Governance and Right Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading agencies working in post-conflict and development contexts, supporting communities in over 40 fragile, failed and developing states. In this capacity, we work to restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted, struggling to endure and wishing to advance on a path of development. The IRC works to aid in the development of societies in which people have the opportunity to realize their full potential and are supported by institutions and practices that are just, transparent, accountable, inclusive, and which promote and protect rights.

The IRC has been working in Myanmar since May 2008, initially supporting emergency response and early recovery interventions for communities affected by Cyclone Nargis. Since then, IRC has responded to natural emergencies and ethnic violence in a number of states. Over the years, IRC has broadened its portfolio to include health, water and sanitation, livelihoods, and social development programs. The IRC is committed to a long-term presence in-country with the aim of improving the well being of vulnerable populations living the hard-to-reach areas, focusing on Rakhine, Chin, Kayah and Kayin States.

The IRC has embarked on a new phase of investment in its governance and protection-related work and is looking to bring new skills and expertise into the Myanmar Country Office. In this context, the IRC is seeking a skilled, dynamic and experienced Governance & Rights Coordinator working under the supervision of the Director of Humanitarian Programs and Strategy Development based in Hpan, Myanmar.

The ideal candidate for this position should have strong knowledge and experience in peacebuilding and community driven development along with a demonstrated capacity to work with and strengthen decentralized government structures. The candidate should also have previous experience in protection of rights and rule of law programming.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The G&R Coordinator will be responsible for providing overall leadership, guidance, coordination and technical support on peacebuilding, governance and protection of rights to all sectors of the country program, in addition to advising senior management on strategy and direction concerning these themes. In particular, the position will have the primary leadership and management responsibility for the implementation of the two and a half years “Building Constituency for Peace in Southeast Burma” project. The G&R Coordinator will be further required to work in collaboration with other technical coordinators, the Grants unit and field teams to ensure that program activities are implemented according to approved work plans, the country program strategic plan and in accordance with the IRC’s G&R Sector Framework and Global Strategy.

Program Development, Management and Coordination:

• Lead and oversee proposals development within the Governance & Rights sector, including through designing and writing quality proposals, while supporting program development within other sectors by integrating governance and protection approaches in proposals and projects where relevant;
• Lead and oversee the implementation of the “Building Constituency for Peace in Southeast Burma” project as well as all governance and rights activities according to implementation strategies, procedures, work plans and donor requirements in order to achieve project deliverables.
• Manage and provide technical support to G&R program staff, including through regular field visits, and develop their capacity through adequate mentoring, performance management (setting of objectives, appraisals and development plans) and training as required.
• Assist in the development of annual program budgets; Ensure implementation of G&R related activities in line with approved budgets and spending plans; work with the Grants Unit to ensure all program activities are implemented in compliance with IRC and donor requirements.
• Represent IRC Myanmar in external G&R related forums; actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders in Myanmar including government actors, donors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs; identify governance and protection related advocacy issues in consultation with the country management.

Technical Leadership and Support:

• Support the various IRC Myanmar programs in conducting context and conflict analysis to identify promising entry points and better inform program design and implementation.
• Provide technical leadership and oversee the design and implementation of peacebuilding, community driven development and protection projects.
• Contribute to development of knowledge and capacity in the country office around decentralization, social accountability, institution strengthening and other related governance themes and support the integration of those themes into other sectoral programs.
• Provide technical leadership to assess protection needs in existing programs/sectors or new geographical locations as well as advice on relevant adaptations aimed at improving access, safety, and dignity of beneficiaries.
• Lead and oversee all protection related interventions including refugee and returnee protection programs, including in areas of protection monitoring and legal support.
• Liaise regularly with technical advisors from the Governance & Rights Unit on proposal development, programming and implementation approaches.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• University Degree in Development, Economics, Public Administration, Business Administration, Law or Social Science. Masters Degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in developing, managing and coordinating peace building, community driven development and governance programs in developing countries and / or post-conflict settings.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in Protection & Rule of Law programs in developing countries, post-conflict, and/or refugee settings.
• Experience in strengthening the capacity of decentralized government structures around the provision of basic services and protection of rights especially desirable along with knowledge of gender and inclusion strategies;
• Knowledge and capacity to conduct Political Economy and Conflict Analysis.
• Must be comfortable working as part of a large team in a complex, fluid and demanding management environment.
• Ability to travel frequently to project sites for monitoring visits, including very remote and sometimes insecure (weather and conflict) areas.
• Strong program management skills, including assessment, planning, budgeting and monitoring skills.
• Good organizational, interpersonal, and people management skills.
• Strong communication, presentation and training skills.
• Demonstrated proposal and report writing skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.