EECD Senior Program Officer

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict, and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity, and hope to millions uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC reaches over a million children annually with education and child protection programs in 25 countries worldwide. In response to the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon in mid-2012, IRC opened a country office and launched humanitarian assistance programming. IRC operates throughout Lebanon, with the main office in Beirut and field offices in Deir Dalloum and Zahle. IRC’s programs assist Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese in host communities across multiple sectors: education and early childhood development, livelihoods, and protection in close coordination with the Lebanese Government and broader humanitarian and development community.

Reporting to the EECD Coordinator, the EECD Senior Program Officer will be responsible for all EECD project management support and financial management for the EECD Portfolio. The role will provide day-to-day support for all ongoing projects under the EECD program, working closely with the EECD Coordinator.

Major Responsibilities:

The EECD Senior Program Officer will have three key objectives:

1. Program Coordination Support:

• Support the development, maintenance of and follow up on workplans, advocacy plans, procurement plans, and implementation targets and timelines across the EECD portfolio.
• Track implementation progress and flag risks or delays to the Coordinator and relevant technical leads.
• Update the IRC service mapping shared with the sector, in coordination with Field Managers.
• Document and share projects’ learnings with teams to facilitate cross-country data-driven learnings.
• Contribute to regular context update in fact sheets, presentations, or proposals, and others.
• Work closely with regional and Lebanon advocacy team, EECD Coordinator, and EECD team to develop learning products such as evidence briefs, policy briefs and others.
• Ensure that donor feedback, compliance requirements, and quality standards are integrated into daily operations.
• Support in following up with partners ensuring clear and regular communication.
• Support in compiling and drafting success stories, and progress reports in coordination with Field Managers and partners.
• Support in coordinating with regional teams when needed, and cross-functional teams (grants, MEAL, partnership, Policy, Advocacy and Communications/PAC) to ensure timely activity execution and compliance with donor and internal procedures.
• Participate in and contribute to grant cycle meetings (opening, review, closing), review and reflection meetings, regional meetings, and procurement/bid committees as required.
• Support in the development of tailored capacity building plans for the partners and ensure continuous monitoring of their activities.
• Support in representation in core group and task teams when needed.
• Maintain proper data collection, management information system, and documentations.

2. Program Financial Management:

• Monitor and analyze project budgets and develop spending plans across the EECD portfolio in collaboration with the EECD Coordinator, Finance and Grants teams.
•  Prepare and maintain salary mapping, monthly salary allocations, and develop Operating Budget inputs, as per needs.
• Monitor monthly BvAs (Budget vs Actual) and flag any concerns to the Coordinator.
• Participate in BvA meetings, track burn rates, and help forecast future spending needs.
• Coordinate and develop budget amendments, realignments, and financial reports to donors.
• Ensure all expenditures are aligned with donor eligibility rules and organizational financial procedures in coordination with finance and grants.
• Develop new budgets for new project opportunities, in coordination with the EECD Coordinator.
• Monitor all shared lines in the project budget including but not limited to rent, shared salaries, vehicles, software IT4P, Office Maintenance, utilities, training, mobile, and Telephone, in coordination with Admin and Logistics teams.
• Handle monthly sectorial cash projections.

3. Program Operations:

•  Develop project procurement plans and work on IRC ERP system to ensure timely procurements.
•  Liaise with Finance and Supply Chain staff in the respective field offices to ensure that the finance and procurement needs of the EECD program are met in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with EECD teams to prepare the movement plan of staff and submit it to operations colleagues for weekly movement planning.
• Process program advance, procurement, payment requests and re-codings shared, and follow up technical and financial review, and final approval.
• Liaise with Logistics and IT departments when allocating assets to the staff.
• Support preparation of travel authorization and request documents for staff across all field offices.
• Support the recruitment and HR processes by compiling the required HR documents (JDs, etc.) and following up with HR for advertisement and contracting. Liaise with HR to track and follow up on the status of staff contracts, and support in raising LRRs and CoS as required.
• Ensure proper execution of all administrative activities associated with projects’ implementation, including preparing Terms of Reference, completing contracting processes, consultants and experts ToRs, and managing financial arrangements/transactions. Prepare and track volunteers’ contracts.
• Support in the execution of workshops, trainings, and events tasks which may include booking of venues, preparation of materials for training, liaising with translators, facilitating the travel of staff within programs, drafting agendas, minute taking, attendance sheets, and other relevant documentation.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: EECD Coordinator.
• Internal and/or external contacts: EECD Field teams, IRC Finance, Supply Chain, Fleet, Logistics, Regional Lego team, Partnerships, Policy, Advocacy and Communications team, and Administrative staff; partners’ organizations, community stakeholders, sector working groups.