Project Manager

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 40 countries and 29 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 International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At-work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC leads the way from harm to home. Began work in Ethiopia, 1999 in response to severe drought that happened in Ethiopia’s Somali region. Currently, providing assistance in ten different regions implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

The IRC has a focus on narrowing the gender gap in humanitarian aid and ensuring that we contribute to gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in both our programs and operations by working to establish a context where our clients (including those from minority groups) enjoy the same rights and opportunities as well as an equal access to services. The IRC also has a strong commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive culture, where safeguarding is upheld in our workplace and programs. We are determined to protect our clients and staff from safeguarding violations through prevention and, where misconduct is alleged, to address it without fear or favor.

Job Overview/Summary:

Scope of the Position: The Project Manager will be accountable for ensuring that the project delivers integrated and sustainable results across resilient livelihoods and food security, climate adaptation, natural resource management, economic empowerment, financial inclusion, market systems, anticipatory action, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, social cohesion and community empowerment. The position requires the ability to manage a complex operating environment and effectively connect humanitarian, development, climate resilience and peacebuilding approaches while maintaining strong accountability to affected communities and project stakeholders.

1.    Job Purpose

• IRC is planning to implement Irish Aid funded BRIDGE Project-to Building Resilience, Inclusion, and Durable Growth for Empowerment of Women, Youth, and Other Shock-Affected Communities in East Hararghe (Chinaksen and Gursum) and Gambella (Itang and Lare) woreda, Ethiopia. The primary Goal of the project is to Improve food security and resilience of vulnerable population against shocks and stress (Resilient Livelihoods and Food Security) in the intervention areas.

• The Project Manager will provide overall strategic, technical, operational and managerial leadership for the implementation of a multi-sectoral resilience, livelihoods, food security, climate adaptation, peacebuilding and social cohesion project in East Hararghe and Gambella.

• The position will be responsible for ensuring that project interventions are delivered on time, within budget and in accordance with approved plans, donor requirements, organizational policies and relevant government standards. The Project Manager will coordinate technical teams, implementing partners, government stakeholders, community structures and other relevant actors to achieve project outcomes and sustainable results.

• The Project Manager will provide leadership in strengthening climate-resilient livelihoods and food systems, sustainable land and water management, market and financial inclusion, anticipatory action and crisis response, community-based peacebuilding, conflict prevention, participatory learning and action, and equitable access to productive assets and livelihood opportunities.

• The role will also ensure that gender equality, women's and youth empowerment, conflict sensitivity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, climate resilience and accountability to affected populations are integrated throughout project implementation.

2.     Key Responsibilities

Overall Project Management and Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for project implementation across East Hararghe and Gambella.

• Develop and regularly update detailed project implementation plans, work plans, activity schedules and delivery milestones.

• Coordinate implementation of activities across all project components and ensure effective linkages between livelihoods, resilience, climate adaptation, peacebuilding and social cohesion interventions.

• Ensure project activities are implemented in accordance with approved project design, logical framework, budget, donor requirements and organizational procedures.

• Establish clear roles, responsibilities and coordination mechanisms among project staff, partners and stakeholders.

• Monitor progress against project outputs, outcomes, indicators, targets, timelines and budgets and take corrective action where required.

• Lead regular project review meetings and ensure timely follow-up of agreed actions.

• Identify implementation bottlenecks and develop practical solutions to maintain project performance.

• Ensure effective coordination between field offices, technical teams, support departments and project partners.

• Promote adaptive management and ensure project implementation responds to changing climatic, conflict, market and socio-economic conditions.

Climate-Resilient Livelihoods and Food Security

• Provide oversight to assessments of gender-sensitive barriers and opportunities in crop and livestock production using a climate-smart approach.

• Ensure effective selection, training and follow-up of food-insecure households on climate-smart agriculture through lead farmer approaches.

• Oversee strengthening of farmer training centres and community-based agricultural extension mechanisms.

• Support promotion of keyhole gardening and other household-level food production approaches, with particular attention to women, displaced populations and host communities.

• Coordinate interventions aimed at improving access to climate-smart agricultural inputs, quality seeds and sustainable seed supply systems.

• Oversee support to women smallholder farmers, pastoralists and agro-pastoralists to engage in sustainable livestock production and management businesses.

• Ensure agricultural and livelihood interventions are environmentally sustainable, gender-responsive and adapted to local climate and livelihood conditions.

Land, Water Management and Climate Risk Reduction

• Lead implementation of sustainable land and water management interventions, including tree planting and community-based natural resource management.

• Oversee training of lead farmers and community members on sustainable land and water management practices.

• Ensure target households have access to approp