Project Lead, Activating Market-based Agricultural Livelihoods (AMAL) At Norwegian Refugee Council

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. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

Duties and responsibilities

The purpose of the Project Lead is to develop strategy, objectives, and set project plans including the overall management of a three-year project supporting Iraqi’s to recover from conflict. The project will focus on rehabilitating infrastructure and supporting the recovery of agricultural livelihoods across Iraq.

Generic responsibilities:

• Lead on the project development and implementation in line with NRC’s global strategic objectives and priorities.
• Provide leadership, management, and clear strategic direction of the project.
• Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures.
• Accountable for efficient use of resources and achievement of results.
• Establish, maintain, and coordinate successful relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for the development of staff capacity and guidance to senior technical staff and programme teams.
• Engage with team members, partners, and beneficiaries at project sites to monitor progress and revise the project’s approach as needed.
• Responsible for the assigned donors to ensure that the project meets desired goals and objectives and to report on progress.
• Responsible for managing the project including progress, budgets, spending and donor reporting.

Specific responsibilities:

• Build a strong working relationship with senior management, programme and support teams at country and area level to ensure timely project deliverables and successful project completion.
• Regularly update the donor on project progress.
• Direct and matrix staff management responsibilities.
• Assess and propose project modifications to senior management and donor as appropriate, factoring in progress and challenges both internal and external.
• Regularly travel to programme areas to monitor project activities.
• Responsible for the overall project budget management and donor reporting.
• Establish systems and procedures for program cycle management.
• Liaise with government stakeholders at national level to ensure appropriate accountability and ownership.

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

• Area Managers: to ensure required resource allocation
• Programme Unit: to ensure programme quality
• Programme implementation teams: to ensure programme completion to workplan
• Donor: to report project progress and highlight achievements and issues
• Authorities in Iraq: to ensure project understanding and support
• Support department managers: to ensure sufficient HR, Logistics, Finance and ICT support

Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

Required Professional Competencies:

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in developing and leading large and complex projects
• Experience in a senior project management position working in consortia, partnerships or equivalent structures, with responsibility for programming in a humanitarian/protracted crisis or development context
• Experience of working in complex and volatile contexts
• Documented/proven results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Required Behavioural Competencies:

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies and the following are essential for this position:

• Strategic thinking
• Initiating action and change
• Influencing
• Managing resources to optimise results
• Empowering and building trust
• Handling insecure environments

Context/ Specific Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Experience of Livelihoods programming is an advantage
• Knowledge of Arabic or Kurdish is an advantage
• Experience of working with large donors is an advantage
• Experience of the Iraq context is an advantage

Performance Management

The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with the NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

• Job Description
• Work- and Professional Development Plan
• NRC Competency Framework

We Can Offer

• Contract period: 24 months with possibility of extension
• Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s salary scale and terms and conditions
• Duty station: Erbil, Iraq
• Travel: 60%

*This post is equivalent to a Chief of Party role at NRC*