ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) ( www.theIRC.org ) is one of the largest humanitarian agencies in the world, providing relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of oppression and violent conflict. Founded in 1933, the IRC has worked for over seven decades and today is involved in over 25 countries in the world.  We address both the immediate, life-saving needs of conflict affected people in an emergency and the reconstruction needs in post conflict societies. IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and thorough accountability to those we serve.  The IRC is an international agency with offices in London, New York, and Geneva.

Background/IRC Summary:  

IRC Tanzania’s current sectors include Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, Youth and Livelihoods, Health, Community-Based Rehabilitation, Education, and Health. 

The Education Coordinator will be responsible for providing technical and operational support and ensuring timely and quality implementation of program activities and strategies in compliance with donor requirements S/he will ensure that the objectives of the programs are met in a timely manner and are being  monitored and evaluated effectively; ensure that education staff receive appropriate mentorship and professional development; and that a positive team spirit is fostered encouraging innovative and quality programming. Additionally, the Education Coordinator will collaborate with other sectors to ensure that protection and well-being of children are consistently mainstreamed across IRC sectors. The Education Coordinator will also work in coordination with key Education stakeholders and partners, representing the IRC Education program in Tanzania.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Management

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to education programs in Tanzania;
• Lead design processes that ensure new or adapted programming for the education sector focuses on maximizing efficiencies, impact and integrated approaches;
• Supervise and provide technical support to the Education Specialist and Education Managers and other education staff to implement the IRC education programs to a high-quality standard;
• Coordinate closely and liaise regularly with the Deputy Director of Programs, Field Coordinator and Grants Coordinator to ensure quality implementation and business development and to ensure quality management and compliance to donor requirements;
• In collaboration with the Education Specialist and Managers, ensure smooth management and integration of project work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, development of spending plans and budget follow-up), timely recruitment, and accurate reporting in accordance with IRC and donor regulations;
• Ensure that the education team produces high-quality inputs as part of the development and maintenance of program-specific budget management tools, including but not limited to, activity plans, Gantt charts, procurement plans,  financial forecasts, and budget vs. actuals;

• Actively and meaningfully participate in the Grant Management Meeting process;
• Provide training to program teams on IRC activities and education best practices;
• Liaise with HQ-based Technical Advisors on a regular basis to ensure technical assistance is provided when needed;
• Work closely with the Education Working Group and other relevant coordination structures, to ensure harmonized implementation approaches;

• Ensure the implementation of existing M&E systems, provide guidance where needed to improve the effectiveness of these systems and work to ensure output and impact data are captured and used to optimize program quality and identify efficiencies;
• Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met, that reports are of a high quality and are submitted on time.

Technical Quality

• Ensure all IRC education projects are implemented in a timely and professional manner, according to objectives, goals, and indicators established by the IRC, in line with donor requirements and based on beneficiary needs;
• Identify, monitor and report unmet needs and explore the potential of the IRC to address those needs. Conduct additional needs assessments, as required;
• Ensure procurement of supplies and materials, is fully compliant with donor and IRC rules and regulations;
• Provide technical assistance including supportive supervision to IRC’s staff working on all education projects;
• Analyze M&E data collected from the field and produce trends analysis;
• Support the development and maintenance of a coherent education strategy across IRC’s areas of intervention in Tanzania in collaboration with the relevant sectors and departments under the IRC Tanzania country office;
• Ensure all implementation plans employ a programmatic approach that integrates the needs of other sectors of work.

HR & Staff Capacity Building

• 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;
• Take responsibility for discussing job expectations, performance, and objectives on an informal, quarterly basis with all staff;
• Overall responsibility for staff time sheets, work plans, vacation schedules, and staff training/development activities;
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures;
• Manage education staff and develop specific capacity building plans for the education department and each individual staff in order for national staff to take on increasing levels of management responsibility.

Coordination

• Play an active role in the planning and execution of the country Strategic Action Plan and sector strategies;
• Regularly attend technical working group meetings and feed into IRC priorities at national level;
• Coordinate with the Deputy Director of Programs and Field Coordinator to ensure field concerns and challenges are brought to relevant stakeholders for the development of improved standards and procedures.

Other

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs;
• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

Professional Standards

• All IRC staff are required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Job Requirements:

• Minimum of 4 years professional experience in management of education programs in emergencies, INGO experience required;
• Strong program/technical and budget management acumen as well as planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with external parties;  
• Proven technical writing skills;
• Proposal writing acumen and experience;
• Must be capable of applying his/her 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;
• Interpersonal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure with professional grace;
• Fluent in spoken and written English; French would be an advantage.