Emergency Assistant

Job Title: Emergency Assistant
Band / Level / Grade: 9A
Department: Emergency
Location: Aden

BACKGROUND: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC responds to people’s acute and longer-term needs with integrated programs that improve health and safety, prioritize children’s education, foster economic wellbeing, and empower communities to regain control over their lives. Our work gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, conflict sensitivity, coordination, and impact.

The IRC Yemen began its programs in October 2012. Since establishing its presence in the South of Yemen, in the Red Sea Coastal city of Aden, the organization has grown from just an implementing small project to handling large scale emergency and relief operations. Following the war which broke out in Yemen in March of 2015 and the humanitarian disaster, which was crafted by the same, IRC launched an emergency response program in the southern governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwah and Al Dhale, and expanded later in Sana’a and Hodeidah in the North.  Currently IRC Yemen is operating in eight governorates in the south and north of Yemen through direct programming and through local partnerships, in Health, WASH, Nutrition, Economic Recovery Development, Education, Child Protection, Gender and Women Protection and Empowerment.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) have been working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for more than forty years. Today, the IRC has more than 2,200 staff working across the region, including in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen to support those affected by some of the world’s most complex and protracted humanitarian crises.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Emergency Assistant is a field-level position within the IRC Yemen emergency response team in Aden. The Emergency Assistant supports the implementation of emergency responses that address the immediate needs of food-insecure, malnourished and other crisis-affected households through cash and voucher assistance (CVA), including food assistance delivered through cash or vouchers, and the distribution of non-food items (NFIs). The role includes supporting rapid assessments, community sensitization, household registration, distributions, cash and voucher reconciliation, and monitoring, with significant time spent in the field with communities, local leaders and participants in Aden and other target locations as required.

JOB SUMMARY:

Under the supervision of the Senior Emergency CVA Officer, the Emergency Assistant will assist in planning and delivering IRC cash, voucher, food assistance and NFI activities according to the implementation plan and project objectives. The Emergency Assistant will support the coordination of daily workers’ tasks and attendance, help prepare transfers and distributions, engage relief committees and village elders on project objectives and selection criteria, support household registration, complete M&E forms, handle participant records and redeemed vouchers confidentially, support cash and voucher reconciliation, and contribute to accurate and timely data collection, in line with IRC fraud prevention and separation-of-duties requirements.

WORKING RELATIONS:

• Reports to: Senior Emergency CVA Officer.
• Works directly with: the Emergency team, and the Nutrition, Protection and Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) teams.
• Works indirectly with: Finance, Supply Chain, Safety and Security, and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) teams, as well as partner organizations and their field staff where activities are implemented in partnership.
• External contacts: relief committees, village elders, local authorities, community members and participants, vendors, and financial service providers. 

In addition, he/she will be direct supervisor for any daily workers participate in the implementation of projects.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Emergency response: Assist in planning and implementing IRC CVA, NFI and related emergency response activities in line with the project objectives, intermediate results and the detailed implementation plan.
• CVA and NFI preparation: Assist in preparing all requirements for cash, voucher and NFI distributions, including participant lists, distribution sites, logistics, schedules and coordination.
• Community engagement: Conduct sensitization sessions with relief committees (RCs), targeted communities and village elders to brief them on project objectives and selection criteria.
• Targeting and registration: Support the selection and registration of households based on agreed criteria; verification of eligibility is carried out by, or in coordination with, the M&E team.
• Distribution: Support fair, transparent, orderly and safe distributions of cash, vouchers and NFIs to registered households.
• Reconciliation: Support the reconciliation of cash transfers, redeemed vouchers and NFI distributions, and share required documentation with the Finance and Supply Chain teams.
• Records and confidentiality: Handle participant records and redeemed voucher, cash or NFI receipts confidentially and professionally, in line with IRC data protection requirements.
• Monitoring and reporting: Support on-site coordination of project activities, monitor implementation, contribute to accurate and timely data collection, support post-distribution monitoring (PDM) led by the M&E team, and report risks or delays promptly.
• Daily workers: Support the coordination of daily workers’ tasks and attendance under the guidance of the supervisor.
• Fraud prevention: Adhere to IRC conflict of interest and fraud prevention requirements, including separation of duties in targeting, distribution and reconciliation, and report any suspected fraud or misconduct through the appropriate channels.
• Protection and accountability: Refer feedback, complaints and protection concerns through the appropriate channels and carry out activities with respect for communities and participants, in line with IRC principles, values, strategic plan and procedures.
• Emergency readiness: Be willing and able to adapt work practices and hours and to work with incoming emergency teams in the event of a crisis or emergency.
• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion within the Emergency team.
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue, and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies. 
• Educate/raise awareness among the community and clients about the existing feedback mechanisms and response processes
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor that are relevant to the role.

REQUIREMENTS: (Qualifications, Skills and Abilities):

A.    Education:

• Diploma or university degree in social work, development studies, humanitarian studies, business administration or a related field.

B.    Experience:

• 4 years of relevant work experience, including field experience in emergency response.
• Previous experience with NGOs/INGOs in CVA programming, NFI distribution or emergency response is preferred.

C.    Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent communication and engagement skills, including the ability to facilitate community sessions and engage relief committees and village elders.
• Ability to perform successfully in fast-paced environments and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong teamwork and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work with diverse colleagues and communities.
• Ability to travel between field locations and to adapt to working hours during emergencies.
• Attention to detail, accurate record keeping and a commitment to confidentiality and accountability to affected people.

D.    Proficiencies:

• Good written and spoken Arabic and English.
• Good digital literacy, including MS Office and mobile data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox).
• Working knowledge of CVA processes.
• Familiarity with M&E tools, forms and data collection practices.
• Understanding of humanitarian principles, safeguarding and PSEA.
• Knowledge of the local context and communities in Aden is an asset.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Commitment to Client Responsiveness: By committing to Client-Centered Programming, at the IRC Yemen, we place the people we serve - our clients - at the center of our programming and services. The IRC Yemen Staff have an important role to play in supporting the implementation of client-responsive programming through raising awareness among the community and clients about the existing feedback mechanisms and how to use them including the response processes, access, and eligibility to services, and contribute to building an institutional culture that prompts staff to listen to clients.