Skills Development Manager

Background/IRC Summary:  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.

IRC has been working in Pakistan for over 30 years, and manages and delivers large, complex programs to meet the needs in health, education, protection, environmental health and livelihoods for displaced, poor and disaster affected communities. IRC works in partnership with local government and non-governmental organizations and currently works in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.

Job Overview/Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a dynamic and self-motivated individual for the position of Skills Development Manager for a five-year USAID-funded Women’s Economic and Social Empowerment Project in selected districts of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Newley Merged Districts. The project focusses on implementing interventions to achieve the intended result of “Reduced risk of gender-based violence through community engagement”. These interventions will stimulate women’s economic and social empowerment and prepare foundation for integrating interventions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV). 

The Skills Development Manager will provide technical oversight to the implementation of employment and entrepreneurship component in WEE project. Under the supervision of Technical Specialist Business Development,

Skills Development Manager will support the implementation of Technical and Vocational training program in line with donor requirements. He/she will have frequent interactions with project, technical, technical institutes, government and consortium and implementing partners. He/She will play a leading role in capacity building of project teams, partners, consortium members and other local actors in the areas of skills training and employment. Skills Development Manager will conduct regular field visits to provide on-job guidance with development and implementation of activities and play a pivotal role in providing adequate technical support to the teams to ensure technical quality throughout the project implementation cycle.

Major Responsibilities:

Project Planning and Implementation

·         Ensure the effective management and development of the skills development (TVET) program through planning, regular monitoring, review, and evaluation, within the project framework.  Lead on building the capacity of Public/Private TVET institution, Local implementing partners in delivering common objectives to tackle the challenges of women (s)-employment in the targeted districts of KP including NMDs.

·         Oversee the implementation and development of the technical aspects of the project . 

·         Ensure project progress is effectively monitored through regular collection, analysis of key indicators data and ensure monitoring data is used in decision making in timely manner.

·         Promote accountability and ensure compliance with donor policies,  IRC WAY policies, global Humanitarian Standards on Quality and Accountability, including the feedback and response mechanism, actively seek youth and girls input in skills development interventions.

·         In coordination with the project management  facilitate meetings, workshops and evaluations initiated by IRC and donors in relation to the implementation of the project;

·         Ensure that internal and external reporting requirements are met, including monthly, quarterly and annual narrative reports, in line with the required format and with review and input from Senior Skills Development Manager and Technical Specialist Business Development

·         Ensure that lessons learnt and success stories from projects are effectively documented and shared.

Technical Quality:

·         Identify technical assistance needs for Skills development partners and provide the needed assistance.

·         Work closely with the Senior Skills development Manager to provide clear technical support and  oversight to training and mentoring to the partners, including trainings needed to build specialized skills;

·         Ensure that partners staff and services adhere to best practice, professional standards and humanitarian principles.

·         Stay well-informed of developments related to new tools and guidelines etc.

Reporting

·         Contribute in the development of project progress reports, activity/ event, feedback register and field visit reports.

·         Support project imepelementation, consortium and implementing partners teams in collecting and analyzing information for the project reports.

·         Compile and develop reports received from partners/stakeholders and share feedback.

·         Prepare sector updates for factsheets, newsletters or other internal or external publications.

·         Coordinate reporting activities.

Coordination and representation

·         Coordinate, supervise and provide technical support to partner field staff.

·         Ensure that staff understand and comply with all relevant donor and IRC policies and procedures.

·         In case of feedback from youth or adolescent girls, involve them in deciding on how to respond to feedback.

·         Lead with commitment, integrity and accountability to the “IRC Way” – Global Standards for Professional Conduct.

·         Provide administrative and organizational support to project management briefing and site visits.

·         Participate in professional training and development activities, as necessary.

·         Represent the organizations at different clusters and other forums

·         Liaise as needed with Country Office, NGOs and other UN agencies.

·         Contribute to preparedness actions such as early warning, risk analysis and contingency planning and make recommendations.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Technical Specialist Business Development/ Senior Manager Skills Development (technical reporting) Position directly supervises:  None

Job Requirements:

a)      Education:

·         Master’s degree in management, communication field or social sciences.

b)      Work Experience:

·         A minimum of 5 years of experience in I/NGO related to Livelihoods and Skills development projects implementation.

c)      Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

·         Advanced knowledge of software (Microsoft Windows, MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint),

·         Ability to make power point and other types of presentations.

·         Ability to meet deadlines and remain cool under pressure; and

·         Experience in Project Management and report writing

·         Excellent communication, training, and analytical skills

·         Team worker with flexibility.

·         Strong English language skills both written and oral; knowledge of local languages

Language Skills:  English, Urdu

Others: 

The IRC Core Values and Commitments.

·         The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Adult Safeguarding , Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.

·         IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge s/he needs to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.

• Level of interaction with children (Under 18): Frequent direct contact with children especially adolescent girls (15-18 years old)

·         IRC ensures that its staff must actively practice the roles and responsibilities related to client responsiveness, accountability to people in affected communities and must have competencies to solicits and listens to feedback and other’s perspectives, responds to feedback with maturity and sensitivity and takes appropriate decisions and makes changes to behavior or actions in response to feedback.

·         IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment.

Women candidates and differently abled persons are highly encouraged to apply.