Iraq – Project Manager – Food Security and Livelihood

COOPI is looking for a Project Manager AICS – FSL in Iraq

COOPI is active in Iraq since end of 2016, it is officially registered in Kurdish Region of Iraq since March 2017 and in Federal Iraq since September 2018. Since then, COOPI has implemented a series projects in the sector of Education in Emergency in Al Qayyarah (Mosul district) with funding from AICS (Italian Government) and private donors. In 2019, COOPI started intervening with WASH programming and Emergency Cash interventions in Salah ad Dihn governorate. In 2022 COOPI will bring education, child protection, and livelihoods programming in the area, to provide a holistic response to the needs of the most vulnerable returnees and IDPs, especially those living in informal settlements.

This project represents the continuation of COOPI’s programme in country in the Livelihood sector, which is planned to be creating link between humanitarian programming and durable solutions for the returnee population by promoting socio-economic re-integration of vulnerable returnees and IDPs in the communities of origin.

Description of the project

The project has a duration of 12 months and is located in Shirqat district (Salah ad Dihn Governorate). The objective of the project is to promote the resilience of returning populations through socio-economic re-integration in the areas of origin. Specifically, the project aims at contributing to the creation of sustainable livelihoods for the families of returnees inhabiting the informal settlements of Al-Shirqat, in collaboration with the host community. The project is managed in a consortium led by AVSI NGO and implementing partners are COOPI and CESVI. In particular, COOPI will implement the following activities: cash for work; buffer grants; referral to specialized actors; capacity building to public employees on cash assistance and referral; technical training on agricultural techniques for farmers and provision of in-kind contribution for farmers. COOPI will target a total of 140 households (840 individuals) and 10 public employees.

Description of the role

The Food Security and resilience manager is assigned with the responsibility to guarantee the effective implementation of the Food Security and Livelihood project activities: supporting agricultural businesses, providing the beneficiaries with technical support through field visits and through the local staff and taking care of the development of the materials needed for the implementation of the activities. S/he is responsible for the Food Security and Livelihoods activities’ execution, in technical, economic/financial terms, in terms of resources management on field, and in terms of internal and external reporting in compliance with COOPI and the donor’s procedures. S/he ensures the expected results attainment in budget management and the delivery of the Food Security activities on-time, on-quality, on-budget.

Main responsibilities

Activity planning and management

• In cooperation with the project staff and with the Head of Mission, cooperate in full harmony and efficiency with the partners of the consortium to guarantee the Food Security’s activities implementation;
• Plan and monitor the activities’ progress, in compliance with the contract signed with the donor and with COOPI and the donor’s procedures;
• Prepare monthly reports to the Head of Mission and regularly organizes project review meetings to identify issues and discuss solutions with relevant heads of department;
• Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure adequate project monitoring, including through the implementation of the AAP mechanism, and the prompt integration of any findings and recommendations into the project implementation;
• Contribute at analyzing possible opportunities of project designing/funding in collaboration with the Head of Mission;
• Elaborate, write and prepare all necessary documents to present new projects, in accordance with the organization’s processes and procedures, with particular reference to AICS;
• Cooperate with the Communication and Fund-Raising office for all communication, awareness and fund raising activities implemented in and for the country, also supporting the donor’s visibility.

Staff Management

• Regularly meet the local partner to organize joint programmatic activities;
• Consistently monitor partners’ activities to ensure the upholding of the highest quality standards;
• Review partners technical and financial reports, in collaboration with the project administrator;
• Plan and organize capacity building activities for the local partner.

Administrative and financial management

• Plan all expenditures in collaboration with the Project Administrator/ Administrative Coordinator;
• Regularly monitor all incurred expenditures on the activities budget;
• Supervise accounting and the project cash safe/bank account management and, where there was no dedicated staff, directly manage the accounting and the project cash safe/bank accounts, using the instruments made available by the organization.

Logistics

• Prepare the Purchases Plan in cooperation with the Project Administrator and in coordination with the HQ Administrative Coordinator;
• Ensure the organization and donor’s procedures respect when purchasing goods and services;
• Is responsible of the correct management of all goods purchased for the project, both directly and purchased by other offices/field offices. For all goods purchased by the project update the inventory, in cooperation with the Administrative Coordinator;
• Contribute to strengthen the security assessment and ad hoc procedures, specifically applying the general country procedures to the specific context of the project.

Human Resources

• Select the local staff to be employed in projects, and manage any other project’s expatriate staff in coordination with the Head of Mission and in compliance with the country’s rules/laws and with the COOPI’s regulation in the country;
• Coordinate and supervise the work done by all the project staff, in compliance with the organization’s security procedures;
• By making use of the organization’s tools, evaluate the local staff employed for projects and participate to the evaluation of his/her own project, upon request by the direct supervisor;
• Is responsible for the initial and continuous training of the local staff under responsibility.

Reporting

• Ensure the preparation, in compliance with the deadlines, of all financial and narrative reports – interim and final – expected by the project in coordination with the Head of Mission and with the Administrative Coordinator;
• Is responsible for the preparation of all formal communication and contract modifications requests (ex. budget modification) of the project to the donor.

Institutional relations

• Communicate with the donors’ officers, the local authorities which are competent in the aspects related to the project, the project’s partners and beneficiaries, in compliance with the organization’s guidelines;
• Will be a focal point, in coordination with the Head of Mission;
• Represent COOPI in all relevant clusters and working groups, contributing to raise the organization’s profile and keeping the organization abreast on the latest technical guidance and recommendations;
• Will report on COOPI activities on Activity info and participate in the NHO/HRP process as necessary.

Requirements

Education / Experience

• Advanced degree in Business/Economics, International Development, Agriculture or a related field or equivalent work;
• Minimum 3 years experience in the humanitarian field and in a similar position, with a track record of success and results achieved, including at least 2 year implementing livelihoods programming;
• Experience of working in project management on one or more among the main donors, with priority to AICS;
• Experience of working within an insecure environment with responsibility for security planning, monitoring and management;
• Professional experience in the region is an asset.

Hard skills

• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Computer literacy, with high proficiency in the use of standard office software applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
• Ability in project management in a comprehensive way (logistics, programme, reporting, staff management); and to use properly the standard project management tools;
• Ability to conduct sectorial analysis and to understand and transform into possible proposal the policies and strategies of the donors;
• Ability to organize and supervise a complex team;
• Ability to organize work efficiently and deliver assignments in a timely manner often under time constraints.

Soft skills

• Strong analytical and practical problem-solving skills;
• Institutional relations management and cultural context understanding;
• Strong supervisory abilities, and demonstrated capacity of teamwork and of coordination with the relevant actors;
• Very good inter-personal and writing communication skills.

Plus

• Knowledge of Italian;
• Knowledge of Arabic;
• Previous experience with an international humanitarian NGO in a similar context.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the application closing date, once a sufficient number of applications have been received. Please note that only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled, thanks for understanding.

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale is a humanitarian, non-confessional and independent organization founded in 1965 in Milan, Italy. For more than 50 years we have been dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and to supporting populations affected by wars, socio-economic crises or natural disasters in their path to recovery and sustainable development, by making use of the professionalism of local and international operators, and through our partnerships with public and private bodies and civil society organizations.