Consortium Senior Project Coordinator

BACKGROUND

The IRC started working  in Burkina Faso in 2019 in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the influx of internally displaced populations, due to the security situation. The IRC Burkina  has a main office in Ouagadougou and three fied offices in Ouahigouya (North Region), Dori (Sahel), Fada (East) and sub-offices in Djibo (Sahel), Séguénéga (North) and Kaya (Centre North).

JOB OVERVIEW

With funding from the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), in consortium with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), as well as local partners, is proposing a protection project called “Weltare gurè Burkina Faso”. This project aims to provide a comprehensive package of protection services to mitigate the effects of crisis and conflict on vulnerable people affected by crisis and conflict in the Sahel, Eastern and Central-Eastern regions of Burkina Faso.

The Senior Project Coordinator has overall responsibility for the management of this award, ensuring s/he provides strategic and operational leadership to develop and implement a successful program, and to pursue opportunities for expansion of the project. S/he collaborates with technical colleagues in the consortium to ensure adherence to overall technical and programmatic quality in implementation, compliance with USAID/BHA rules and regulations, and the timely submission of all deliverables, including annual work plans, performance monitoring plans, reports as required. The Project Coordinator will also be responsible for ensuring quality, and consistency of programming across the three countries and to this effect, organize and lead on the regular project review meetings, and be the main focal point with the donor, BHA. The Project Coordinator takes a leading role in the strategy and resource mobilization for the potential expansion of PRO-Sahel 3.

RESPONSABILITIES

• Hold overall responsibility for high-quality implementation of the project in collaboration with consortium partners and teams.
• Communicate projects results, challenges, and modifications to the primary donor. Ensure that the consortium provides all deliverables to the primary donor on time and responds to any ad hoc requests.
• Oversee the consortium’s budget and guide country-based colleagues to respect their budgets and spending plans. Closely monitor all financial activities and keep the IRC Burkina Faso advised of all situations which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial performance.
• Implement the IRC’s partnership policy in relation to consortium partners DRC and NRC ensuring good collaboration across partners and countries.
• Ensure regular and on time monitoring, including in-country monitoring, and reporting on all program management aspects including the Work Plan. Troubleshoot implementation problems raised by consortium members staffs.
• Supervise-in-partnership a part-time consortium finance coordinator and a part-time consortium monitoring, evaluation and learning coordinator, including coaching, regular check-ins, strong communication and ensuring team well-being.
• Build a sense of community and common objectives amongst staff in the three implementing countries.
• Manage positive relationships with the management team of consortium members and their Senior Management Teams of project implementation in order to advance all of the above goals.
• Craft and implement a fundraising strategy that will grow the financial resources available to the consortium. Create marketing materials and pitch consortium approaches to potential new donors. Lead the proposal development process for any new funding opportunities with engagement from each organization participating in the consortium.
• This list is non-exhaustive and the Senior coordinator will have other responsibilities for day-to-day management and ad hoc initiatives as they arise.

Key Working Relationships

• Reports to: Deputy Director of program (DDP)
• Coordination: works in close collaboration with Consortium partners NRC and DRC  colleagues, IRC Country Programs SMT, PRO-Sahel 3 project staff, Technical Protection Advisors, IRC regional SMT, IRC Regional Program and Award Support team, and other relevant functions as needed
• External Contacts:  USAID/BHA and other potential donors and partners

REQUIREMENTS:

Work Experience: 

• Minimum of 6 years of proven experience in humanitarian project leadership, including successful fundraising/resource mobilization.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: 

• Proactive fundraising and resource mobilization for humanitarian projects. Comfort with public speaking on behalf of the consortium.
• Humanitarian project leadership, especially in a consortium with multiple large NGOs.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as an overall ability to be clear and concise. This position requires frequent synthesis and editing of written reports in French and producing outputs in English.
• The consortium coordinator must exercise influence without direct authority over collaborators in different countries.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and respectfully with stakeholders at all levels: from the donor, to country leadership, to field officers.

Education: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; Masters preferred, in humanitarian project management, social sciences, economics, international development or related fields..

Language Skills:

• Professional written and spoken English and French.

Preferred experience & skills: 

• Prior experience implementing humanitarian protection projects, including multi-country projects, ideally with USAID BHA funding
• Prior work experience in the Central Sahel countries
• Strong motivational skills: ability to guide collaborators to deliver on time and on budget
• Ability to collaboratively and proactively identify solutions to implementation challenges
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office suite

Working Environment: 

• Standard office working environment in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
• Some field trips to project implementation regions  as needed, likely 30% of the time.

If the successful candidate is an expatriate, individual housing will be provided in Ouagadougou based on IRC’s applicable policy.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Attention Returning National Candidates:  IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, an attractive remuneration package would be available. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing, and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. 

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic.

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