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.
To achieve that vision, the IRCโs Technical Excellence (TE) provides technical assistance to IRCโs country program staff and share evidence and learnings. TE is comprised of five technical units: Economic Recovery & Development; Education; Governance; Health; and Violence Prevention and Response. There are also three supporting units: Measurement, Grant Operations and Analytics, and Program Quality Support.
The ERD TU is a dynamic team of more than 30 professionals responsible for supporting the development, implementation, and monitoring of client-centered economic wellbeing (EWB) programs. These include, but are not limited to, cash & markets, agriculture and food systems and economic inclusion across emergency, recovery and development contexts. The TUโs technical assistance to this wide variety of programs ensures quality and use of evidence-based practices; promotes innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion; and drives data-based management and decision making, to achieve positive change in peopleโs lives.
West and Central Africa Regional Overview:
The West and Central Africa Region (WACAR) supports effective, efficient, and high-quality programming by strengthening capacity around client outcomes, program quality, strategic positioning, and business development. It addresses overlapping humanitarian and development challengesโconflict, weak governance, and environmental degradationโthrough integrated, impactful approaches.
WACAR prioritizes cross-learning, innovation, and harmonized technical strategies, especially in high-need areas. It ensures continuity of care and coordinated service delivery for clients on the move, while advancing strategic donor engagement through cohesive fundraising and regional collaboration.
The region responds swiftly to country program needs, filling critical gaps and navigating access constraints, emergencies, and security shifts. It amplifies client and frontline voices to inform global advocacy and fosters strong team cohesion to enhance program delivery. WACAR focuses on cost-efficient and adaptive approaches to the evolving humanitarian and donor landscape, with a clear focus on resourcing country programs.
WACAR comprises Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon and CAR, Chad, Cote dโIvoire, DRC, Mali, Niger, Nigeria.
Position Overview
As Agriculture & Food Systems Technical Advisor (Ag&FS TA) for West and Central Africa, you are responsible for ensuring high quality technical assistance to country programs within the region. You will collaborate with relevant stakeholders to achieve high quality, high impact interventions that are informed by evidence, data, and best practice, contextually appropriate, driven by client and partner voices, and are safe, inclusive, learning, and promote equal outcomes for clients.
Program Design & Business Development: You will support country programs to design winning submissions and generally position IRC for continued success in Agriculture & Food System:
โข Substantially contribute to the development of proposal theories of change and log frames
โข Support the in-country technical lead in analyzing relevant information including available M&E and client responsiveness data, to prepare and to inform design meetings/conversations
โข Advise on program modalities and strategic partnership development โ including with the private sector - based on evidence, scale considerations, and how we can best support, complement, and reinforce local systems
โข Advise on and/or provide hands-on support on assessments, including application and contextualization of technical standards, with special focus on: food security analysis, climate-smart agriculture, climate resilient livelihoods, nutrition-sensitive value chain/ market-system development and nutrition-sensitive programming
โข Participate in project design meetings for all relevant proposals (remotely or in person)
โข Review and validate design meeting decisions around technical design quality, including alignment of narratives, log-frames, and budgets, to IRC standards and outcomes
โข Promote and support design collaboration with partners and clients
โข Steer alignment and contextualization of Economic Well Being (EWB) Outcome Strategic Priorities and Country Programs Strategy Action Plans
โข Promote and support gender equality and diversity inclusion throughout project design
โข Input into go / no go decisions on proposals and on budgets required for project delivery
โข When necessary, write technical narratives of proposals and provide support on monitoring and evaluation aspects of ERD projects
โข Engage with donors, participate in donorsโ meetings and do outreach in support of country programs
โข Support countries and TU in pursuing emergency and long-term business development opportunities
Implementation Support: You will support country program staff and other key stakeholders in implementing technical interventions:
โข Support country programs and other stakeholders with the recruitment and training of technical coordinators
โข Assess program quality against IRC IMPACT standards and inform improvements, providing follow up support to country programs as needed
โข Collaborate with country program colleagues to monitor and analyze key indicators to inform periodic review, program adaptation, and course-correction as needed
โข Provide technical capacity strengthening through ongoing mentoring, coaching, and trainings with country program focal points
Knowledge & Learning: You will support continuous sectoral learning and IRC technical leadership:
โข Document learnings from program activities and sharing takeaways and used for new positioning
โข Share cross-contextual learnings with country program staff across the region
โข Collaborate with the Quality in Emergency team counterparts during emergency classifications to support country programs to assess, design and implement high quality programming in acute emergency situations
โข Collaborate with other technical advisors within the region to promote integrated programming leadership
โข Refresh the sectoral evidence-base in collaboration with global and regional staff to influence approaches
โข Contribute to the delivery of ERD strategic priorities
โข Maintain currency with sectoral best practices through continual learning and development
โข Support research efforts, both qualitative and quantitative, to drive IRCโs evidence generation agenda, in collaboration with research specialists in the Technical Unit and in the Airbel Impact Lab
The Agriculture & Food Systems TA will undertake other special projects and tasks as needed within the realm of their expertise and within the TUโs function.
Professional Profile
Success in this position requires an individual with expertise in designing and delivering technical assistance to Agriculture & Food Systems programs, and with a deep understanding of the cultural, societal, and political contexts in West and Central Africa.
Education: Masterโs degree in agronomy, agricultural economics or related fields.
Work Experience:
โข Minimum of 6-8 years of proven experience in international emergency and development field posts, and or related private sector entities.
โข Experience in managing large evidenced-based emergency and development programs, including staff and budget management, preferably in conflict- or disaster-affected environments.
โข Technical expertise in complex and volatile security contexts and one or more of the following areas (i) food security analysis, (ii) climate-smart agriculture and livestock practices (iii) climate resilient livelihoods (iv) nutrition-sensitive value chain/ market-system development (v) nutrition-sensitive programming
โข Demonstrated success in large business development for economic programs and familiarity with key donors and their funding streams.
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
โข Excellent verbal and written communications skills, in English and French
โข Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver projects on time and independently.
โข Demonstrated ability to navigate a dynamic, cross-functional, global team structure in a large multi-national organization.
โข Demonstrated ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
โข Strong analytic problem-solving skills.
โข Highly proficient in Microsoft Office suite.
โข Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner.
โข Knowledge of main institutional donors and a proven track record in developing funding proposals and reports for a range of institutional and other donors.
โข Excellent interpersonal skills involving listening to, interacting with, and communicating clearly with people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds
โข Demonstrated dedication to an anti-racist and Do No Harm approach, gender equality and inclusion.
Language Skills: Excellent spoken and written English and French.
Key Working Relationships: This position reports to the West and Central Africa, ERD Regional Lead. This position may potentially supervise occasional consultants and/or interns. Regular communication with other ERD staff, regional and country program teams, awards management and grants management staff, and other internal stakeholders.
Working Environment: Standard office working environment. This role may have some international travel up to 40% of the time.
Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way โ our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
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