The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global leader in humanitarian relief and development, operating in over 40 fragile, conflict-affected, and developing states. The IRC works to restore safety, dignity, and hope to millions of displaced and vulnerable people striving toward stability and development.

The IRC resumed operations in Sudan in November 2019, after previously operating from 1982 to 2009. Following re-registration in Khartoum, IRC launched programs to support displaced populations, focusing on livelihoods, water and sanitation, health, and social development. The IRC programming emphasizes sustainability through community-driven development, disaster risk reduction, and capacity-building of local partners.

IRC values diversity and believes our impact is strengthened by the collaboration of individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and skillsets. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that upholds dignity and respect for all. IRC staff are expected to promote fundamental human rights, social justice, and gender equality, treating all individuals equally regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Sudan is currently facing overlapping crises, including economic instability, armed conflict, natural disasters, and mass displacement. Over 30.4 million people 64% of the population require humanitarian assistance, with 8.59 million internally displaced and nearly 4 million having fled the country. In response, the IRC is delivering multisectoral humanitarian assistance across seven states, significantly scaling up its emergency operations.

The ERD sector plays a central role in this response through CBIs, food security, and livelihoods support. In line with IRC’s Strategic Action Plan, the organization aims to allocate 20% of its direct program costs to cash assistance. The IRC is currently providing immediate cash assistance to highly vulnerable IDPs exposed to protection risks and affected by conflict and violence. This support addresses urgent needs such as food, shelter, healthcare, and protection while enhancing household resilience and self-reliance. MPCA has proven to be the most effective and feasible modality in this context.

The ERD’s cash portfolio has grown significantly, supported by bilateral donors and the Cash Consortium for Sudan (CCS), led by Mercy Corps. IRC collaborates with local partners to deliver lifesaving assistance and protection in crisis-affected areas, ensuring that displaced households can access food and essential items and are protected from negative coping mechanisms. Implementation is guided by IRC’s Cash Relief Operating Procedures (CROP) and the Sudan Cash Working Group (SCWG), including the use of the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) to determine transfer values.

Sudan continues to experience overlapping crises including conflict, displacement, economic collapse, and food insecurity. IRC Sudan’s ERD programming initially prioritized lifesaving emergency CVA (MPCA and Cash-for-Food) for conflict-affected and displaced households. As certain areas stabilize and returnees increase, communities face the challenge of rebuilding livelihoods amid economic instability, inflation, and food insecurity. In response, IRC Sudan is planning for strategic shifting from short-term emergency CVA toward integrated programming focused on: Early Recovery & Livelihood Development (ERLD), Market-based recovery; Financial inclusion and small enterprise development; Gender- and youth-responsive economic empowerment; and Climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture. The ERD portfolio is expanding and requires strong technical leadership to ensure high-quality implementation, strategic alignment, and integration of emergency and recovery pathways. The Senior ERD Manager will play a central role in operating this strategic shift in alignment with IRC’s global ERD technical standards.

Main Purpose of the Job

The Senior ERD Manager leads the design, implementation, quality assurance, and strategic growth of IRC Sudan’s ERD portfolio, ensuring alignment with IRC’s Global ERD Technical Competency Framework and Sudan’s evolving strategy toward recovery, resilience, and self-reliance. The role ensures technical excellence in cash and market-based programming, livelihood recovery, financial inclusion, and inclusive economic systems strengthening.

Key Responsibilities

Program Implementation and Strategy Development

• Lead contextual and market analysis to inform program design and transition strategies from emergency CVA to early recovery and resilience.
• Oversee implementation of MPCA, CFF, GCTs, and livelihood recovery activities in accordance with IRC ERD program strategy and Cash Relief Operating Procedures (CROP) and SCWG/MEB standards.
• Lead program implementation activities at all stages of project cycle by providing guidance and technical direction to officers, field staff and other sectors who include cash transfer in their design.
• Ensure strong integration between emergency cash assistance and sustainable livelihood pathways (VSLA, entrepreneurship, skills training, business grants).
• Ensure inclusive, participatory targeting with strong accountability and safeguarding mechanisms.
• Ensure the payment options guarantee the maximum level of protection towards the beneficiaries.
• Integrate climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, and market-driven approaches into food security and agriculture programming.
• Ensure program modalities are context-appropriate, conflict-sensitive, and responsive to beneficiary needs.
• Ensure that all CTP program activities are implemented, to a high technical quality, in accordance with the IRC CTP Implementation Procedure, and according to established minimum standards and/or quality benchmarks.
• Promote gender-, youth-, and protection-responsive economic empowerment in line with IRC’s EA$E model.
• Support emergency preparedness and rapid response scale-up when required.
• Collaborate with the ERD Snr Coordinator to shape strategic direction and expansion opportunities.
• Lead market systems and value chain assessments to identify economic recovery opportunities.
• Strengthening linkages with private sector actors, financial institutions, and local authorities.
• Promote inclusive financial services (savings, credit, digital finance) to enhance household and SME resilience.
• Support climate-smart agriculture and sustainable local food production systems.
• Facilitate job creation and entrepreneurship opportunities targeting women and youth.
• Strengthen adaptive capacities and shock-responsive mechanisms for vulnerable households.

Grant Planning, Implementation & Business Development

• Develop and maintain detailed workplans aligned with grant timelines and strategic objectives.
• Provide direction and monitor staff in their implementation of the workplan and quality of technical activities, share relevant information and direction to improve quality and achieve timelines.
• Oversee budget utilization, procurement planning, and spending forecasts.
• Assist in managing program transitions, budget oversight, and procurement/spending plans.
• Ensure timely and high-quality donor reporting (monthly, quarterly, annually).
• Monitor implementation progress against indicators and ensure quality benchmarks are met.
• Contribute to proposal development, concept notes, and technical design for recovery and resilience programming.
• Identify opportunities to expand ERD programming in stable states and diversify funding toward economic stability initiatives.

Staff Management and Development

• Directly support and functionally supervise CTP Officers and other staff engaged in cash transfer programming.
• Build team capacity in: Cash and market-based programming; Livelihood recovery models; EA$E (VSLA, entrepreneurship, financial literacy); Market systems approach and conduct regular performance reviews and provide structured coaching.
• Foster a professional, respectful work environment, promoting teamwork and guiding staff to perform effectively.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promote a strong team spirit and provide oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, including quarterly discussions and annual evaluations.
• Promote staff well-being, model healthy work-life balance, and respond to staff care needs appropriately.
• Supervise ERD Officers and field teams, ensuring clarity of roles and performance standards.
• Foster a respectful, inclusive, and accountable team environment.
• Promote staff well-being and duty of care principles.

Grant Monitoring and Reporting

• Undertake regular field monitoring visits to assess progress and identify technical quality issues and/or other implementation issues, provide solutions and implement modifications as required.
• Ensure staff are adequately trained and undertaking effective data collection through post distribution monitoring, vendor monitoring tools, feedback mechanisms and other necessary data collection systems,
• Ensure all monitoring activities are fully documented, including systematic and timely data collection as required under the grant and for IRC M&E purposes.
• Produce/contribute to IRC and donor reports as per set schedules (monthly, quarterly, and annually) on grant activities, indicators and achievements.
• Conduct regular field monitoring to ensure technical quality and compliance.
• Ensure strong Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM), market monitoring, and vendor monitoring systems.
• Support measurement of outcome-level indicators such as: Income restoration; Business sustainability; Financial inclusion access; Household resilience
• Ensure community feedback and complaints mechanisms are functional and responsive.
• Promote adaptive management through real-time data use and learning.

Partner Identification and Management

• Monitor partner performance to ensure project objectives are met; provide technical support and guidance.
• Provide technical oversight and capacity strengthening to partners.
• Identify and engage new partners, including private sector actors, to support ERD activities.
• Support the ERD Snr Coordinator in external representation and technical coordination with INGOs, CBOs, clusters, and working groups, where relevant.
• Identify and manage partnerships with local NGOs, CBOs, and private sector actors.
• Represent IRC in Cash Working Group, Livelihoods/Food Security Cluster, and coordination platforms.
• Strengthen collaboration with consortium partners and local authorities to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication.

Internal and External Contacts

• Internal: Coordination with IRC Sudan’s program teams (Protection, Health, EH), Grants, Supply Chain, HR, and Finance.
• External: Engagement with humanitarian actors, local partners, UN agencies, government entities, and service providers

Travel and Location Requirements

• Based in Khartoum/Omdurman under RN and KHA field offices, with frequent travel to Al Jazira, Blue Nile, and other field sites.

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, economics, international affairs, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 3 years of humanitarian experience, ideally with cash transfer, economic recovery, or market-based programming.
• Strong leadership, program and budget management, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to work in diverse, high-pressure environments and lead multi-disciplinary teams.

Professional Standards

• All IRC staff must adhere to The IRC Way—Standards for Professional Conduct, including policies on safeguarding, fiscal integrity, and anti-harassment.
• IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers candidates based on merit regardless of background or identity.

Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity

• IRC is committed to closing the gender gap in leadership and offers benefits that support gender equity, including parental leave and gender-sensitive security protocols.

We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, orientation, age, or disability