Senior Officer, Project

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Italian Red Cross organisational context:

The Italian Red Cross is a non-profit organization that provides humanitarian assistance to people in need in Italy and around the world. It is one of the largest and most active Red Cross societies in the world, with over 1.2 million volunteers.

Italian Red Cross is present in Asia-Pacific with a Regional Delegation in Kuala Lumpur and it supports National Societies in the region both engaging bilaterally and multilaterally through IFRC. The projects supported in the region revolves mainly around the capacity building within the field of Migration and Youth and Volunteers activities.

The IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Office, in close collaboration with the Italian Red Cross, supports National Societies to strengthen their youth programming and climate resilience initiatives. This role sits at the intersection of youth development, climate resilience, and regional coordination.

The postholder will lead and coordinate the implementation of youth-led climate initiatives across the region, building on the Y-Adapt program while contributing to the broader IFRC Youth Engagement Strategy (YES 2.0). The Officer will also provide operational support to the Regional Youth Delegate, particularly on network coordination and youth-driven initiatives such as APYN and sub-regional youth platforms. 

The Senior Project Officer reports to the APRO Youth Delegate with technical line to Strategic lead for Climate and resilience in collaboration with Italian Red Cross Regional Delegate for AP with good coordination with the respected delegations under Y-adapt project supported by Italian RC.

Coordinate the Strengthening Urban Youth Climate and Resilience Programming in South Asia project and support National Societies in implementing youth and volunteering initiatives in coordination with IFRC CCD Delhi and APRO.

Support the Y-Adapt and youth climate action initiatives in Asia Pacific and provide support for Italian Red Cross-funded projects in South Asia, including reporting and technical follow-up.

Contribute to knowledge sharing, capacity strengthening, and development of future projects aligned with partner priorities, including the Italian Red Cross.

Project Management and Coordination (the Strengthening Urban Youth Climate and Resilience Programming in South Asia Project)

• Project coordination, accompanying and assisting three National Societies according to the sub-regional and in-country work plans to achieve objectives and deliverables; including scheduling regular coordination meetings and informal communications with project National Societies, IFRC APRO, and Delhi CCD team, donors and relevant stakeholders.
• Provide administrative and PMER support (planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting) for the project, budget management, learning/knowledge management in line with the IFRC and back donor agreements and conditions.
• Ensure support to NSs and potential sub-national actors to develop a model for proper follow up on activity plans of trained youth with their communities and peers.
• Design exit strategy in coordination with project countries and focal points to ensure sustained continuation of youth volunteerism, lessons learned and impact beyond the scope of the project.
• Develop a system to properly capture impact, learnings, activities and number of youth involved and ensure that this is properly reflected as a contribution to the South Asia region.
• Support capturing of evidence of project’s urban youth climate community resilience initiatives for the development of knowledge products for internal and external dissemination.
• Ensure regular knowledge sharing on good practices in urban youth climate community resilience both internally and externally (e.g. Urban Hub and APYN websites) and effective information management.
• Engage and share project achievements via the regional and global networks via learning events.
• Provide quarterly updates on the implementation of the project
• Support the coordination and implementation of Y-Adapt and other youth climate action initiatives in countries beyond the three targeted National Societies, as part of broader regional efforts.

Support to Regional Youth Engagement Delegate

• Provide ad-hoc support in planning, coordinating, and supporting youth engagement activities and events, including implementation of YES 2.0 at regional and national levels, and support to APYN and sub-regional youth platforms.
• Provide ad-hoc support to National Society-led youth climate action and leadership development by promoting peer learning and facilitating youth-driven innovation in climate resilience and urban risk reduction.

Support to Italian Red Cross delegation

• Provide support related to Italian RC-supported projects in Asia-Pacific, with a focus on administrative arrangements and specifically following up the narrative and financial reporting of the activities.
• Coordinating with relevant National Societies and IFRC Delegations in Asia-Pacific to gather necessary information regarding the implementation of the projects.
• Coordination with Italian Red Cross National Headquarters to ensure regular reporting on current projects and delegation activities.
• Establish and manage a system for efficient monitoring of ongoing projects.
• Ensure coordination with Italian RC Delegate in Kuala Lumpur for an effective integration with the existent projects in Asia-Pacific.

Contribute to an effective, high quality IFRC team:

• Be accountable to the line manager by providing progress reports on results against objectives and risk analysis.
• Be flexible, in your work definition according to needs and targets and improve team efficiencies and effectiveness within available resources.
• Foster a customer service-oriented culture that values proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, high performance and cost effectiveness.
• Foster a co-creative environment with colleagues in the IFRC offices and the National Societies and open and co-operative view to the actors in the relevant external environment.

Required

• University degree in any stream (preferably in climate and environment sustainable studies)

Required

• 5 – 7 years’ experience in project/programme management
• Working experience in the humanitarian, development or youth/volunteer sector

Preferred

• Experience in climate change, disaster risk management including urban community resilience

Required

• Good coordination, time management, research, writing and reporting skills
• Demonstrated experience with youth leadership
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations
• Capability to transform vision into reality / execution / getting things done
• Fluently spoken and written English

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.
Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.
Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others.