Strategic Lead, Climate and Resilience

Job Purpose

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Head of Health, Disasters, Climate & Crises (HoHDCC) Unit – MENA region and the technical management of Climate and Resilience team in Geneva, the Regional Climate and Resilience strategic lead is responsible for achieving the results identified for climate action and resilience (including DRR) together with the MENA National societies and movement partners. The post-holder will coordinate & ensure the implementation across all IFRC secretariate programmes and operations in the MENA region.

S/he will ensure the adaptation of the relevant climate change and resilience frameworks, strategies, guidance and tools of IFRC to the context and needs in the MENA region with a particular focus on but not limited to consequences of climate change and urban risks as well the hazards in Fragility, Conflict, and Violence settings. S/he will also work closely and support coordination with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and other relevant reference centres (e.g. GDPC).

S/he supports the IFRC network to ensure high quality, coherent and well-coordinated risk informed assessments, programme design and implementation, capacity development and knowledge sharing including peer-to-peer support within the climate and resilience portfolio.

S/he will oversee the design and execution of all related deliverables and coordinate delivery in this important area of work in relation to policy dialogue and capacity building activities, as well as ensuring collaboration with external stakeholders on related areas of work, while positioning IFRC and the NSs in the region as key actors.

The post holder will be also serving as an outreach technical surge capacity (up to 4 weeks per mission) to be deployed on short technical missions to country/cluster delegations to deliver specific Climate and Resilience ToRs.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Technical support:

• Lead the development and application of methodologies and approaches to support matters related to climate action, urbanization and community resilience (including DRR and community preparedness) programming across the MENA region and ensure coherence and clearly articulated integration between relevant policies, strategies, frameworks and tools.
• Responsible and accountable for the overall day-to day management, administration and coordination of MENA regional office Climate and Resilience programmatic functional area activities.
• Oversee the integration of climate actions and considerations across all programmes, operations and advocacy, and support capacity building of respective human resources in MENA region, in collaboration with relevant technical and thematic teams.
• Provide strategic direction to MENA National Societies, technical and thematic leaders of the climate change, resilience, disaster risk reduction and urban risk management for delivery against key regional results in high quality and accountable manner, including systematically support operationalizing climate and resilience approaches as part of strengthening National Society capacities and enable them to fulfil their humanitarian mandates.
• Ensure continuous mapping of needs and practices of national societies in the domains of climate action, resilience programming and urban risk management and close internal collaboration with the global team, the country and cluster delegations and relevant regional teams in jointly assessing trends and developing guidance and programmes to support National Societies.
• Ensure cross-teams programmatic work closely with the health, migration, emergency operations, WASH and cross-cutting thematic approaches functional areas of HDCC and coordinates other units within MENA regional office, country/cluster delegations and Geneva secretariate as well as with ICRC, Partner National Societies, relevant IFRC Reference centres and key external stakeholders throughout the programming cycle.
• Oversee regionally implemented climate action, resilience and urban risk management projects/programmes, and the timely and quality delivery of all project outputs.
• Lead on and upgrade the ongoing risk watch exercise for MENA region and link that with a clear and robust early warning system with the MENA national societies.
• Lead the operationalisation of the Movement Ambitions to address the Climate Crisis, the IFRC Framework for Community Resilience and Framework for Climate Action and support the MENA National Societies to scale up community resilience work.
• Lead on the work on Ecosystem- Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Nature Based Solutions.
• Lead the rolling out and mainstreaming of Community Early Warning Systems and link it with anticipatory action (e.g.FBA/FBF).
• Support the MENA and National Societies in the development of EWEA related public messaging, tools and materials including low-cost low-tech activities and resources to improve understanding of weather and climate information.
• Promote the use and development of climate innovations and provide regular updates on climate related news, policy and science to support national and regional solutions.
• To develop, roll-out and collaborate with other movement partners the concept and the programming methodology of DRR in Fragility, Conflict, and Violence context/s.
• Together with movement partners to lead on the efforts to highlight the urban risks and provide technical support to MENA NSs and movement partners in terms of addressing those risks.
• Provide guidance to National Societies on volunteer and youth engagement in climate risk management drawing on tools like Y-ADAPT and working with the Climate Centre

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Coordination, Cooperation, Networking and Partnership:

• Build and nurture solid strategic and operational relationships with key regional partners – including academia – promoting climate and resilience agenda and strengthened synergies and complementarity and collective efforts in line with the regional priorities.
• Ensure technical-level engagement with relevant entities of regional and sub-regional bodies such as the League of Arab States, resilience hub/s…etc. as essential stakeholders in attainment of global agenda targets including those of the Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• In collaboration with Geneva’s secretariate counterparts, regional relevant units pursue opportunities and explore partnerships for research as a base for evidence aimed at supporting advocacy on expanding investment in climate action and longer-term community Resilience strengthening.
• Contribute to building stronger partnerships, coordinate activities, support better positioning of IFRC, identify areas of collaboration with external key stakeholders in his/her respective role.
• Through networking and effective cooperation, contribute to strengthening of auxiliary roles of MENA National Societies with their respective governments specially in the areas of climate risk management (positioning and accessing adaptation fund), disaster risk reduction and resilience building.
• Support the preparations and contribute to the delivery of solid IFRC wide positioning during the COP27 and COP28 in the MENA region.

Knowledge Management, Public Awareness and Public Education:

• Actively participate in and support IFRC’s knowledge and peer-to-peer networks, promote the engagement and utilization of Red Cross Red Crescent reference centres and contribute to “shared-leadership” initiatives for better utilization and optimization of technical capacities and resources (e.g., the MENA Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction community of practice)
• Promote a culture of continuous learning, individual and team accountability in the programmatic functional areas by setting individual and team objectives, monitoring team performance and conducting timely performance reviews.
• Ensure regular identification, documentation and sharing of good practices in climate risk management, disaster risk reduction and resilience strengthening – both internally (RCRC) and externally.
• Capture the evidence of climate risk management and resilience strengthening and investment through annual mapping, cost-benefit analysis, case studies, reviews, evaluation etc. And share these evidences as relevant.

Representation, Resource Mobilization and Reporting Management:

• At the request of the line manager and MENA Senior Management Team, represent IFRC – in regional inter-agency foras on Climate Action, urbanization, DRR and resilience as a key player influencing regional policies, advocacy and agenda.
• Responsible and accountable for ensuring that IFRC is represented in relevant inter-agency initiatives and events focusing on Climate Action, urbanization and Resilience
• Support fundraising efforts by identifying areas of potential interest with relevant donors in close coordination with the IFRC MENA SEP (strategic engagement and partnership) team. This includes but not limited to contribution to annual donors mapping and identifying areas of interest for MENA region.
• Support the HoHDCC in ensuring strategic coherence and alignment as well as programmatic and operational coordination across different units on the climate and resilience files.

Education

• University degree (in Disaster Management/DRR, Economics, Natural Resources Management, Environmental/ Climate Science) or an equivalent of qualifying experience. – Required
• Relevant training and experiences in climate change, urban risk management, disaster risk reduction, community resilience programming – Required
• Basic Delegates Training Course (BTC), WORC, IMPACT or equivalent knowledge – Preferred

Experience

• +5 years of progressive and relevant leadership/management/advisory experience in the humanitarian sector, climate adaptation and/or environmental science – Required
• Experience working in the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement – Preferred
• Experience of working in both emergencies and developmental contexts preferable – Preferred
• Experience in conducting and analysing baseline/end line survey and commitment to participatory approaches at all stages of the project cycle – Required
• Proven capacity building experience with NS or equivalent, delivering trainings and providing on the job training and coaching – Required
• Awareness of gender issues and ability to facilitate the development of practical strategies – Required
• Experience coordinating and advocating to external stakeholders including government, NGOs, UN and Donor organisations. – Required
• Experience in project cycle management (Project writing, Log Frames, Financial management, Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation) – Required

Knowledge, Skills and Language

• Sound knowledge of and commitment to a holistic approach to resilience including disaster risk reduction, with an understanding multi hazard approach. – Required
• Technical training in design, implementation and monitoring of resilience programming – Required
• Proven skills in strategic and operational planning, budgeting and reporting on resilience including urban DRR and DRR in FCV settings – Required
• Understanding of the key issues relating to delivering resilience at scale and skills to address them – Required
• Proven analytical skills and the ability to think strategically while under pressure – Required
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiating skills – Required

Languages

• Fluently spoken and written English – Required
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French or Arabic) -Preferred

Competencies and Values

• VALUES: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: Building Alliances; Empowering Others
• CORE COMPETENCIES: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Pro-activity; National Societies and Customer Relations; Creativity and Innovation; Building Trust
• VALUES: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: Building Alliances; Empowering Others