JOB DESCRIPTION

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world”s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world”s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you”re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

BACKGROUND/IRC SUMMARY:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an apolitical, non-profit, and non-religious humanitarian organization that provides assistance to refugees worldwide. IRC implements programs to promote durable solutions for displaced persons, refugees, and host communities through public health, sanitation, shelter, rehabilitation, and education projects. IRC has been serving refugees since 1933 and is present in 40 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia, as well as through a resettlement support program in the United States. IRC is an organization committed to freedom, human dignity, and self-reliance. This commitment translates into well-planned resettlement assistance, emergency global relief, rehabilitation, and advocacy for refugees.

The IRC started operations in Cameroon in 2016 to respond to the increasing concerns for people affected by violence linked to Boko Haram in the Far North of the country. Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably in Diamaré, Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga, and Logone & Chari, through two field offices in Kousseri and Maroua. This includes delivering lifesaving programming to increase access to water and improving hygiene practices in vulnerable, displaced, and host communities, as well as cash programming to enable economically disadvantaged families to meet their basic needs and improve food security. This includes both education and child protection services to address the learning and safety needs and priorities of children. IRC also delivers protection programming to address gender-based violence for women and girls and support to victims of human rights violations.

Following the increasing crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, the IRC expanded its operations into the South-West region in August 2018 and into the North-West in 2019. The IRC is delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations, with field bases in Buea and Bamenda.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Field Coordinator (FC) will support the Senior Field Management Coordinator in overseeing IRC operations in the Far North region, ensuring that the field office functions smoothly and that staff receive the necessary operational support to deliver high-quality programs. The FC will focus on maintaining effective administrative, logistics, supply chain, finance, human resources, and facility management systems at the field level, while deputizing for the Senior Field Management Coordinator when required to ensure continuity of leadership and decision-making. Although the FC will not have direct line management responsibilities, s/he will oversee daily office staff activities, identify and address operational challenges, and provide timely guidance and solutions to enable effective performance.

In addition, the FC will play a critical role in humanitarian access, safety, and security (HASS) management, ensuring adherence to IRC protocols, monitoring the context, and coordinating incident reporting and contingency planning in close collaboration with the HASS team. The FC will represent IRC in field-level coordination forums with local authorities, community representatives, UN agencies, and partner organizations, strengthening IRC’s presence and facilitating safe and efficient delivery of assistance. The position requires strong leadership, operational management, and problem-solving skills, with a proven ability to work in complex and insecure environments, while upholding IRC’s values of integrity, accountability, and duty of care toward staff and beneficiaries.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Field Management and Coordination

• Ensure day-to-day functioning of IRC’s Far-North field office and operations.
• Act as deputy to the Senior Field Management Coordinator in their absence, ensuring continuity of operations.
• Oversee field-level support activities (HR, Admin, Finance, Supply Chain, Facilities) to ensure they are carried out effectively and in compliance with IRC policies.
• Facilitate smooth coordination between field-based staff and country office functions.
• Convene and chair regular field-level staff meetings, ensuring information flow between the field and country leadership.
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of monthly field management reports.

Humanitarian Access, Safety and Security (HASS)

• Support the implementation and monitoring of IRC’s safety and security protocols in Far-North.
• Act as security focal point in the absence of the Senior Field Management Coordinator or Safety and Security Coordinator.
• Monitor the context and provide timely updates and recommendations.
• Support the development and review of Security Management Plans (SMP) and contingency plans.
• Lead field-level incident management, reporting, and response in coordination with HAS staff.
• Ensure all new staff are briefed on safety and security procedures and receive required orientations/training.

Staff Support and Oversight

• Oversee and guide field office staff in the execution of their daily functions.
• Identify bottlenecks or challenges faced by staff and escalate or coordinate solutions with their functional supervisors (Programs, HR, Finance, Supply Chain, etc.).
• Promote staff wellbeing and duty of care in coordination with HR.
• Support onboarding and orientation of new staff joining the field office.
• Foster a positive team environment, accountability, and a culture of safeguarding.

Representation and Coordination

• Represent IRC in external coordination forums, meetings with local authorities, partners, and community representatives as delegated by the Senior Field Management Coordinator.
• Strengthen relationships with UN, INGOs, NGOs, and relevant government entities in Far-North.
• Lead the preparation and coordination of donor and stakeholder visits to the field.
• Support effective information-sharing and communication between program and operations teams.

Operational Support

• Oversee logistics, supply chain, facility management, and administrative functions at the field level.
• Ensure effective cash management and compliance with IRC finance policies.
• Support budget planning and monitor spending for the field office in collaboration with Finance.
• Conduct regular spot-checks and ensure accountability for IRC assets, inventory, and equipment.
• Contribute to contingency and emergency preparedness planning.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Direct: Senior Field Management Coordinator (supervisor).
• Internal: Deputy Director for Programs, Program Coordinators/Managers, HR, Admin, Finance, Supply Chain, Safety & Security.
• External: Local authorities, UN agencies, INGOs, LNGOs, and community representatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in management, international relations, humanitarian studies, or a related field; or comparable work experience (5–7 years in NGO field operations, including at least 3 years in a coordination/management role).
• Strong experience in operations functions (Supply Chain, Admin, HR, Safety & Security, and/or Finance).
• Experience working in complex and insecure environments.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to coordinate with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and representation skills.
• High sense of urgency, personal integrity, and ability to work under pressure.
• Fluent written and spoken English; with an advanced level of French, knowledge of local languages is an asset.

Standards of Professional Conduct: IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC WAY – Standards of Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Safeguarding: Strictly adhere to IRC”s Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy and all other policies, including those related to security and fraud prevention.

In line with safeguarding, the IRC has policies on protecting beneficiaries/clients from exploitation and abuse, child protection, anti-harassment in the workplace, fiscal integrity, and anti-retaliation.

Equal opportunity employer: The IRC is an equal opportunity employer. IRC considers all job applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Gender Equality: IRC recognizes and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability. IRC is also committed to reducing the gender gap in leadership positions.

We offer benefits that provide an environment conducive to women participating in our workforce, including parental leave, gender-sensitive safety protocols, and other supportive benefits.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

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