoring/follow up of all action points.

Security and Safety: 

• Monitor the safety and security environment, ensure all relevant information is shared with appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
• Supported by the Addis based Senior Safety and Security Coordinator, develop and implement safety and security policies which address local conditions.
• Coordinate security planning and systems with local INGOs, UN, RRS, and authorities.
• Ensure the consistent implementation of IRC Global and Ethiopia vehicle policies, ensure any variance from policy are quickly addressed.
• Conduct regular discussions to identify and resolve approaches to address staff’s stress levels and sense of security.

Representation: 

• Build and maintain a positive working relationship with local stakeholders, NGOs, government and UN. Including meeting with the regularly to update on IRC’s activities.
• Actively pursue coordination and working relationships with other NGOs and partners.

Reporting: 

• The Field Coordinator is responsible for submitting high quality weekly and monthly reports (covering programs, administrative, finance, and logistics matters) and ad hoc reports as required.
• Coordination and Communication
•  Ensure the existence of good coordination, collaboration   and teamwork in the FOs and between the FOs and other key stakeholders.
• The Field coordinator is a focal point for key communications   between the FO, HO, and other key partners.
• Responsible to make sure   that effective and efficient communication exist in the FO unilaterally and bilaterally among different departments and key stakeholders

• A University degree, post-graduate qualification, or equivalent is preferable.
• 5-6 years related experience with post-graduate or with first degree respectively.
• At least 4 years of senior management experience.
• Experience working in a diversified team
• Proven senior-level management experience and skills.
• At least two years’ experience in NGO management.
• Excellent English report writing skills –donor standard and excellent representational skills
• Must be a computer literate
• Project management experience is a Plus
• Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills