Coordinator, Early Warning Early Action (EWEA)

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Societies. IFRC’s mission is to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote humanitarian activities by National Societies to prevent and alleviate human suffering and contribute to peace.

IFRC is led by its Secretary-General and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization is structured 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 also has five regional offices and various country cluster and country delegations worldwide, comprising the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, and lack of integrity. The organization also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

Climate change is a central focus of IFRC’s Strategy 2030 and Plan & Budget 2021-2025, emphasizing the urgency to scale up climate action and early warning/early anticipatory action. In 2022, the UN launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, which IFRC leads globally on the preparedness to respond pillar.

IFRC is currently implementing the Water at the Heart of Climate Action (WHCA) program, in partnership with UNDRR, WMO, and SOFF, to accelerate and scale up water-related early warning and early action measures in the Nile River Basin countries.

Job Purpose

The Regional Early Warning Early Action (EWEA) Coordinator will be responsible for the regional project/grant management and coordination of WHCA and other relevant EWEA projects. The incumbent will support regional coordination among WHCA Alliance partners, oversee regional capacity strengthening and technical support, ensure alignment with EW4All, and promote scale-up and replicability of the project approach.

The Coordinator will work closely with the global EWEA Project Coordinator, as well as IFRC’s technical, finance, PMER, legal, and knowledge and learning units, along with implementing partners, particularly the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) as the alliance coordinator.

Key Responsibilities

Project/grant management and coordination:

• Coordinate internal and external resources for project execution
• Ensure timely, on-scope, and on-budget project delivery
• Formulate work plans and budgets, and provide regional oversight of implementation
• Manage risks, support staff recruitment, and coordinate project governance

Monitoring and reporting:

• Conduct regular monitoring and reporting to ensure target achievement
• Ensure financial and narrative reports accurately reflect deliverables and milestones
• Gather and analyze data for internal and external needs
• Document and share lessons learned and best practices

Technical and programmatic support:

• Provide technical advice and assistance to National Societies on EWEA activities
• Ensure alignment with EW4All and guide relevant parties on implementation

Partnership building and resource mobilization:

• Cultivate partnerships to contribute to project results and scale-up
• Identify opportunities for mobilizing additional resources

Education and Experience

• University degree in climate change, DRR, or a related field
• Certification in business administration, project management, or a related field is preferred
• 5-7 years of experience in climate-smart DRR, EWEA, or related work
• 5 years of experience in project/program management, grant management, or a related field
• Experience working in the humanitarian/development sector, especially in the Horn of Africa/Africa Region, and/or with an international organization
• Experience managing multi-country projects and cultivating multi-stakeholder partnerships

Knowledge, Skills, and Languages

• Project/program management, climate-smart DRR, and EWEA expertise
• Results-oriented and entrepreneurial, with strong leadership and management skills
• Outstanding networking, communication, and negotiation skills
• Demonstrated track record in innovation, knowledge sharing, and partner engagement
• Fluency in English; proficiency in another IFRC official language is preferred