Field Migration Coordinator

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat. Since 2018, IFRC works in Panama together with the Panamanian Red Cross, in favor of people on the move, promoting coordinated work and pertinent response to the needs and vulnerabilities of in-transit populations, with emphasis on the Darien region.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Reporting to IFRC's Project Manager for Panama (primary line manager) and the Migration, Protection and Social Inclusion Officer (technical line manager), the incumbent ensures that the response framed in the Migration Program of the Panamanian Red Cross delivers humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to crisis-affected populations in the Darien and Chiriquí regions. The Field Migration Coordinator supports the National Society, amongst others, in ongoing assessments, determination of targeting criteria, beneficiary selection, registration, market analysis, distribution of relief items (NFI) for basic needs coverage, key information delivery and/or cash assistance. The Field Migration Coordinator serves as a resource to support the Sectors in relation to the above tasks and supports the assessment of the capacities of local RCRC branches and other factors influencing migration operations (WASH, health services, PGI, CVA, shelter, relief items distribution), as they relate to the overall operation of the National Society and IFRC.

Applicants must have legal working status in the location the position is .

Location where the activities will take place: Darien (60%) and other locations in Panama, including Chiriqui and Panama City (40%).

•    Ensure that interventions and operations meet IFRC standards in accordance with IFRC policies and guidelines.
•    Ensure that all Migration activities are planned in coordination with other sectoral teams (such as Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA), disaster risk reduction (DRR), protection, gender, and inclusion (PGI), amongst others as appropriate).
•    Ensure proper and adequate use of IFRC disaster response tools such as DREF, Emergency Call, FACT, RDRT, ERU, etc., as needed and appropriate, according to context updates and findings of needs/context assessments and evaluations.
•    Represent IFRC at local level under the endorsement of the reporting lines.
•    Under the endorsement of the reporting lines, interact, coordinate, and collaborate with humanitarian actors outside the Red Cross movement, such as other international organizations and UN agencies, as well as governmental institutions.
•    Liaise with the media WITH prior authorization from the reporting lines, IFRC COMMS team and/or CA Cluster's Director of Programs and Operations, where and when appropriate and necessary.
•    Liaise with relevant local government authorities and international and non-governmental agencies operating in the field, as assigned by the National Society and/or IFRC reporting lines.
•    When necessary, follow up on the financial implementation and purchase/acquisition processes, activities carried out in the field.
•    Write descriptive reports based on context, distribution statistics, and other information.
•    Ensure proper documentation of migration activities, for the support of the National Society (NS) and IFRC, in close coordination and cooperation with the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (PMER) Officers.
•    Support the implementation of migration activities (including, but not limited to, targeting of outreach persons, communication with outreach persons, assessments, action planning and implementation of distribution) in support of IFRC and the Panamanian Red Cross Program Plan, as authorized by the IFRC technical line, reporting line and the NS.
•    Promote and support the establishment of transnational coordination spaces between the Panamanian Red Cross and other National Societies in the region that implement similar response plans for people on the move.
•    Support and collaborate closely with the National Society in planning, coordination and execution for field implementation (NFI distributions, safe information delivery, cash and voucher assistance (CVA), health services, protection, WASH, and any others that might be included in the response, according to context updates and findings of needs assessments and evaluations).
•    Provide strategic-operational support at field level for the National Society's team, ensuring implemented activities follow Security and Safe Access considerations, and staff and volunteers act in accordance with the PSEA policy.
•    Ensure an effective handover strategy to help the NS improve relief capabilities for the operation and future responses.
•    Apply the experience and document lessons learned for future NS and IFRC operations.
•    Encourage continuous learning for volunteers and NS staff at operational level.
•    Write an End of Mission (EOM) report and share it with the Project Manager and the Migration, Protection, and Social Inclusion Officer for CA.

Required:

• University degree or professional qualification in Social Sciences, Humanities, or equivalent.
• Specialization in Disaster Management, Migration, Protection, Project Management or equivalent.
  

Required:

• At least of 3-year experience in disaster management with an emphasis on migration crises, people on the move.
• Field experience in coordinating and managing disaster response operations, preferable complex emergencies, and protracted crises.
• Experience in logistics-related activities in disaster response and early recovery operations.

Preferred:

• Red Cross/Red Crescent knowledge and experience.
• Experience as a trainer or learning facilitator.
  

Required:

• Strong interpersonal skills and good understanding of the RCRC Movement.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with independent decision-making capacity.
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to represent IFRC and to negotiate and positively influence people’s opinions.
• Knowledge of targeting methodology.
• Understand and use various target population registration methods.  
• Knowledge of mechanisms of community engagement and accountability (CEA) / accountability to affected populations (AAP).
• Ability to transfer knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to colleagues and peers.

Preferred:

• Knowledge in scenario planning, contingency planning, conflict-sensitive programming

Languages:

Advanced English and Spanish 

Values:

Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies:

Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.

Comments:

Applicants are required to submit a motivation letter along with their applications no later than the closing date. In order for us to assure a proper comparative evaluation of your application for this vacancy and to enable us to consider your profile against other similar current and future vacancies, we ask that you submit your application taking into account the following:

• Please note that the selected candidate will be hired through a national contract of Panama; therefore, only nationals of this country or those holding a valid work permit or legal status will be considered for the post;
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by Federation policies, procedures, plans and applicable national laws;
• The closing date is midnight Geneva time.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
• The position will be based in Panama.