The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC began planning to reopen an oPt country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health, protection, food security, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities.

The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term oPt country program in parallel. This effort is being jointly managed by the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a view to eventually transition the country program fully under the MENA region.

Position overview

The IRC’s educational interventions strive to help children and youth gain valuable skills and knowledge that will increase their opportunities and life chances and contribute to their well-being and livelihood. The IRC supports formal and non-formal learning activities that lead to tangible learning outcomes in literacy, numeracy, socio-emotional learning, and marketable skills and promotes the protection and psychosocial well-being of conflict-affected children and youth.

Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and with technical support from global and Regional Advisors, the ECD Coordinator will lead and oversee the IRC’s early childhood and education interventions in the oPt response. The Coordinator will lead strategy, partner identification and training and programming start-up in Gaza and the West Bank.

In response to client and partner-identified needs, the ECD Coordinator will work collaboratively with local partners, including municipalities, governments, and NGOs; steer IRC’s direct programming to complement this partner-first approach; and develop strategic directions for the country program for education and early childhood programming. They will serve as the key liaison with local and international implementing partners, education coordination groups, municipalities and governmental partners, the private sector, and other stakeholders. Close collaboration with other sectors to provide responsive programming, including health, protection and economic recovery and development, is expected.

Responsibilities

Program Strategy

• Develop a context-appropriate, outcome-focused IRC ECD and education strategy for oPT that includes guidance on quality and monitoring, and update as needs evolve, ensuring alignment with local and national policies, and coordination with other sectors as appropriate.

• Advise and assist in designing new programs, including identifying business development opportunities, supporting the conceptualization/design of program activities, drafting or providing substantial input into technical proposals, and concept notes, designing M&E systems, and budgets for international donors, and responding to any requests for additional information as needed.

• Proactively continue to grow the oPt ECD and education portfolio through the development of concept notes and proposals to existing and new donors, maintaining a coherent strategy across IRC’s areas of intervention in oPT.

• Ensure that partnership considerations are incorporated in program design and proposal development and that partners are proactively engaged in program development efforts. Ensure appropriate budget resourcing for partner projects.

• Provide overall managerial oversight and leadership for the ECD department, including overseeing operational functions for achieving the project’s goals, and budget management.

Program Quality, Management, and Implementation

• Ensure projects and activities are of high technical quality, meet humanitarian standards, and mainstream protection, align with IRC’s Strategy, and respond to community and monitoring feedback

• Proactively identify, assess, monitor, and implement measures to reduce or control risks that may impact program delivery, quality, or compliance.

• Identify, monitor, and report unmet needs. Explore the potential of the IRC to address those needs within the parameters of the Strategic Action Plan and sector priorities.

• Directly participate in Partner Capacity Analysis (PCAs) and the subsequent development of partner support plans for program activities

• Responsible for project coordination with partners and direct program implementation in line with the response strategy and IRC international priorities, frameworks, and policies.

• Provide technical leadership and direction for education and ECD activities; define and implement context-appropriate activities to achieve the greatest coverage and impact possible for both immediate support to people affected by conflict in oPt.

• Adapt IRC direct implementation emergency tools and systems for partner use in line with identified needs and requests.

• Ensure regular communication and collaboration with other program Technical Coordinators and regional-based Technical Advisors for Education/ECD, Protection, Economic Recovery and Development, and Health to integrate appropriate technical unit priorities, the latest evidence, and best practices in program design and implementation.

• Work with IRC staff and partners to generate better contextual understanding by conducting required needs, and other sectoral assessments to inform quality activity design and share with other humanitarian actors.

• Ensure program implementation is on time, with target goals and budget management, using effective monitoring and evaluation systems and adaptive management principles to reach desired impacts.

Equitable Partnerships

• Champion a culture of effective and respective partnerships across emergency responses. Promote partner-led programming in line with IRC’s “why not partner?” approach.

• Identify and develop partnerships with local and international implementing partners as appropriate for program design and service to clients based on IRC’s PEERS standards of equal and effective partnership.

• Working closely with the Partnership team, ensure adequate support to partners to facilitate quality program implementation and provide capacity development, where needed.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development

• Lead the recruitment of new ECD program staff and ensure they have the knowledge and resources to succeed in their work.

• Oversee project implementation team and ensure that all staff are following work plans and ECD project activities and outcomes are completed as planned.

• Oversee the development and implementation of staff technical capacity building and professional development plans that promote a culture of learning and continuous training.

• 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.

• Coach, train, and mentor staff to strengthen their technical capacity, exchange knowledge within the team, and provide professional development guidance.

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.

Coordination & Representation

• Represent the IRC’s ECD programming at technical working groups, clusters, and other inter-agency forums, as well as with donors.

• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key collaborators including government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.

• Regularly attend relevant cluster and working group meetings at appropriate levels.

• Seek out donor opportunities in line with education and ECD strategy and priorities.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for appropriate program analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy.

• Coordinate with the MEAL team to maintain an effective monitoring, evaluation, and planning system.

• Review partner technical tools, reports, and data; recommend adaptations or process improvements as required.

• Coordinating program evaluations and reviews to ensure documentation of lessons learned informing reporting and program development, analyzing, and sharing relevant information with the MEAL Coordinator, DDP and other colleagues as relevant.

• Support the MEAL Coordinator in developing any needed client-responsive mechanisms.

Business Development and Grants Management

• In collaboration with grants teams, seek funding for Education and Early Childhood in Emergencies.

• Identify gaps and needs in programming areas and proactively source funding.

• Facilitate co-design sessions that involve potential partners and are responsive to client needs.

• Develop concept notes and proposals related to ECD and Education in Emergencies programming expansion and continuation, including budgets, logical frameworks, theory of changes, and written narratives.

• Collect, compile, and revise quality ECD program reports and ensure timely submission in collaboration with the Grants team.

• Provide up-to-date information on success stories to Comms and Advocacy team.

Professional Standards

• Ensure that gender, protection, and environmental stewardship are mainstreamed in all programming under direct responsibility.

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to senior management, and when liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.

• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

• Adhere to the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies as a requirement of the IRC.

• Foster IRC’s Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative for effective and quality program delivery.

Qualifications

• Minimum of six years of professional experience in the management of early childhood development or education programs in emergencies

• Strong knowledge of technical tools, resources, and standards related to early childhood development and education in emergencies and post-conflict settings.

• Competency in literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional learning methods for children affected by the crisis, familiarity with the Healing Classrooms model an advantage.

• Demonstrated experience developing training materials and facilitating workshops and training for adult learners.

• Genuine interest in and commitment to collaborating with local and national NGOs and government partners in emergency programs.

• Excellent budget planning and management skills, previous experience developing and effectively managing multi-million, multi-donor grants required.

• Previous experience managing diverse teams to deliver results on short timelines, including the development of spending plans, procurement plans, and work plans.

• Strong verbal communication skills and effective in representation and liaison with external actors

• Capable of applying 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

• Promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible, and able to handle stress and pressure with professional grace.

• Previous experience in an insecure or conflict-affected setting preferred.

• Experience with remote management preferred.

• Fluency in English required; Fluency in Arabic preferred.

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.