Job Description

Job Title: EH Senior officer
Band / Level / Grade: 8 A
Department: EPRM
Location: Aden-Yemen

BACKGROUND: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees made to flee from war or disaster. 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. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
The IRC responds to people’s acute and longer-term needs with integrated programs that improve health and safety, prioritize children’s education, foster economic well-being, and empower communities to regain control over their lives. Our work gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing modern humanitarian action, including questions of access, conflict sensitivity, coordination, and impact.
The IRC Yemen began its programs in October 2012. Since establishing its presence in the South of Yemen, in the Red Sea Coastal city of Aden, the organization has grown from just an implementing small project to handling large-scale emergency and relief operations. Following the war that broke out in Yemen in March of 2015 and the humanitarian disaster, which was crafted by the same, IRC launched an emergency response program in the southern governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwah, and Al Dhale, and expanded later in Sana’a and Hodeidah in the North. Currently, IRC Yemen is operating in eight governorates in the south and north of Yemen through direct programming and through local partnerships, in Health, WASH, Nutrition, Emergency, Economic Recovery Development, Education, Child Protection, Gender and Women Protection, and Empowerment.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for more than forty years. Today, the IRC has more than 2,200 staff working across the region, including in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen to support those affected by some of the world’s most sophisticated and protracted humanitarian crises.

SCOPE OF WORK:

IRC seeks a professional who will provide strategic leadership and technical oversight for all of IRC's emergency WASH response activities in Yemen. This includes both directly implemented initiatives as well as partnerships with local organizations. The senior officer will be accountable for the full programming cycle - from rapid assessments and activity planning to budget management, quality assurance, commodity logistics, and monitoring & evaluation. They will also participate in the organization's emergency preparedness efforts and influence sector-wide standard processes. This is a position based in Aden office. 

JOB SUMMARY:

The Senior Emergency EH Officer will be responsible for the oversight and implementation of all IRC's emergency response activities in the region. Drawing on their robust professional expertise and crisis leadership skills, the Senior Emergency EH Officer will orchestrate the planning and execution of rapid assessments, field-level supervision, partner capacity building, and meticulous monitoring and evaluation to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality WASH services to affected populations. Serving as the senior technical lead, they will supervise data quality, donor reporting, and the use of evidence to improve emergency programming, actively supervise the WASH situation, trigger responses to affected population, and support IRC's preparedness efforts through contextual analysis, supply chain management, and stock monitoring. Adept at fostering collaborative relationships with key collaborators, the officer will also play a pivotal role in leading emergency supply chains, influencing sector-wide standard methodologies, and contributing to IRC's broader preparedness efforts – all to enhance the impact and accountability of the organization's humanitarian interventions during sophisticated, resource-constrained emergencies.

WORKING RELATIONS:

• The position holder will be based in Aden governorate with field visits to the emergency response locations. They will be reporting to the Emergency Coordinator. They will also be supervised by the EH manager for all technical requirements.
• Work closely with All departments at the Aden IRC Office, Collaborate and coordinate with INGOs and NGOs, government authorities, community leaders, and others.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct rapid assessments to identify emergency needs in communities affected by an emergency event.
• Participate in due diligence of partners in order to assess their capacity to implement WASH activities.
• Participate in the review of partner proposals submitted for funding. 
• Undertake regular and frequent supportive field visits, and monitor progress of activities.
• Review reports submitted by implementing partners.
• Act as the technical lead for all IRC-implemented emergency WASH responses, including developing budgets, workplans, procurements plans, MEAL plans and regular report updates in close coordination with relevant departments
• Contribute towards IRC’s overall emergency WASH preparedness
• In collaboration with the Supply Chain department, support the procurement, pre-positioning, and timely distribution of context-relevant emergency supplies. 
• Participate in post-response reflections and evaluations in collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) department, including analysis of client feedback. Perform other task as requested by the Emergency Coordinator.

REQUIREMENTS: (Qualifications, Skills and Abilities):

A.    Education:

• B.SC of civil engineering, hydrology, or public health engineering degree, master’s degree is an advantage

B.     Experience:

• Experience managing WASH activities for 5 years 

C.    Skills and Abilities:

• Good grasp of humanitarian standards and approaches including the cluster approach, SPHERE standards, and WHO emergency health and nutrition practice.
• Ability to work collaboratively with communities and other departments within IRC, health facilities, and other organizations.
• Knowledge of project management processes is required, including work plans, budgets, and reports.
• Experience in training, supporting, and mentoring NGO staff.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work under pressure.
• Fluency in both Arabic and English is preferred.
• Digital literacy in word processing and spreadsheets is required.
• Skills in reporting, including narrative writing and data analysis.

D.    Proficiencies:

• Proven ability to handle workloads and to work under pressure in remote area.
• Has the skill to work on multiple tasks.
• Manage himself and his team.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 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.

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

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Commitment to Client Responsiveness: By committing to Client-Centered Programming, at the IRC Yemen, we place the people we serve - our clients - at the center of our programming and services. The IRC Yemen Staff have an important role to play in supporting the implementation of client-responsive programming through raising awareness among the community and clients about the existing feedback mechanisms and how to use them including the response processes, access, and eligibility to services, and contribute to building an institutional culture that prompts staff to listen to clients.