Hiring Now: Cash Programming Officer

Job Summary

Location: Mieso, Goro Gutu, and Midhega Tola under Harar Field Office.

IRC is planning to implement a Lifesaving intervention to meet the needs of crisis-affected populations through Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) and strengthen local mechanisms in Benshagul Gumuz, Tigray, Oromia, and Amhara regions. This project will address the basic needs of affected IDPs and host communities.

Project Goals

The primary goal of the project is to ensure that vulnerable households in selected woredas can meet their emergency and recovery needs without resorting to harmful coping strategies. The project focuses on one key outcome:

• Access to life-saving assistance for vulnerable women, men, girls, and boys.

The IRC will implement unconditional and unrestricted multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), prioritizing beneficiary choice, flexibility, and dignity while ensuring cost-efficiency and appropriateness in aid delivery.

Major Responsibilities

Project Management:

• Lead implementation of project activities in collaboration with kebele and woreda-level stakeholders.
• Provide technical support for establishing targeting and compliance committees in each intervention kebele and IDP site.
• Enhance community participation through community-based targeting and complaint response mechanisms.
• Plan and coordinate cash transfer modalities based on local context analysis.
• Ensure efficient and effective cash program implementation as per the original plan.
• Build teamwork among project staff, partners, and other humanitarian organizations.
• Conduct client targeting, registration, and verification in collaboration with the MEAL team.
• Identify potential financial service providers for cash transfer processes.
• Support complaint response mechanisms in all intervention sites.
• Work closely with the MEAL team to ensure quality implementation of the cash program.
• Facilitate cash distribution processes with financial service providers.

Project Implementation

• Facilitate kebele and IDP site selection for MPCA intervention.
• Conduct community mobilization and awareness on project objectives and cash program procedures.
• Facilitate validation of client selection criteria at kebele and IDP levels.
• Establish and strengthen community-based targeting and complaint response mechanisms.
• Work with the project manager and MEAL team to ensure quality cash programming.
• Facilitate client targeting, registration, and verification using cash toolkits.
• Prepare clients' master list and payment sheet.
• Issue support letters for cash distribution from signatory government sectors.
• Conduct data cleaning and documentation of cash transfer-related documents.
• Identify appropriate financial service providers for timely cash transfer.
• Maintain records of master lists, payment sheets, and beneficiary lists.
• Support cash distribution processes to targeted clients.
• Conduct other activities as assigned by the project manager.

Financial Management

• Prepare cash distribution financial plans with the project manager.
• Support item forecast preparation for MPCA.
• Prepare and submit cash projection plans to the project manager.
• Facilitate master clients list and payment sheet preparation for cash transfer.
• Monitor budget expenditures for cash transfer activities.

Representation and Coordination

• Represent IRC at zonal and woreda levels as assigned.
• Collaborate with community representatives and government stakeholders.
• Ensure interventions are coordinated with other actors to avoid duplication.
• Participate in bi-weekly project management meetings.
• Join cash working group coordination meetings as assigned.

Project Monitoring and Reporting

• Prepare monthly and quarterly project performance reports.
• Document cash distribution progress, challenges, and lessons learned.
• Maintain cash distribution database information.
• Prepare narrative and financial expenditure reports for MPCA activities.
• Participate in cash feasibility and protection assessments.
• Monitor client registration and verification processes.
• Oversee cash distribution processes and surveys.

Capacity Building and Coaching

• Conduct community mobilization and capacity building on targeting mechanisms.
• Provide training for kebele leaders and targeting committee members.
• Coach community-based targeting committees on cash toolkit.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives to build team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion in IRC [team/office].
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue, and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.

Qualification

• Degree: MA/MSC/BA/BSC in Sociology, Development Studies, Economics, Marketing, Accounting, Management, Banking, Rural Development, Project Management, or similar with relevant experience.
• Experience: 1 year for MA/MSc holders and 2 years for BA/BSc holders in relevant fields.
• Cash Programming: Proven experience in cash programming (conditional and unconditional cash transfer) management is a big plus.
• Demonstrated Ability: Experience with CVA and cash transfer modality, working with financial service providers in emergency and post-emergency/recovery programs.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to be clear and concise.
• Organizational Skills: Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time.
• Analytic Skills: Strong analytic problem-solving skills.
• Teamwork: Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure.
• Proficiency: Highly proficient in Microsoft Office suite.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Change Management: Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner.

Language Skills

• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication in English, Amharic, and ability to speak local language is advantageous.

Skills Required:

• Economics / Statistics
• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development