FPIL Project Manager

Job Posting Organization:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a humanitarian organization that responds to the world's most severe crises, providing essential support to individuals and communities affected by conflict and disaster. Established in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC has grown to operate in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, focusing on restoring safety, dignity, and hope to millions of displaced individuals. In Somalia, the IRC has been active since 2006, delivering critical services to communities impacted by conflict and natural disasters, with a focus on areas such as livelihood, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), governance, peacebuilding, gender-based violence (GBV), nutrition, education, and health. The IRC's commitment to these communities has allowed it to reach over 200,000 individuals affected by conflict and drought, demonstrating its dedication to humanitarian assistance and community rebuilding.

Job Overview:
The FPIL Project Manager will play a crucial role in overseeing the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the FPIL project in Somalia. This position is specifically designated for a qualified female candidate, reflecting the programmatic and contextual needs of the project. The Project Manager will work under the supervision of the Senior Reproductive Health Manager and will be responsible for ensuring that the project aligns with national sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) priorities while integrating effectively with the WISH project. The role involves leading the operational delivery of gender norms change interventions and acting as the primary liaison between the FPIL and WISH projects for coordinated planning and implementation. The project will be executed in multiple phases, and the Project Manager will ensure readiness for implementation during the design and pre-trial phases, as well as continuity into subsequent stages. The position requires strong leadership and management skills to ensure that project objectives are met efficiently and effectively.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Project Leadership & Management: Establish and maintain comprehensive documentation systems for all FPIL program implementation activities, ensuring audit-ready records that support RCT validity and donor compliance. Create standardized documentation protocols and templates for field staff to ensure consistent, high-quality recording of implementation details. Lead project activities planning, implementation, and monitoring to ensure timely implementation of the project. Ensure strong alignment and integration of the project’s interventions with WISH2 program objectives and activities by serving as the primary liaison between FPIL and WISH2 programs, attending WISH planning meetings and ensuring FPIL innovations are integrated into WISH service delivery strategies. Develop joint implementation protocols with WISH2 team to ensure FPIL research activities complement (rather than disrupt) ongoing WISH programming. Ensure close collaboration with the WISH2 Somalia team to synchronize workplans, community engagement strategies, and SRHR service delivery enhancements linked to FPIL innovations. Develop detailed project workplan and procurement plans, in collaboration with MEAL, and operations (Supply chain and finance) teams. Provide coordination across internal teams to ensure effective execution of intervention models and field activities. Lead, prepare for, and actively participate in the Project Implementation Cycle (PIM) meetings including project Review, Project Learning, and Project Close‑out to ensure timely decision‑making, address challenges earlier and track project implementation status. Lead implementation readiness planning for the gender norms intervention, including staffing, training, community engagement plans, and safeguarding integration. Conduct routine supportive supervision and troubleshooting to ensure consistent delivery quality across sites.
• Research activities coordination & technical quality: Coordinate field-level logistics and operational support for IRC-led complementary research components (e.g., scheduling, community entry, field team movements, venue arrangements, and safe/private spaces for interviews/FGDs), in close coordination with the Research Coordinator and MEAL. Work closely with MEAL and research project team at HQ level to ensure quality assurance and coordinate with the Airbel Impact Lab and Guttmacher Institute to support independent WISH2 evaluation and FPIL RCT activities, research tool testing, and field-level data collection logistics. Ensure adherence to ethical approvals, informed consent processes, safeguarding policies, and data protection standards in all research activities. Ensure intervention fidelity and dose monitoring systems are implemented with particular attention to RCT protocol requirements during pilot activities, including structured observations, session documentation and standardized delivery across treatment sites. Monitor and document any protocol deviations immediately, coordinating with research teams and IRB to assess impact on trial validity. Support synthesis of implementation learning and field insights (feasibility, acceptability, delivery challenges, and recommended adaptations) and contribute to learning products, briefs, and dissemination activities in collaboration with MEAL and research teams. Support IRB/ethical approval processes, including protocol adherence and reporting of deviations or adverse events in coordination with the research teams. Coordinate learning exchanges with the South Sudan FPIL team to harmonize tools, documentation, and intervention insights across project countries.
• Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement: Coordinate with Ministry of Health (federal and state levels) to ensure alignment with national SRHR and FP research priorities. Oversee engagement with community leaders, youth champions, and religious leaders involved in the gender-transformative social norms intervention to ensure culturally responsive and ethical implementation. Represent IRC in SRHR, research, and technical coordination forums to ensure project’s visibility. Coordinate partner relationships and stakeholder communication to ensure smooth delivery and timely resolution of implementation bottlenecks.
• Monitoring, reporting & learning: Oversee routine monitoring, field visits, progress tracking, and documentation of FPIL activities, challenges, and lessons learned. Implement rigorous data quality assurance protocols specific to RCT requirements. Lead preparation of donor reports, internal updates, research summaries, and learning products in collaboration with MEAL and technical teams. Facilitate learning sessions, evidence‑sharing platforms, and reflection workshops to support adaptive programming. Lead development and review of decision-support dashboards, learning briefs, and adaptive management recommendations based on monitoring data and field insights. Ensure data quality assurance, corrective action follow‑up, and fidelity monitoring for intervention implementation. Ensure FPIL learning is systematically captured and fed back into design, prototyping, and implementation phases. Ensure implementation monitoring data and documentation are complete and timely to support evaluation requirements without disrupting routine delivery.
• Financial & Compliance Management: Oversee project budget utilization, expenditure tracking, and financial forecasting in line with donor and IRC requirements. Ensure that procurements, documentation, and internal controls adhere to IRC and donor compliance frameworks. Conduct monthly Budget vs. Actual (BvA) reviews with finance teams to monitor spending and adjust plans.
• Staff Management & Capacity Building: Supervise project staff and consultants involved in program implementation. Provide coaching, mentorship, and performance management to support staff development and effectiveness. Build staff capacity on research ethics and gender‑transformative programming. Ensure teams understand required field procedures for ethical participation, safeguarding, community engagement, fidelity documentation, and data quality expectations. Oversee training and performance supervision of enumerators, research staff, and community facilitators involved in FPIL data collection and intervention delivery.

Required Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for the FPIL Project Manager position should possess a Bachelor’s degree in public health, social sciences, development studies, gender studies, education, or other relevant fields as a minimum requirement. A Master’s degree in public health or a related field focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is preferred. Candidates should have 3 to 5 years of experience managing community-based programs, with a strong emphasis on gender-transformative or social norms interventions, as well as experience in supporting implementation research. Familiarity with the humanitarian context in Somalia and collaboration with government and research institutions is essential. Strong analytical, reporting, and project management skills are required, along with demonstrated experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder implementation with a keen attention to documentation, protocol adherence, and quality assurance, particularly in trial or evaluation contexts. Fluency in English, both spoken and written, is mandatory for this role.

Educational Background:
Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in public health, social sciences, development studies, gender studies, education, or other relevant fields as a required qualification. A Master’s degree in public health or a related field focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is preferred, indicating a higher level of expertise and understanding of the complexities involved in managing health-related projects.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have 3 to 5 years of relevant experience in managing community-based programs, ideally with a focus on gender-transformative or social norms interventions. Experience in supporting implementation research is also crucial. Familiarity with the humanitarian context in Somalia and collaboration with government and research institutions will be beneficial. Strong analytical, reporting, and project management skills are essential, as well as demonstrated experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder implementation with a strong emphasis on documentation, protocol adherence, and quality assurance, particularly in trial or evaluation contexts.

Languages:
Fluency in English, both spoken and written, is mandatory for this position. Additional language skills may be considered an asset, particularly if they relate to the local context and communities served by the IRC in Somalia, enhancing communication and engagement with stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is designated for a qualified female candidate, reflecting the programmatic and contextual requirements of the FPIL project. The role involves full-time commitment and may require flexibility in working hours to accommodate project needs and stakeholder engagement. The IRC is committed to ensuring compliance with donor requirements and maintaining high standards of ethical practice in all project activities. Compensation and benefits will be aligned with IRC policies and local labor regulations.