Food Security & Livelihoods Working Group Coordinator

About the role: This is an 18 month, Working Group role with unaccompanied terms with a salary of Band 4: €44,133 – €49,038.

We would like the position filled in April 2023.

Your purpose: Under the guidance of the Whole of Syria Food Security Sector (WoS FSS) Coordinator, the

Food Security and Livelihoods Working Group (FSL WG) Coordinator for NES NGOs will provide necessary support services at the sub‐national level in North East Syria. The position is based in Northeast Syria in Syria, with travel within and outside of the country as required.

The main role of the FSL WG Coordinator falls within the six core Cluster Functions:

(1) Effective Service Delivery;

(2) Inform strategic decision making;

(3) Plan and develop strategy;

(4) Monitor and evaluate performance;

(5) Develop contingency plan/preparedness;

(6) Advocacy.

You will be responsible for:

The main responsibility of the FSL Coordinator will be to support and strengthen field coordination for the food security and livelihood sector operational optimization, including:

To support regular FSL sector coordination functions, by:

• Organising regular meetings with NES NGO partners, setting agenda and meeting minutes under WoS coordinator’s guidance
• Following up with partners on the action points and seeking WoS CC’s attention where interventions are needed with partners
• Supporting WoS Information Management Officer in maintaining sector data sets for identifying main gaps and eliminating overlaps through information sharing and reporting into 4Ws to effectively feed in the FSL sector reporting systems and tools
• Convening any other relevant ad hoc meeting among food security and livelihood sector partners as required and based on contextual needs
• Supporting the WoS Coordinator for emergency preparedness plan, response implementation and tracking across food security sector partners, most particularly around ar‐Raqqa, but also in any other rising emergency contexts
• Drafting reports and briefing notes on the situation and development of the context and needs for the WoS FSS sector and overall Inter‐sector tasks
• Supporting partners to ensure service delivery is driven by the agreed FSL Sector strategic priorities.
• Exploring and identifying appropriate new partners to engage in FS and livelihood response and facilitate the active engagement of these agencies in the working group.

To support overall FSS Sector technical functions and expand cross‐cutting work and inter‐ sectoral collaboration, by:

• Supporting partners in initiating, analysing and reporting on needs assessment information for the Food Security and livelihood Sector, when there are sudden displacements including through multi‐sector needs assessments. This includes liaising with WoS Assessment and Monitoring Officer and WoS Information Management Officers.
• Maintaining a register and calendar of food, livelihood assessments planned by partners in NES.
• Liaising and coordinating with the other WG/Sectors and Coordination Fora (NES INGO Forum/OCHA NES Focal Point/Qamishli Sub Office) on local and technical level to ensure and facilitate contextual analysis, needs assessments and access to beneficiaries and sites/structures,
• Under the guidance of WoS, liaising with relevant technical leads of the sector, discussing, developing, analysing and sharing relevant technical standards (including both minimum and maximum standards), and guidelines.
• Ensuring consideration and inclusion of cross‐cutting issues (Protection, Age, Gender, Disaster Risk Reduction and Environment) in the sector’s response
• Supporting WoS coordinator in promoting common approaches or at least rationalization of approaches through, inter alia harmonisation of targeting criteria and assistance packages
• Organizing and/or participating in inter‐sector meetings, regular and ad hoc, to ensure the best integrated understanding of needs, contexts’ changes, populations movements and response planning

To facilitate learning and capacity development and support resource tracking by:

• Promoting and encouraging knowledge sharing such as exchange of best practices and lessons learnt
• Identifying and facilitating workshops and training activities for WG members and their local partners
• Identifying resources needs and track funding to support WoS resource and funds tracking
• Identifying problems and bottlenecks in the Food Security and livelihood sector and collectively solving them

To identify advocacy concerns in Northeast Syria related to Food Security and livelihood Sector programming and communicate these concerns to WoS coordinators to feed into ISG/SSG agenda, messaging and action.

Support to FSC in terms of Maintaining Needs

• For acute and at‐risk PIN numbers as per the areas of control maintain needs data
• Lead and facilitate HNO/HRP process at Hub level and support in finalization at WoS
• Coordinate the Outcome SO1 + SO2 Monitoring initiative
• Coordinate the Agriculture price monitoring initiative
• Review and disseminate Wheat To Bread Assessments

Any other task related to the Food Security and livelihood Sector as agreed with Concern Management and/or WoS FSL Coordinator

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

This position demands a highly organised and dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding environment.

• MA/MS degree in a relevant subject; food security, livelihood, agriculture, economics or related field preferred.
• 3‐5 years of experience in humanitarian response including in the food security and/or nutrition sector.
• Ability to work and plan at strategic as well as operational levels.
• Understanding of the international humanitarian response architecture, including coordination mechanisms, humanitarian reform and action, and funding mechanisms (e.g. Consolidated Appeals Process, Central Emergency Response Fund and Flash Appeals).
• Experience of high‐level coordination and chairing of meetings.
• Previous experience and formal training in Sector/Cluster Coordination preferred.
• Ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working.
• Ability to work productively in a pressurized environment and to maintain visibly high levels of morale in difficult circumstances.
• Good knowledge of Syria and/or the Syria Crisis preferred.
• Fluently spoken and written English is required. Good command of Arabic is a plus.

We would also like:

• Previous work experience in response to the Syrian crisis.
• Proven ability to work in insecure environments and live in confined areas
• Experience in remote management
• Dynamic and willing to take initiatives to complete assigned task, and work independently.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to manage change effectively.
• Delegation, time management and prioritizing skills and coping with broad range of demands
• High level of critical thinking and proven high quality analytical skills and problem solving abilities.

We also value the following special skills and aptitudes:

• Respectful of security procedures and rules.
• Empathy with Concern’s Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives.
• Knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere and Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).
• Respectful of local laws and customs
• Conducts itself in a professional manner
• Zero-tolerance to sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, human trafficking, child abuse and exploitation. Any violations of these principles and polices will be treated as a serious misconduct