Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager provides operational, technical, and coordination support for emergency preparedness and response activities. The role involves planning, implementation, monitoring, and leadership in emergency situations to ensure timely, effective, and high-quality humanitarian interventions aligned with IRC standards and donor requirements.

Responsibilities

• Support the Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator (EPRCo) in leading the development, review, and implementation of country-level emergency preparedness plans.
• Conduct regular risk analysis, hazard mapping, and scenario planning.
• Coordinate contingency planning across sectors (health, WASH, protection, ERD, nutrition).
• Strengthen early warning systems and preparedness mechanisms.
• Build staff capacity in emergency preparedness through training and simulations.
• Lead or coordinate rapid needs assessments in emergency situations.
• Develop response strategies, including defining priorities, target populations, and modalities.
• Ensure timely implementation of emergency projects in line with IRC standards.
• Provide leadership during emergency activation and scale-up phases.
• Coordinate emergency response teams and surge staff deployment.
• Ensure all emergency interventions adhere to humanitarian principles (humanity, neutrality, impartiality, independence).
• Monitor program quality, relevance, and accountability.
• Integrate cross-cutting issues such as gender, protection, safeguarding, and inclusion.
• Ensure compliance with IRC technical standards and sector guidelines.
• Represent IRC in national and sub-national emergency coordination forums (e.g., clusters, working groups).
• Strengthen partnerships with government authorities, UN agencies, NGOs, and local actors.
• Support inter-agency coordination and joint response planning.
• Identify funding opportunities and contribute to proposal development.
• Develop emergency concept notes, budgets, and logframes.
• Liaise with donors and contribute to grant reporting.
• Ensure effective MEAL systems for emergency response projects.
• Track key performance indicators and ensure data-driven decision-making.
• Promote accountability to affected populations through feedback mechanisms.
• Document lessons learned and best practices.
• Coordinate with supply chain teams to ensure timely procurement and delivery of emergency supplies.
• Support emergency pipeline management and stock prepositioning.
• Ensure operational readiness for rapid response.
• Supervise and mentor EPR staff and focal points.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of emergency staff.
• Build internal staff capacity on emergency response tools and approaches.
• Lead the design, planning, and implementation of emergency preparedness and response programs in line with organizational and cluster priorities.
• Conduct and oversee rapid needs assessments and ensure timely analysis to inform response strategies.
• Ensure efficient program delivery through strong coordination with government authorities, UN agencies, clusters, and partners.
• Manage program budgets, including forecasting, expenditure tracking, and ensuring compliance with donor requirements.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track program progress, coverage, and effectiveness.
• Produce high-quality internal and external reports, including situation reports (SitReps), donor updates, and operational briefs.
• Identify operational risks and develop mitigation strategies to address access constraints, security issues, and supply chain disruptions.
• Ensure timely mobilization and deployment of emergency response teams and resources.
• Ensure all emergency interventions meet global humanitarian standards, including Sphere Standards and the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS).
• Provide technical oversight across sectors (e.g., Health, Nutrition, WASH, Shelter) to ensure quality and consistency of service delivery.
• Promote evidence-based programming through the use of surveillance data, needs assessments, and monitoring systems.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits, technical reviews, and quality assurance checks to ensure program effectiveness.
• Strengthen staff and partner capacity through training, mentorship, and supportive supervision on emergency protocols and technical guidelines.
• Ensure accountability to affected populations (AAP) by establishing functional feedback and complaint mechanisms.
• Lead post-distribution monitoring and evaluation activities to assess outcomes and inform program adjustments.
• Ensure integration of cross-cutting issues such as protection, gender, and inclusion into program design and delivery.
• Lead the development and continuous adaptation of emergency preparedness and response strategies based on evolving context and risk analysis.
• Conduct scenario planning (best-case, most likely, worst-case) to guide preparedness and contingency planning.
• Ensure alignment of programs with national response frameworks, humanitarian response plans (HRP), and cluster strategies.
• Drive prioritization of interventions based on severity, vulnerability, and available resources.
• Promote a nexus approach by integrating emergency response with early recovery, resilience, and risk reduction initiatives.
• Strengthen partnerships with local actors, government institutions, and community structures to support localization and sustainability.
• Identify and promote innovative approaches, including digital tools, cash-based interventions, and remote programming modalities.
• Lead learning and knowledge management processes, including after-action reviews and incorporation of lessons learned into future programming.
• Design multi-sector emergency programs based on needs and gaps.
• Develop high-quality proposals, concept notes, and donor submissions.
• Ensure alignment with donor priorities (ECHO, USAID, FCDO, UN).
• Collaborate with MEAL, finance, and technical teams to ensure feasibility and impact.
• Integrate cross-cutting themes (AAP, gender, inclusion).
• Support localization through partnerships with local NGOs.
• Incorporate lessons learned into program design.
• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
• Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of the team in Syria.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semiannual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least monthly.
• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.
• As required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures and communicates through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.
• Lead the design and implementation of operational research, assessments, and analytical initiatives to inform evidence-based emergency preparedness and response programming.
• Oversee needs assessments, baseline studies, and gap analyses, ensuring timely and accurate data collection to guide program decisions.
• Analyze contextual data, trends, and risks (conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks, climate shocks) to support strategic planning and prioritization.
• Establish and strengthen data management systems, including use of digital tools (e.g., Kobo, DHIS2) for real-time monitoring and reporting.
• Ensure effective use of monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) frameworks to track program performance and outcomes.
• Lead after-action reviews (AARs), real-time evaluations (RTEs), and lessons-learned exercises to continuously improve program effectiveness.
• Promote a learning culture by documenting and disseminating best practices, success stories, and innovations across teams and partners.
• Integrate community feedback and accountability mechanisms into analysis and program adjustments.
• Produce high-quality analytical reports, briefs, dashboards, and situation analyses to support decision-making at operational and strategic levels.
• Collaborate with technical teams, clusters, and partners to ensure data sharing, harmonization, and joint analysis.
• Support forecasting and early warning systems to anticipate and prepare for emerging humanitarian needs.
• Foster collaboration, represent organizational and community interests, and strengthen partnerships across all levels of the humanitarian system.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field from a recognized university.
• At least 2 years of relevant work experience in a similar role within international humanitarian/emergency contexts.
• Exceptional coordination and interpersonal skills.
• Background in situation analysis, needs assessments and emergency response project implementation.
• Demonstrably excellent written and oral communication skills; strong English writing skills required.
• Experience with integrated emergency response required.
• Proficient in MS Office, MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing demands and the ability to work under pressure are essential.

Skills

• Emergency Preparedness
• Emergency Response
• Situation Analysis
• Needs Assessment
• Project Implementation
• Integrated Emergency Response
• Coordination
• Written Communication
• Oral Communication
• English Writing
• Microsoft Office Suite
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint

Languages

English