Career Opportunity with International Rescue Committee
Senior Manager - Livelihood

 
Country: Bangladesh
Job Title: Senior Manager - Livelihood
Department: Economic Recovery & Development (ERD)
Contract length: Till 31 March 2026 (with possibility of extension subject to funding, program needs and performance of incumbent)
Work Location: IRC-Bangladesh, Ukhiya Office
Reporting to: Economic Recovery & Development Coordinator
Expected Start Date: At Earliest
Remuneration Package: Competitive Base Pay with Fringe Benefits (As per IRC National Pay Scale in Bangladesh)
Program Brief

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions.
Since 2017, IRC has supported Rohingya Refugees and Bangladeshi nationalities communities in Cox's Bazar, Khulna, Barisal, and Chittagong with integrated services. The organization also addresses climate change impacts by building resilience and promoting economic recovery, education, and protection.
Purpose

The Senior Manager – Livelihoods will oversee IRC’s economic recovery and livelihood development programs in refugee camps and host communities, ensuring effective project implementation, staff and partner management, monitoring, and quality assurance. This role will lead key interventions, including cash and voucher programming, food security, emergency and climate-resilient livelihoods, inclusive workforce development, financial inclusion, climate risk information for community action, natural resource management, and private sector engagement for market systems development. Working closely with IRC’s Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Coordinator, the Senior Manager will ensure programmatic coordination, technical rigor, and alignment with IRC’s broader strategic objectives. The role also involves integrating livelihood activities with Health, Protection, Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), and education programs while ensuring compliance with program logical frameworks and sectoral guidelines. Additionally, the Senior Manager will foster partnerships with NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies, private sector entities, and academic institutions to enhance program impact. This position requires strong expertise in program management, monitoring and evaluation, private sector collaboration, climate-smart approaches, and market systems development, including providing technical support to implementing partners. Representing IRC with key collaborators, including government ministries, local authorities, and private sector actors, the Senior Manager will also contribute to new program designs and oversee the performance of the Manager – Livelihoods to ensure high-quality program delivery.
Major Responsibilities

Program Management & Quality Assurance:

  • Ensure the effective operationalization of IRC’s livelihood and economic recovery programs, aligning program priorities and standards with context-specific needs, gaps, and emerging challenges on the ground.
  • Oversee the implementation of livelihood programs in refugee camps and host communities, ensuring alignment with IRC’s strategic objectives.
  • Manage the project (s) interventions and follow technical standards for implementation of cash and voucher assistance, cash for work, food security, climate-resilient livelihoods, workforce development, financial inclusion, and market systems development.
  • Ensure program quality through monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptive management, adhering to IRC’s frameworks and sectoral standards.
  • Develop and implement work plans, ensuring projects meet targets, budgets, and donor compliance.
  • Ensure safeguarding policy is understood and followed in program delivery.

Technical Leadership & Integration

  • Provide technical guidance and build staff capacity on Cash and Voucher Assistance, vocational skill development, climate-smart livelihoods, natural resource management, and private sector engagement.
  • Supervise and mentor the Manager – Livelihoods and coordinate with other program staff, ensuring capacity strengthening and professional development.
  • Provide technical support and training to IRC teams and implement partners on cash and Voucher assistance, market systems development, climate resilience, and inclusive workforce strategies.
  • Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within the livelihoods team.
  • Strengthen the integration of livelihoods programming with Health, Protection, Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), and Education initiatives.
  • Ensure alignment with food security, livelihood, and skill development sector priorities and Joint Response plan (JRP) in implementation and design the interventions.
  • Ensure integration and inclusion in program delivery, children and young people of different ages, sex, Person with Disability (PWD) and ability are equally addressed in program implementation.
  • Contribute and support to proposal development, donor engagement, and strategic planning to expand IRC’s livelihoods portfolio.

Stakeholder Engagement & Coordination:

  • Collaborate with IRC sectors protection, health, and education to implement integrated programs that address beneficiaries' multifaceted needs. Coordinate with the Food Security (FS) and Livelihood and Skill Development Sector (LSDS) to ensure host community programming aligns with ISCG and government guidelines.
  • Collaborate with NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies, donor organizations, relevant government ministries i.e. Department of Livestock, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), department of youth development, and private sector entities to enhance program effectiveness.
  • Advocate for the livelihoods of vulnerable populations in government policy discussions and coordination platforms to strengthen service delivery systems.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEAL):

  • Oversee program performance, ensuring data-driven decision-making and evidence-based program adjustments.
  • Support MEAL teams in assessments, impact evaluations, and knowledge-sharing efforts to improve program delivery.
  • Develop project reports and capturing learning is essential for documenting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle.

Partner Management:

  • Work closely with partner organizations, monitor progress, and provide ongoing technical and operational support to ensure high-quality program implementation.
  • Identify capacity gaps within partner organizations, provide hands-on support, and develop capacity-building plans. Coordinate with the technical team for training implementation and track progress.
  • Participate in regular coordination meetings and sharing sessions to review implementation plans, track expenditures and compliance, and collaborate with other IRC departments.
  • Develop and review progress reports and program data, offering timely feedback and guidance to partners for continuous improvement and alignment with program objectives.

Other Duties:

  • Regularly assess and monitor the safety and security of field teams, ensuring compliance with IRC’s security protocols. Promptly report any concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaise with community leaders, authorities, and external collaborators to maintain a secure operational environment.
  • Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor to support the growth, development, and effectiveness of IRC’s livelihood and economic recovery programs.
Requirements
  • A minimum of 7 years of experience in management of livelihoods programming with national and or international organizations particularly in the field of Food security and climate-smart livelihood program, market relevant vocational skill development, Financial Inclusion, youth employment, and market system development in a development context and humanitarian context.
  • Experience in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), Cash for Worker, vocational skill development, climate smart programming and working in complex humanitarian settings.
  • Proven experience in developing women's economic empowerment and youth employment.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience conducting market scoping, gap analyses and partner mapping for cash and livelihoods programming supporting women’s economic self-resilience within natural disaster settings.
  • Sound understanding of the local context and the livelihoods needs of vulnerable populations especially the host community and Rohingya Refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar.
  • Experience in dealing with government officials, private sectors, donor agencies, and other NGOs
  • Demonstrated experience in working with a multi-cultural team (national and international).
  • Experience in partner dealings and management for program implementation.
  • Strong facilitation and supervision skills
  • Good writing and analytical skills, including the ability to communicate technical matters to a range of audiences.
  • Competent in Windows, MS office programs, emails, and relevant database
  • Interpersonal Qualities: work well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
  • Good coping strategies in stressful and emergency situations, calmness is a requirement
  • Strong communication skills in written and verbal English
Specific Educational Qualification
  • Minimum Post Graduation Degree in Agricultural Science, Business management, Development studies, or Social Science along with professional background in livelihood development field.
Certification
  • Certification on project management will be added as an advantage.

How to Apply: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/job/req57251/Senior-Manager-Livelihood

Application Deadline: April 03, 2025

Standard of Professional Conduct:
The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.