Switzerland: Risk and Vulnerability Lead

Organizational context

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.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organisation established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency, coordination, and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the RCRC Movement; and expanding engagement with partners. The Secretariat’s headquarters is organized in three main business groups: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership; (ii) Programmes and Operations; and (iii) Management Services. The Programme & Operations Division is in turn organised in three Departments, each of them led by a Director. The department of Disaster & Crisis Prevention Response & Recovery (DCPRR) consists of 2 teams, of which Programme & Operations and Global Network Practise is one. The Team Leader works closely with the Team Leader, Emergency Operations and Information Management, as well as other divisional teams (Health, Logistics, Movement Coordination, Security) to ensure a collaborative approach to agreeing emergency operation strategies with regional and country counterparts, operational quality and accountability, institutional and hazard risk mapping and analysis, and the strategic use of the IFRC global disaster response tools.

Job purpose

Under the supervision of the Team Leader of the GNOP, the Risk and Vulnerability Lead supports the IFRC network to ensure high quality, coherent and well-coordinated vulnerability tracking, monitoring, risk and capacity mapping and profiling including “on the shelf emergency plans”. The Lead oversees a team who delivers against the key headquarters roles of risk profiling in close cooperation with other Teams in the DCPRR Department, Regions, relevant networks and IFRC Reference Centres; as well as thought leadership and knowledge sharing across relevant technical areas (in support of NS, Regional and country office roles for management of programmes and operations), and provision of input for global representation, policy positioning and support as directed and requested by the Team Leader.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Provide global thought and innovation:

• Support internal policy development and monitoring, including RC/RC Statutory meetings.
• Support and engage with global policy development in the areas of vulnerability, risk and resilience.
• Lead the IFRC in innovation in the domain of vulnerability, risk and resilience.
• Lead Global Vulnerability tracking and Monitoring, Risk Understanding and Profiling, Risk and Capacity Mapping
• work closely with Community Health and Emergency Care and the WASH teams in areas of vulnerability, risk and resilience policy and guidance development.
• Develop Scenarios “on the shelf emergency plans” in close cooperation with Response/Recovery and Emergency Operation/Information Management Teams; as well as with relevant departments (eg Community Health and Emergency Care, WASH, OD etc) and the Regions.

Provide strategic direction and leadership for risk and vulnerability programming:

• Provide global content leadership on issues related to vulnerability, risk and resilience and enable senior IFRC management to be a global humanitarian player in this domain.
• Provide substantive and content leadership for corporate discussions and inter-agency coordination on issues related to vulnerability, risk and resilience
• Lead mainstreaming of DRR and climate change and ensure that all of the IFRC services, programmes and interventions (in all sectoral programmes and across the contexts) are risk informed.
• Overall coordination of the Secretariat engagement with the One Billion Coalition for Resilience in close collaboration with various departments (e.g. Health, OD, Youth/volunteers etc.), colleagues in the DCPRR, Regions, Reference Centres, ICRC and other IFRC networks.
• Enable IFRC (leadership) to advocate the importance of each focus area in various fora, including academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and reforms.

Mobilise quality programme resources

• Mobilize, foster and provide substantive inputs related to global external partnerships.
• Manage global partner’s relationships and resource mobilization in line with corporate guidelines
• Forge/implement strategic partnerships with National Societies and external partner institutions – governments, private sector, academia, NGOs and CSOs.
• Support global level human resources capacity building, in collaboration with relevant departments and Divisions.
• Lead and coordinate, in close collaboration with relevant departments and the Regions, IFRC applications and strategic planning to various resilience funding opportunities such as the Green Climate Fund, GEF, forecast based financing etc.

Ensure quality and accountability

• Map needs and practices of NS in the domain of vulnerability, risk and resilience and develop and update with Regional Offices the IFRC’s response toolbox and the coordination of crisis response packages.
• Promote and engage in systematic monitoring and evaluation of all programmes and operations and ensure the integration of cross-cutting issues prioritized by the Movement.
• On request of senior management represent the Secretariat regarding the IFRC Reference Centers, especially the Global Disaster Preparedness Centre (GDPC); RC/RC Climate Centre and the Livelihood Centre; as well as coordination of the Annual Reference Centre meetings.

Ensure and promote innovation and knowledge management

• Guide and coordinate cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with regional policy teams, develop and share knowledge-based tools, such as policy positions/practice notes/concept papers and other research papers.
• Assist in the influence/advance of policy dialogue agenda setting in the practice service area and present such material at relevant forums.
• Perform knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, validation codification and dissemination of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area and ensure knowledge sharing and content management with internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead the organization of the bi-annual IFRC Community Resilience Forums.

Provide day-to-day management and coordination of project activities;

• Be responsible and accountable for the overall management and administration of Risk and Vulnerability related projects, and the timely and quality delivery of all Project outputs;
• Prepare Project Work Plans and Project reports (Progress reports including the Final report and their presentation to donors).
• Monitor Project progress to ensure that it is in accordance with the timetable set out in the Project Document and prepare regular updates and reports to Project Boards on projects' progress, implementing issues, emerging risks/problems and proposals for necessary remedial actions.
• Draft terms of reference for consultants and project personnel.
• Assume responsibilities in line with rules and procedures and act as a first authority for Project related transactions
• As required, prepare official correspondence for different stakeholders.
• Maintain close cooperation with responsible partners and institutions to ensure effective implementation of the agreed activities and delivery of outputs in a timely manner.
• Develop and manage in coordination with partners an overall IFRC Risk and Vulnerability strategy.

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

• Be accountable to departments leadership on progress of results, a pro-active advisor and be a dynamic member of the department management team supporting strategic content areas and/or organisational change;
• Ensure effective coordination with other relevant departments in the Secretariat, participation of field colleagues, a proven service and co-creative orientation towards NS and an active exchange with peers, partners and stakeholders in the external environment;
• Nurture relations with peer organizations, participate in communities of practice and professional associations, develop networking and exchange initiatives in order to keep abreast of emerging trends and integrate best practices.
• Define clear roles, accountabilities and activities, and assign them across the team members 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 area of responsibility;
• Foster a culture that values accountability for results, proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, and high performance;
• Create a working environment that ensures staff growth, motivation and satisfaction.
• Be available to deploy to Regions, Clusters, Country or Operations to provide support as necessary.
• Representation role for the Secretariat at technical levels, spokesperson, media representation on vulnerability, risks and resilience issues.

Interested candidates are invited to apply via the following link:

http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/current-vacancies/job-description/?id=3155