Iraq: ERD Cash Manager

Background/IRC Summary: Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a prominent international organization working in relief, rehabilitation, protection, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.

Working in coordination with the humanitarian community, the IRC currently addresses the needs of war-affected Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs), Iraqi refugee returnees and Syrian refugees from several operational bases in the country with activities focused on education, protection and rule of law, women's protection and empowerment, child protection and livelihoods activities

Job overview/Summary: In response to the influx and movement of IDPs in Iraq, the IRC provides emergency multi-purpose cash assistance and income and livelihoods support to vulnerable IDPs and Syrian refugees and host communities, through its Economic Recovery and Development Program. The objective of the program is life-saving response to meet urgent basic needs of IDPs and host communities in neglected areas of Iraq; this is expected to ultimately lessen the use of negative coping strategies for survival. Interventions include unconditional cash assistance, financial management training and business grants. The main target groups are newly-arrived IDPs, Syrian refugees, as well as acutely vulnerable host families.

The IRC Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) team supports Iraqi IDPs and Syrian refugees via Cash and Voucher assistance, NFI assistance as well as targeted livelihoods training and business support to vulnerable households in Iraqi Kurdistan and parts of South Central Iraq. The Cash Program Manager will be responsible to help implement the ERD program portfolio specifically focusing on the voucher and cash programming, setting system in place for scale up and providing capacity building for staff.

The Cash Program Manager will work closely with the ERD Coordinator in order to ensure the smooth implementation of all aspects related to cash, voucher and NFI, ensuring new and ongoing programs are informed by real time information and are responsive to the dynamic needs of local markets and the beneficiaries we serve. The Cash Program Manager will also support the adaptation of tools, relationships and technology that help to ensure speedy delivery of support as well as effective monitoring and tracking of progress against program goals.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Design:

• Support the development of proposals and ERD program design

Provide technical support for cash program implementation:

• Support the implementation and systems for scale up of cash/voucher based programming across multiple sites, in association with the ERD Coordinator.
• Monitor progress of cash interventions and provide feedback and suggest implementation changes when relevant (inclusive of necessary tool development for monitoring)
• Monitor progress of cash interventions and provide feedback and suggest implementation changes when relevant (inclusive of necessary tool development for monitoring
• Flag issues in implementation and trouble shoot
• Stay abreast of new technical approaches and best practice research
• Ensure timely market assessments and price monitoring systems are set up and conducted to inform current and future programming including: voucher and cash programming, while mitigating negative effects on local markets;
• Support the innovation and new approaches (including e-voucher development) to delivering cash effectively through capturing lessons learned, liaising with ERD Technical Unit and other relevant country program staff.
• Provide support in the development and revision of SOPs, payment systems/methods and beneficiary targeting

Compliance and Reporting:

• Support timely PR and payment admin related tasks
• Ensure that the tools and systems are in line with Cash Consortium Iraq approach and donor regulations.
• Support ERD Coordinator in preparation of donor reports.

Capacity Strengthening:

• Support capacity building of staff in cash and voucher programming (including staff from other sectors and departments);

• Provide ongoing mentoring and technical support to staff to ensure programming meets best practice standards around Cash in humanitarian settings. This includes developing and leading training and technical support related to SOPs, community mobilization and awareness raising; and other technical components as required.

• When operating with partners, oversee training and capacity building aimed at promoting partners' growth and sustainability, including training on community power dynamics, grants management and financial systems;

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Work closely with the ERD MEAL Manager to support and provide technical inputs in the development of data collection tools such as baseline, post distribution monitoring and end-line assessment tools for each section of the program interventions, including mobile data collection instruments (e.g. survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews) along ERD Coordinator. Tools will track program performance, impact on beneficiaries, value for money and spillover effects;

Representation & Coordination

• Support ERD coordinator in external coordination and technical working group meetings

REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Graduate degree in economics, development studies or related field and technical accreditation or equivalent

Work Experience:

• 3 years of work experience in the humanitarian or development sector with progressive management and decision-making responsibility, including 1-2 years of international experience implementing humanitarian and/or development programs with cash and/or voucher components.
• Experience working in diverse emergency, recovery post-conflict preferred
• In-depth knowledge of cash and/or voucher programs, and demonstrated ability to work across function and sector to ensure high-quality cash programming delivery, including in remote management
• Knowledge and experience in in-kind distribution is strong asset
• Excellent organizational skills and motivation to drive forward best practices organization-wide
• Demonstrated capacity building skills, with strong ability to communicate technical expertise and standards and implement best practice approaches to implementing rapid, consistent, high quality emergency projects
• Excellent writing skills required.
• Superior internal and external communication and coordination capabilities and capability to operate independently and as a team member.
• Experience managing and reporting on donor funded programs and grants, including budget management, work plans, and reporting, and providing technical input to proposal-budget development efforts.
• Experience with digital data collection and mobile payment systems, including electronic vouchers, and/ or mobile money will be a plus
• Must be comfortable using technology for program implementation while also training staff and participants on use of technology
• Language Skills: Arabic/Kurdish is a plus

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The position will be based in Erbil, Iraq. The ERD Cash Program Manager will be required to travel to project locations in the country and surrounding region and will report to the ERD Coordinator.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=YXN0cmlkLm1hdGhldy4yMzI5NC4zODMwQGlyYy5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20