Senior Manager COMPASS, Peshawar - International Rescue Committee

Job Description

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 & delivers large, complex programs to meet needs in health, education, protection, environmental health and livelihoods for displaced, poor & conflict-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 Women’s Empowerment Senior Manager is responsible for ensuring smooth implementation of daily project activities and overall accomplishment of programme’s goals and objective. S/he will provide supervision and direction to the IRC project team, including overseeing the delivery of services and ensuring optimal relationship with the local communities and with relevant authorities. S/he will establish or reinforce existing monitoring, evaluation, quality assurance and accountability mechanisms within the IRC-run portion of the programme. S/he will coordinate closely with the Research team to ensure the research is carried out successfully, as well as with the programme’s local Implementing Partners to ensure harmonic and collaborative programme implementation across partners.  S/he will support the Program Coordinator in external representation and donor relations activities, including through participation in the development of strategies and proposals.

Major Responsibilities:

Program management and development

Oversee the day-to-day implementation of IRC’s Women’s Empowerment program activities in Nowshera. This entails the following:

1. Budget management. Develop and monitor spending plans and work plans to ensure the program is implemented according to schedule and budgets, and that program objectives and targets are met. This involves working on cash projections and other financial tools.


2. Internal coordination. Maintain positive and collaborative working relationships with all IRC support departments, especially in the KP office, to ensure smooth intra-office coordination and efficient programme support. Build relationships with other implementing partners and with the WE Research team to ensure harmonic programme implementation across provinces and successful research activities.


3. Service delivery. Supervise 5 IRC-run Women Community Centres (WCC) in Nowshera, by ensuring their optimal physical conditions, ensuring they are equipped and well supplied for programme activities, coordinating teams and services operating in the WCCs according to monthly and weekly service schedules – mindful of the needs of the beneficiaries, implementing any WCC relocation if needed. The services provided in the WCCs at the moment are: life skills for adolescent girls and their caregivers, GBV case management, literacy/numeracy skills, vocational trainings, legal support, group counseling and recreational activities.


4. Community engagement. Supervise community enagagement in the 5 communities where WCCs are in place, through community activities and information/communication campaigns, to ensure awareness and acceptance of safe space services. Support the team’s work on key outreach activities around women and children’s rights.


5. M&E and Quality. Ensure monitoring and evaluation systems as well as quality control systems are in place and are well supported, so they can measure project quality implementation, outputs and outcomes, and inform ongoing program implementation and design.


6. Accountability. Establish a system for programme accountability and beneficiary feedback in the 5 locations, in collaboration with the IRC MEAL team.


7. Analysis. Collect, analyze and disseminate project data and information through regular assessments with women and girls for problem analysis, planning and advocacy with other stakeholders; based on this information, ensure adequate adjustments and changes to programme’s design and implementation in coordination with the Programme Coordinator.

Staff management

• Recruit staff in conjunction with Human Resources Department and carry out performance evaluation according to IRC’s schedule and guidelines.


• Supervise WE staff and volunteers directly, as well as interns and consultants as needed.


• Recommend and implement a capacity building plan for WE staff based on documented capacity needs assessment exercise.


• Ensure WE staff understand and follow IRC Way and donor Policies and Procedures.

Grant Management and Reporting

• Build staff capacity in writing activity and monthly reports to ensure accurate monitoring and documentation of activities.


• Participate in all grant opening, mid-term and closing meetings.


• Prepare high quality internal and external reports within agreed deadlines.


• Manage the project budget; oversee all budget expenditures and ensure they are allowable and allocable according to IRC and donor regulations.


• In coordination with the Program Coordinator, contribute in the development of proposals and concept notes for expanding IRC’s Women Empowerment programming in Pakistan

Representation and Coordination

• Represent the program at and coordinate activities with the GBV Sub-Cluster in Peshawar and any other relevant fora as required; participate in advocacy initiatives as part of the cluster.


• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders, including community leaders, NGOs, UN agencies, community based organizations and other IRC sectors to enhance multi-agency and multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination.


• Represent the program with donors and other key stakeholders in collaboration with the DDP and Coordinator.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Willingness to spend at least 30% of the time in the field to support the field teams. Willingness to travel Islamabad also overnight on a regular basis for meetings and workshops.


• Thorough understanding of best practices and evidence-based strategies in GBV response (case management, psychosocial support, legal support) and GBV primary prevention and risk reduction;


• Experience implementing GBV response and prevention programs in collaboration with local partners and providing direct technical support to local organizations


• Strong and demonstrated  commitment to women’s empowerment and equality


• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.


• Demonstrated project management experience: budget tracking, indicator tracking, log frame analysis, etc.


• Demonstrated experience coordinating with government and partner organizations


• Ability to provide strategic program oversight and identify areas for program improvement


• Good interpersonal and team building skills and knowledge of participatory approaches.


• Demonstrated skill in staff management.


• Ability to communicate sensitively and without judgment


• Ability to use good judgment when making decisions and to take accountability for decisions made


• Emotional maturity and stability to resolve conflicts in non-violent way and maintain appropriate boundaries


• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, ethnicity, and age sensitivity and adaptability


• Excellent training, capacity building and team building skills


• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.


• Strong, creative problem-solving skills