Field Coordinator

BACKGROUND:

IRC began working in South Sudan in 1989. South Sudan declared independence in July 2011 following decades of brutal civil war rooted in disputes over religion, ethnicity, resources, governance and self-determination. The security situation remains fragile and testing operational challenges abound. IRC-South Sudan operates a country office in Juba, and field offices in Lakes, Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Central Equatoria states. Currently, IRC South Sudan implements programs in primary health care, community case management, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection and access to justice and livelihoods.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Field Coordinator leads IRCs response in the Nyal Field Site and is responsible for timely and high-quality program implementation and support. The Field Coordinator provides supervision and leadership to both program and operational teams in the field site, ensuring adherence to agreed work plans and reporting schedules as well as full compliance to IRC’s policies in the areas of Finance, HR, Supply Chain and ICT. The Field Coordinator works in close coordination with Program Coordinators, Finance Controller, HR Coordinator and SC Coordinator to ensure that programmatic and operational strategies are implemented in the field site.  

The Field Coordinator reports to the Deputy Director of Field Management and is based in Nyal with occasional travel to Juba.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Field Coordinator shall:

Program Management

• Oversee the day-to-day implementation of all programs in the field site, providing constructive supervision to the program managers to implement, monitor and evaluate work plans and monitoring &evaluation mechanisms as agreed with the Program Coordinator.

• In close collaboration with relevant Program Coordinator(s), lead the field-based teams in the development of new proposals and initiatives for the Yida field site in accordance with the country program strategic plan and IRC program framework.
• Participate in the development of budgets for program proposals in conjunction with the grants and finance departments.

Grants Management and Reporting

• In close coordination with the Grants department and the relevant Program Coordinator(s), lead field-level Grants Opening, Mid-Term and Closing meetings.
• Review operational aspects of internal and external reports from the field site and ensure timely submission as required
• Lead review of Budget vs. Actual expenditure on a monthly basis with staff, ensuring timely and accurate feedback to the relevant Program Coordinator(s) and the Grants, Finance and Supply Chain departments.
• In collaboration with the Program Coordinator(s) address any over/under expenditure issues through jointly developed corrective plans.

  Human Recourse Management

• 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.
• Ensure all staff in the field site know and understand IRCs Global and in-country HR Policies and the IRC Way Standards for professional Conduct. Document and address breaches of policy and disciplinary issues in coordination with the Sr HR Coordinator in a professional manner and in line with the letter and spirit of the relevant policy.
• Ensure the Performance Management cycle is implemented and documented timely for all staff in the field site. Ensure feedback from technical coordinators is sought and incorporated in performance management cycles of program managers and heads of department, including but not limited to technical performance and capacity building needs.
• Provide direct supervision to the field site’s HR lead, ensuring recruitment, staff orientation, payroll preparation, leave management and exit management processes are carried out timely and in line with relevant policies and procedures.
• Ensure that staff have capacity development plans in place based on documented capacity needs assessments exercise. Work with the appropriate technical resource (for example the Program Coordinators) to achieve this
• Review and ensure timely submission of monthly HR reports from the field site as required

Finance and Supply Chain and ICT Management

• In close coordination with the Finance department, lead the development and management of annual, comprehensive and inclusive field operating budgets.
• Ensure proper financial, supply chain and ICT management systems and control mechanisms are in place and adhered to in line with the IRC’s global and in-country finance and supply chain policies.
• Provide supervision and leadership to the field site’s finance and supply chain teams.
• Review and ensure timely submission of monthly and annual finance and supply chain reports from the field site as required.

Security Management

• Act as IRCs Security Focal Point for the field site.
• Ensure all staff in the field site know and understand IRC Nyal’s security regulations; Document and address breaches of policy and disciplinary issues in coordination with the Security Coordinator.
• Monitor the Nyal security situation, attend security meetings and inform the Security Coordinator, and SMT where appropriate, of developments through submission of accurate weekly and –where needed- ad-hoc security and incident reports.
• Participate in the review and update of the country Security Management Plan.
• Assist the Security Coordinator in developing field specific Contingency Plans, Medevac, Evacuation Plans and SOPs.
• Assist the Security Coordinator with developing training plans for staff and conducting trainings.

Representation and Coordination

• Represent the IRC with local government authorities, non-state actors, UN agencies, NGOs, and donors at the field site level. Engage and or delegate to program staff for sector representation as appropriate.
• Represent the IRC with beneficieries and communities to encourage accountability to those we serve
• Upon request by the Senior Management Team, organize and facilitate field visits for stakeholders interested in IRC’s Nyal response.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Masters degree Public Administration, International relations, or other related field;
• Minimum of five years overseas professional experience in humanitarian response in conflict-affected areas;
• Solid experience in both expatriate and national staff management in a cross-cultural environment required
• Demonstrated  understanding of and experience with humanitarian and development programming (Women’s Protection & Empowerment, Protection and Primary Healthcare) and support (Finance, Supply Chain. Human Resources Administration ICT)
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically and possesses strong communication skills.
• Experience in working with and coordinating with local authorities, the UN, donors, INGOs and other stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills. 
• Fluency in English.
• Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills.
• Additional qualities: strong leadership and organizational skills, ability to multi-task, ability to handle pressure well, ability to improvise, flexibility, adaptability to transitions

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Security level Orange – Nyal is in Panyijar County, Unity State. Nyal is located in Northern Panyijar at the Southern point of Unity State and is not currently under government control. There are two other INGOs permanently based there.

L odging is a private tokul in an IRC compound with shared latrines and showers . Electricity is provided in the office and residential area, but generator hours are limited. Food is the individual’s responsibility. Cleaners and cooks are provided by the IRC, but staff are expected to pay a fixed amount to cover meal costs.

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.