Advisor, Global NFI & Shelter Technical Unit

Job Description

Background

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

International Medical Corps is an independent affiliate organization of International Medical Corps Croatia, with which International Medical Corps Croatia shares the same name and charitable objectives and mission. International Medical Corps Croatia and International Medical Corps work together to deliver assistance programs in an accountable and effective manner in pursuit of their commonly-held charitable objectives.

Purpose of the Job

Under the direct authority of the Director of the Technical Unit, and the considered advisory input of International Medical Corps’ Inter-departmental Committee on Procurement, Logistics, Finance, Operations, and WASH & Pharmaceuticals, the Shelter & NFI Advisor will be responsible for: the planning, development, management, monitoring, coordination and quality of the overall Shelter & NFI portfolio. S/he will coordinate with other sectors regarding their NFI programming requirements.

The candidate will be expected to update the non – food commodity standards for use within emergency and transitional context and to update/develop and advise on: specifications, resilient supply chain management, pre-positioning strategy, systems for provision of goods, associated data collection, and ensuring appropriate systems are in place to ensure quality assurance/ control standards in non-food item procurement, procedures, warehousing, transport, and distribution. It is expected that these skills will enable International Medical Corps to pre-plan purchases, establish stockpiles, ensure staff are well trained, and ultimately avoid supplying inappropriate goods. The candidate will work closely with the logistics department which is based in Croatia.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Planning
   • Designing, coordinating and assessing Shelter & NFI program priority needs acrossInternational Medical Corps operations.
   • Developing a realistic evidence-based prioritized, multi-year results-based work program for improving planning, design, implementation, tracking and quality of International Medical Corps shelter and NFI programming.The work-program will be expected to identify immediate short, medium and longer term milestone deliverable outcomes.
2. Internal Coordination & Development of Standards & Specifications
   • Reviewing global standards and best practices, adapting and developing International Medical Corps-specific shelter and multisector NFI standards;
   • Updating International Medical Corps specific shelter & NFI specifications that meet the pre-identified standards, in a geographically adaptive, culturally appropriate, gender & environmentally sensitive way, with country specific guidance.As standards vary from international to national settings, the specifications set forth shall include a list of characteristics that a product should present to ensure that the quality requirements for the product are met both internationally and nationally.The characteristics must be supported by control methods, either an international (or national) control standard.Standards will need to be updated keeping in mind the national contexts for which they are planned and conform to the national specifications both in the source country and import compliant for the country of destination;
   • The development of NFI standards is expected to adhere to the SPHERE standards, with clear parallels to reputable pre-existing standardization protocols developed by other agencies (such as IFRC, SPHERE, IOM) and contextualized for the environments where International Medical Corps is implementing programs with non-food commodity inputs.This initial specification group will include but not be limited to items such as plastic tarpaulins, jerry cans, sleeping mats, blankets, soap, mosquito nets, cooking sets, shoes, and clothing;
   • Understanding International Medical Corps’ institutional structure and business model, mapping and recommending strategic business processes for approval, control and safeguards to maintain and assure sound planning, design, management, implementation and quality of shelter and NFI programming;
   • The development of systems to ensure quality assurance and control standards in non-food item procurement, including standardized procedures for warehousing, transport, distribution and accountability.Particular emphasis is placed here on developing and maintaining systems to ensure QA/QC of all good received per the above specifications and associated warehousing and inventory systems to ensure cumulative updated data is available perpetually at a global level of all NFI stocks and shelter materials;
   • Facilitate the activation, development and maintenance of a Shelter & NFI internal community of practice including but not limited to International Medical Corps country office, shelter & NFI cluster attendees/representatives.
   • Work with sectors and Logistics to develop databases of global and country specific suppliers that meet International Medical Corps NFI Standards & Specifications.
3. Donor Requirements
   • Mapping, documenting, developing & disseminating updated internal guidelines and checklists on individual Donor conditions/restrictions for shelter & NFI procurement and specifications.
4. Capacity Building & Training
   • Developing customized International Medical Corps training curriculum on Shelter & NFI standards & specifications and International Medical Corps business model for approval of specification and procurement of shelter & NFI items.
   • Coordinating efficient rollout of comprehensive training across International Medical Corps country office operations to increase/build understanding and decentralized competencies.This rollout is expected to cover but not be limited to: 1.) standardized specifications applicable to their individual contexts; 2.) procuring non-food and shelter items of a minimum quality; 3.) ensuring quality assurance and control of all commodities, 4.) establishing and maintaining a robust supply chain including associated warehousing and transportation considerations,5.) establishing and maintaining appropriate and accountable (both to recipients and donors) mechanisms for provision of NFI and shelter commodities including associated data collection and verification procedures.
   • Developing tools (as appropriate & relevant) for strengthening and optimizing planning, assessment, monitoring and beneficiary participation in International Medical Corps shelter & NFI programming.
   • Identifying external training external training opportunities for key International Medical Corps staff.
   • Provide technical oversight to the field teams, local implementing partners, and mentor senior staff in the design of all NFI and shelter activities.
   • Assist HR in developing job descriptions and identifying competencies required for recruitment of NFI and shelter experts in the field.
5. Monitoring
   • Developing a live database/tracking system for International Medical Corps programming with significant shelter & NFI content.
   • Developing procedures for baseline and end-line surveys for shelter & NFI programming
   • Developing procedures for internal auditing of shelter & NFI programming
   • Developing lessons learned from newly emergent and ongoing International Medical Corps shelter & NFI programming implementation experiences e.g. winterization.
6. Program management & internal coordination
   • Routinely meet/interact with advisory committee: on work-program progress; to feedback and discuss emergent shelter-NFI program issues/trends; and to review and finalize work-program deliverables.
7. External Coordination & Advocacy
   • Represent International Medical Corps and participate in global/regional shelter and NFI cluster to understand trends and to identify relevant and commensurately appropriate strategies for strengthening the design, implementation, quality and monitoring of our related programming.
   • Coordinate with other INGOs on issues of common advocacy related to shelter & NFI cluster issues.
8. Reporting

• Accounting and ultimately reporting to the Director, TU on work-program progress &delivery. Dotted reporting line to International Medical Corps Croatia Managing Director.

Note: The duties and responsibilities listed above are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all inclusive. This job description is subject to review to ensure that it truly reflects the strategic direction requirements of International Medical Corps Croatia.

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Social Sciences, or related field extensive international relief and development program management experience, in emergency program management.
• Significant experience in relief setting with NFI/ Shelter management or managerial experience; from starting up programs and working in emergency and transitional programming.
• Experience in complex and complicated settings with time sensitive deliverables in unstable environments
• Knowledge of humanitarian standards and codes, including SPHERE.
• Previous experience with shelter and NFI design, programming & distribution is an asset.
• Knowledge of participatory approaches and community sensitization and mobilization.
• Strong organizational & supervisory skills.
• Ability to work within a team structure or independently
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work within different cultural & stressful environments
• Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.
• Experience with the development, implementation & compliance of USAID (OFDA)/DFID/ECHO/EUTF funded programs.
• Basic knowledge of Finance, Budgeting, logistics and procurement;
• Familiarity and functional competence in Microsoft Office and other applications.
• Ability to effectively represent International Medical Corps and its interests to key stakeholders including host governments, and national and international NGOs.
• Excellent oral communication and written English skills required
• Ability to travel on short notice to project sites
• Ability to travel abroad up to 30% of time annually

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation. The tasks listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Code of Conduct

It is our shared responsibility and obligation to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, Trafficking in Persons, Child Safeguarding and any suggested violation to our Code of Conduct, which may involve Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption or Harassment. If you see, hear or are made aware of any suggested activities then you have an obligation to report.

About the Organization

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.