Livelihoods Project Manager

About NRC Iraq:

Since the Government of Iraq declared that combat operations against the Islamic State Group (IS) had ended in 2017, Iraq has been recovering from the significant damage and destruction caused by the armed conflict. Of the more than six million Iraqis who fled their homes since 2014, 4.78 million Iraqis have returned to their area of origin and 1.28 million remain internally displaced. Many Iraqis have returned to areas that lack basic infrastructure, services and livelihood opportunities, or where explosive devices have not been cleared. Other challenges returnees and secondarily displaced people face include the lack of security, community acceptance, housing, property and civil documentation issues as well as critical educational and health service gaps. Throughout this, Iraq continues to host over a quarter of a million Syrian refugees.

The UN estimates that more than 4.1 million Iraqis will have needed assistance in 2020, 1.77 million of them in acute need. With military operations against IS group having ended, the Iraqi government faces new challenges to ensure an inclusive reconstruction and reconciliation that will sustain peace.

Since 2010, NRC Iraq has been assisting internally displaced Iraqis, Syrian refugees, returnees, and host communities in Ninewa, Dohuk, Erbil, Kirkuk, Basra, Salahdeen and Anbar Governorates. We focus on assisting the newly displaced, those experiencing protracted displacement in camps, people moving to new areas of Iraq and resettling, and people returning to and living in hard-to-reach places by improving their chance of obtaining a durable solution. NRC runs integrated programmes across Iraq to respond to people in need through our shelter and settlements, education, camp management, legal assistance, livelihoods, cash activities, and partnerships.

Despite the end of the armed conflict with ISIS in end 2017, large numbers of Iraqi’s impacted by the conflict are trying to rebuild their lives. Many still face danger or are stuck in a protracted displacement situation. A large proportion of the displaced have returned to their area of origin. NRC Iraq works with all the populations in need including IDPs in and out of camps, returnees and host communities. In addition, NRC supports Syrian refugees in Iraq as well as populations impacted by climate-change induced displacement.

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability

Duties and responsibilities

The Livelihoods Project Manager is responsible for implementing the Livelihoods programme portfolio for NRC’s Basra Office. Basra is a Sub-Office of the South Central Area Office; therefore this position being the most senior in Basra, will also have general oversight of all operations and programme activities.

Key responsibilities

• Management of programme staff in the Basra Office
• Ensure capacity building of project staff and transfer key skills
• Contribute to the development of Country, Area and Livelihoods strategies
• Develop and manage project budget and coordinate across core competencies
• Ensure quality programming, monitoring and evaluation.
• Coordinate and manage Livelihoods project implementation in line with proposals, strategies and donor requirements
• Provide overall coordination of beneficiary selection process, and ensure that projects target beneficiaries most in need of protection
• Represent NRC in external meetings as needed, primarily with Directorate of Agriculture (DoA), Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA), and any governorate level coordination mechanisms on Livelihoods
• Coordinate with the Logistics, Finance and Security departments to organize activities
• A link to the full Job Description can be found below.

Required Experience and Competencies:

• Minimum First Level University/Bachelor’s Degree.
• Minimum 3 years of experience from a senior level project implementation position in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Technical Livelihoods expertise in transition/early recovery context, including small business development training
• Experience with creative economy income-generation activities
• Versed in market assessment and analysis approaches
• Experience with business start-ups/entrepreneurial approaches
• Experience working with vulnerable groups; able to demonstrate conflict-sensitivity, compassion, discretion
• Experience with Community Engagement principles and approaches
• Commitment to an evidence- and needs-based approach
• Demonstrated results with conflict-sensitive and adaptive livelihoods activities
• Demonstrated experience managing large teams and providing capacity building support
• Demonstrated experience integrating livelihoods work with other sector programmes and into assessments
• Experience with Natural Resource Management approaches, highly desirable
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Resilient and able to live and work in a hardship duty station
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal
• Knowledge of Arabic is highly desired

What we offer

• Duty station: Basra, Iraq
• Contract Duration: 6 months, with possible extension
• Travel: 50%
• Preferred start date: 1 July 2021
• Salary/benefits: Grade 8 in NRC’s Salary Scale. NRC offers an attractive compensation and benefits package
• Job Description

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. We work in crises across 31 countries, providing emergencies and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. We stand up for people forced to flee, advocating their rights. NORCAP, our global provider of expertise, helps improve international and local ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. NRC also runs the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country.

Employment with NRC may lead to employment in or deployment to Regions, Countries, Areas or Offices that may be host to considerable health, safety and security risks. NRC takes this very seriously and we have procedures in place to reduce known risks, but will never be able to take away all risks. NRC requires staff members who travel on an international contract to the field to undergo an medical examination with our medical provider. Employees must produce a Health Clearance Certificate before departure stating that there are no relevant health concerns. If staff are unable to provide this, NRC reserves the right to terminate the Contract of Employment.