Switzerland: Team Leader Global Cash Transfer Programming

Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 190 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Organizational Context

The Programmes & Operations Division is in turn organised in three Departments, each of them led by a Director. The department of Disaster & Crisis (Prevention Response & Recovery) consists of 3 teams, of which Cash Transfer Programming (CTP) is one. As cash programming is used across the different sectors, including Health and WASH, its multipurpose nature makes CTP a leading example of matrix management, cross cutting all eight Areas of Focus and three Strategies for Implementation. The Cash Team Leader works closely with the other two main business groups and the various cross divisional teams (Legal, Audit, Finance, HR, PSK, PRD, Communications Health, Shelter, Risk and Vulnerability, Migration, Logistics, Movement Coordination, Security, etc.) to ensure a collaborative approach to institutionalizing and mainstreaming CTP and markets across all areas impacting every department, ultimately changing IFRC systems and the way response and development programmes are and will be implemented. Providing cash and vouchers to disaster affected people is a growing and critical part of humanitarian action with the potential to drive transformational change in humanitarian organization’s architecture and ways of working. Strong direction from senior leadership is needed to enable greater use of cash where appropriate, and to drive transformation of how the IFRC delivers assistance to crisis-affected populations, through shifting a greater proportion of IFRC supported National Society assistance to cash when adequate. Cash assistance will enable people affected by crisis or disasters to receive more appropriate and effective support, giving them greater choice, dignity and control over their lives, enabling more people to be helped through efficiency gains and better supporting local markets and economies. As a follow-up on IFRC’s commitments to the Grand Bargain , the IFRC commissioned a Cash Roadmap to define the way to scale-up cash assistance over the next 5-7 years. In addition, the Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement is finalising its Cash Strategic Framework. Presently, a 2-year IFRC cash workplan is under development, aligned to the RCRC Movement four strategic objectives: - Cash policy and advocacy - Cash Preparedness and capacity building - CTP design and implementation - Partnerships and innovation

Job Purpose

Under the supervision of the Director of Disaster and Crisis, the Cash Team Leader provides strategic leadership and direction ensuring the IFRC fulfils its Global Commitment to scale up cash significantly, leading policy development in the area of cash; ensuring cash is embedded in related policies such as disaster preparedness, emergency response, food security and nutrition, post-emergency rehabilitation, migration, health and water and sanitation policies; creating cash related standards and tools for use across the IFRC and NS; driving the IFRC cash Roadmap implementation across the Secretariat and regions; working with Financial and Banking Institutions, Foundations and humanitarian partners; advocating globally for greater engagement with cash and representing the IFRC in international fora. The Team Leader is responsible for developing strategic, measurable and achievable global annual business plans and of ensuring their effective implementation; mobilising resources and financial management; and leading the IFRC Secretariat cash team with dotted technical lines to the regional IFRC cash coordinators aiming at ensuring that:

• Disaster and crisis affected people are served with timely quality cash programming across humanitarian sectors and the response cycle; promoting human-centered, transparent and accountable approaches.
• IFRC scales-up the use of CTP when and where appropriate, by developing cash models that can guarantee global, regional and national capacity to deliver quality, predictable and scalable responses to vulnerable and crisis affected populations, supporting when appropriate linkages with national social protection and safety nets. The role will have global responsibility to drive and coordinate the IFRC cash programming to influence senior leaders in the organisation, with a clear emphasis on leading strategic change and institutionalization of CTP through the IFRC Secretariat and membership, while positioning IFRC and the RCRC Movement as key actors in the field of cash assistance.

The position is based in Geneva, with frequent international travel to support IFRC regions and to participate in internal and external meetings.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction and leadership in Cash Transfer Programming, supporting the RCRC Cash Strategic Framework and roll-out and implementation of the IFRC Cash Roadmap:

• Act as the lead professional within the area of Cash Transfer across the organization.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the implementation of the development of the RCRC Movement Strategic Framework and the implementation of the IFRC cash roadmap supporting IFRC and the RCRC Movement to meet its WHS and Grand Bargain commitments.
• Lead and drive cash institutionalization supporting strategic change across IFRC and its membership.
• Provide quality advice and strategic guidance to the IFRC Disaster and Crisis Director, IFRC leadership, and RCRC Movement shared leadership mechanisms to inform decision-making around cash programming strategies, policies and resource allocation.
• Support and enable the IFRC Cash Directors Task Force to address cash institutionalization blockages effectively; and to embrace opportunities for cash scale-up. Refine, adapt and develop systems required for effective operational delivery of CTP at scale, offering a value-added membership service.
• Maintain strategic relationships with the different IFRC Secretariat departments and with the Cash Peer Working Group (CPWG), the ICRC and other Movement partners engaged in CTP to promote common strategic and technical approaches.
• Ensure that IFRC and RCRC Movement CTP operational models, standards and guidance are defined, rolled out and applied across all operations and programmes. Enabling IFRC and its members to deliver quality cash responses that are predictable, scalable and replicable.

Global representation and policy positioning:

• Develop the IFRC Cash policy and Movement wide cash policies, positioning and advocacy in coordination with the relevant departments.
• Position the IFRC as a key actor, influencing global cash transfer programming policies, advocacy and agenda, ensuring strong linkages to relevant alliances/ partnerships at global and regional levels.
• Support IFRC and RCRC Movement advocacy initiatives. Represent the IFRC in the Movement Cash Peer Working Group (CPWG) contributing to its objectives, and allocating resources to its Cash Sub-Working Groups.
• Ensure IFRC engagement and effective contribution to global cash and market networks and initiatives (CaLP, Sphere, global CWG, etc.) supporting the development of policy, standards, key advocacy messaging, etc.
• Develop strong donor relations for effective fundraising efforts with institutional, corporate, and private sector.

Ensure quality technical advice and resources to support effective CTP implementation:

• Be accountable for achieving the cash objectives of the IFRC Secretariat operational plan and budget, ensuring alignment and harmonized CTP approaches across the organization for effectiveness and good practice.
• Develop strategic, measurable and achievable global annual business plans, ensuring their effective implementation.
• Be accountable for allocating IFRC CTP technical and advisory services effectively and efficiently across IFRC as per the Secretariat and membership priorities; especially when delivering multi sector humanitarian cash at scale in a variety of contexts.
• Work closely with other IFRC departments and teams to institutionalize and mainstream cash across the different sectoral humanitarian responses and development programmes.
• Ensure that National Society cash preparedness remains a priority for the IFRC membership, with a strong focus on strengthening local capacities; especially in high risk/disaster prone countries; enhancing the National Societies capacity to be partners of choice for the RCRC Movement, governments, and other humanitarian organizations and donors.
• In collaboration with the Partnerships Division, lead and support resource mobilization for CTP initiatives, preparing proposals engaging the IFRC regions and other Movement partners.

Promote and strengthen strategic CTP partnerships and innovation:

• Ensure IFRC partners with other humanitarian actors, governments, the private sector, banking and financial institutions and academia to provide innovative, efficient and effective cash programming; remain informed by current thinking, research, innovation and best practice.
• Support the development of effective integrated approaches to CTP partnerships in operations and disaster management, and promote global partnerships that strengthen National Societies’ operational readiness.
• Explore opportunities with the ICRC and IFRC membership to develop innovative global or national solutions (common delivery platforms, data and programme management solutions, etc.) that are available to RCRC Movement partners and others.

Be a role model in leading and managing an effective, high quality team, fit for purpose:

• Define clear roles, accountabilities and activities, and assign them across the cash team on an ongoing basis while improving efficiencies within available resources.
• Plan, manage and monitor the use of available resources (people, budgets, etc.) of the team in order to deliver the agreed activities for the area of responsibility. Ensure the team’s work is in line with the IFRC CTP strategic priorities and standards.
• Foster a customer service-oriented culture that values accountability for results, proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, and high performance.
• Lead the delivery of service improvement, good practice, continuous learning and knowledge sharing between the IFRC and National Societies and between colleagues.
• Create a working environment that ensures staff growth, motivation and satisfaction.
• Build and maintain trust-relationships with key stakeholders (National Societies and IFRC structures) involved in fast-paced emergency response decision-making.

Education

Required:

• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent)

Experience

***Required*:**

• At least 10 years working experience in the humanitarian or development sector, with a proven excellence on CTP and a focus on management and supervisory experience in international and multicultural environments
• Demonstrated experience of driving cash institutionalization through an organization
• A track record of dealing with and effectively influencing at Senior Leadership levels within an organization

• Experience in effective high level internal and external representation, including to high profile donor, government, humanitarian and private sector stakeholders Preferred:

• Experience in development of organisational and humanitarian policies and advocacy positions

• Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC

Knowledge,skillsand languages

***Required*:**

• Strong knowledge of cash and markets programmes, including the use of technology and digital payment systems in emergency response and awareness of the latest humanitarian and donors’ trends
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills, including the ability to lead within a matrix management structure and utilise talent and experience of team members effectively
• Ability to build and maintain strategic partnerships at global level with key humanitarian, donor and private sector stakeholders
• Strong analytical and communication skills. Ability to assimilate and analyse complex issues to develop strategies and policies
• Understanding of cash payment delivery mechanisms ecosystem and its key players, particularly a strong familiarity of the private sector actors and financial service providers
• Budget management and funding proposal development
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels

• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment Preferred:

• Experience developing and maintaining a risk management control framework and/or performing internal control review

Languages:

Required: Fluently spoken and written English
Preferred: Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies and values

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others

Managerial competencies: Managing staff performance; Managing staff development Comments

The Federation is an equal opportunity employer.

Please apply on the organisation's website: Click Here