Signpost Coordinator – (Ukrainian/English Speakers)

Signpost is a digitally enabled responsive information service that supports and empowers populations in crisis, including asylum seekers, migrants, and people who have experienced violence. Our program equips people with information to understand their options so that they can make informed decisions about how to stay safe, get urgent care for acute problems, exercise their rights, and access services. It was developed by the IRC and Mercy Corps in 2015 to address asylum seekers’ and migrants’ pressing need for reliable information upon arrival to Greece, and is now active in 15 countries on 5 continents.

It meets communities on the digital platforms they already use and aims to deliver information that is contextualized to their specific needs and speaks to their lived realities. This approach draws on evidence that people are more likely to trust and act on information that is responsive to their needs, speaks to their lived realities, and that comes from “peers” rather than authority figures.

Signpost- Ukraine Crisis

IRC is launching its Signpost program in response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis in partnership with Google and existing volunteer-led initiatives. We plan to build a large ambitious program that spans Europe and empowers people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine with the most important information they need to navigate their next steps, and eventually rebuild their lives, with access to individual, person-to-person support along the way.

Position summary

The Signpost Coordinator will shape the form and strategic vision of a large ambitious program. S/he will have overall responsibility for launching and growing the project and in ensuring overall project quality and impact. S/he represents

S/he leads a team comprised of Editorial staff and Digital Community Liaisons and works closely with Technical Advisors, regional colleagues and Signpost global team.

Project Strategy

• S/He will contribute to identify and create opportunities for potential project growth in close collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders.

• S/He will provide leadership to the project staff to ensure the development of timely and high-quality activities implementation.

• S/He will ensure that program implementation is managed closely through the development of workplans, indicator tracking sheets and approved monitoring plans. Ensure that monitoring data is used to improve project performance.

• S/He will ensure timely recommendations for necessary amendments/re-alignments of the project strategy.

• S/He will assess protection risks related to the project on an ongoing basis, amending strategy and implementation as needed.

Project Representation

• S/he will represent the project at conferences, international meetings, and in the media.

Project Oversight

• S/he will oversee the work of Editorial team, ensuring that strong processes are in place to maintain the accuracy of information and the publication calendars reflect larger program strategy and the needs of the population.

• S/he will oversee the work of Digital Community Liaisons, ensuring that messages from users are answered in a timely fashion and in line with best practice, and that referrals follow appropriate protocol.

• S/he will keep abreast of changing context.

• S/he will build a network of contacts who can support information verification, triangulates official information and consults various sources to understand how processes are unfolding.

• S/he will develop and manage relationships with legal partners who review legal content

• S/he will maintain ongoing communication with Signpost Product Manager on technology strategy, website, features, and issues.

• S/he will maintain knowledge of, and ensure staff is trained on editorial team tools including content management systems (Zendesk, Google tools), social media tools (Facebook, Facebook Ad Manager, Page Manager, Whatsapp and others) and project management tools.

Team Management

• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance goals, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented annual performance reviews.

• Continuously assess staffing needs and propose changes or develop new roles as needed.

Fundraising and grant management

• In close collaboration with various internal and external stakeholders s/he will ensure timely recommendation for necessary adjustments and re-alignments of the project strategy.

• Supporting report writing and proposal development by regularly seeking and sharing success stories.

Requirements

• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills; demonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast-paced environment within and across departments/functions/geographic locations, and develop positive relationships with locally and remote based staff

• Prior experience working in humanitarian contexts.

• Prior experience managing partnerships with diverse actors (including but not limited to public-private partnerships, volunteer networks, and civil society)

• An appreciation for the life-saving potential of trustworthy information in crisis and a sensitivity to potential harm of misinformation.

• Prior experience in information as aid, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), or community engagement a plus.

• Computer savvy and open to learning new tools

• English proficiency required. Ukrainian language strongly desired.

Success Factors

The successful Signpost Coordinator will be a strategic thinker who is extremely skilled at stakeholder management. S/he is self-directed and can adapt quickly to changes in program requirements. S/he is able to effectively lead consultative decision-making processes. S/he is sensitive to protection risks and the potential for harm in emergency contexts and consistently applies that lens in decision making.