Cash Specialist at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Cash Specialist

Requisition ID: req25569
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-Time
Sector: Economic Recovery & Livelihood
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Open to Expatriates: Yes

Job Description

• The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations.
• IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damaturu of Yobe State. Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women's protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, food security & livelihoods.

Job Overview / Summary

• The Cash Specialist will be responsible for the overall technical support of cash and voucher assistance programming activities both in the Economic Recovery and Development sector and across various sectors, including the Health, Protection, Education, and other outcome areas.
• As a technical role, the Cash Specialist will support and train staff in carrying out of the implementation of the cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programs in accordance with the technical and donor guidelines.

Major Responsibilities
Technical Support:

• Provide technical support to the sectoral technical coordinators and/ or deputies  
• Lead the Cash feasibility assessments for the use of cash and/ or vouchers for all technical teams
• Provide systematic training and build capacity of staff from different departments conducting CVA interventions at national office and in project offices, including program, finance, and supply chain teams (will require travel).
• Lead identification, and tendering (from the program side) of all financial service providers (FSPs) and voucher vendors
• Update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cash as well as voucher assistance (depending on context in various contexts for IRC Nigeria
• Conducting regular check-ins with the project teams and project stakeholders to document challenges and lessons-learned 
• Provide technical assistance to the key tools development and contextualization in cash, including the Cash Relief Operating Procedures (CROPs), Program Controls Checklist (PCC), and Program Implementation Note (PIN); as well as other key guidance, as needed, in collaboration with the Technical Advisors and the relevant sectoral technical coordinators 
• Provide technical assistance to local partners’ staff and project oversight   
• Engage in regular check-ins with the cash focal points of each team to understand and support sectoral cash assistance programing priorities 
• Ensure key lessons learned from the PDMs are considered in improving our quality of intervention implementation as well as future project designs 
• Ensure links are made across sector teams for sharing tools, resources, and lessons learned
• Whenever possible, conduct information-sharing meetings on CVA with key findings from research in-country and at the regional level 

Proposal Development and Business Development Support:

• Contribute technical inputs on CVA to concept notes, proposals, and budget development in collaboration with the business development team.
• Work with IRC Cash technical unit in the development and implementation of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for CVA outputs. 
• Contribute to the overall development of the IRC Nigeria SAP and achievement of the strategic objectives and global initiatives. 

Representation:

• Develop a network of contacts at Abuja and field level, both Northeast and Northwest (local and INGOs, CWG, Food Security Cluster, Social Protection Cluster, government/social safety nets etc.) to allow a smooth implementation of the CVA projects.
• Represent IRC Nigeria at the various Cash working group meetings.
• Explain IRC Nigeria CVA project activities and objectives to donors, partners, and communities/ community leaders as needed.
• Implement other duties and responsibilities assigned by his/her supervisor in line with job description and plan of action

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• Conduct post distribution monitoring
• Support in conducting market assessments or cash feasibility assessment in the targeted communities   
• Under the supervision of Program Manager & Research Coordinator conduct Climate Risk Management project research and assessments 

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to:  Senior Program Coordinator (Safety, Power and Economic Wellbeing outcome) with dotted line to ERD coordinator and Cash Technical Advisor
• Position directly supervises:  Indirect line management of Cash focal persons across different IRC outcome areas and the ERD
• Other Internal and/or external contacts: Grants, Finance, Compliance, Technical Coordinators and Deputy Director of Programs. 
• The position will also work with partners and relevant institutions associated with CVA.

Requirements
 Education:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture / Agricultural Economics, Disaster and Risk Management, Development Studies, Climate Studies / Natural Resource Management, Food Security studies, Livelihood studies, Rural Development, Social Anthropology or related discipline or related field

Work Experience: 

• 3 - 5 years of relevant work experience in the field of Cash Voucher Assistance/social protection at Senior Level (Manager and above)

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: 

• Proven practical experience in cash and rural livelihoods programming with wide knowledge of the various cash modalities, delivery mechanisms and transfer values in relation to the local context
• Must demonstrate willingness to facilitate training, mentor and support other staff and partners on CVA programming
• Coordination experience with different partners and stakeholders
• Computer literacy in MS Office Package (Word, Excel, Power Point), outlook
• Working knowledge on CVA distribution platforms and Financial Service Providers (FSPs)
• Good digital skills in coordinating and working remotely (Teams, zoom, Google meet etc.)

Language Skills:  

• Good written and spoken English. 

Other Competencies:

• Must have good time management, multitasking skills
• Good teamwork and leadership skills are essential to motivate different groups of people to fulfil their responsibilities within a given time frame.
• Demonstrates well-developed interpersonal skills, excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, as well as facilitation skills.
• Values diversity, inclusion, people with disabilities and minorities in Nigeria

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.