Team Leader, May 2025

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. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Present in Somalia in since the 1980s, the IRC implements humanitarian and development programming across various regions in Somalia in sectors such as WASH, health, nutrition, protection and women’s empowerment. The IRC currently has headquarters in Mogadishu and field presence in Garowe, Gaalkayo, Dhusamareb and Baidoa.

Job overview

The IRC is seeking a qualified Team Leader for a program to equip youth, and particularly adolescent girls and women, with basic literacy, numeracy, socioemotional and life skills, and foundational vocational skills to enhance their livelihoods.

Scope of work

The Team Leader will provide overall leadership as well as strategic, technical, operational, administrative and logistical oversight and management of the project in selected states and regions. S/he will closely work with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education (MoECHE) at federal and state level and other stakeholders to oversee planning, implementation and monitoring all project activities, including activities undertaken by sub-contractors. The Team Leader will provide quality assurance of all activities and conduct regular field monitoring visits to ensure compliance, coordination, and high-quality implementation of all project activities. S/he will be based in Dhusamareb or Kismayo, with travel to project sites. The Team Leader will be reporting to the IRC Program Director.

Key responsibilities

• Provide overall project leadership, as well as strategic, technical, operational, administrative and logistical oversight and management to ensure the successful achievement of project goals in selected states and regions.

• Lead and supervise a multi-disciplinary project team, including the Curriculum Development Expert, TVET Specialist, and Gender-Based Violence Officer, while closely collaborating with IRC Somalia country program team members, including M&E, finance, and supply chain teams.

• Serve as the primary point of contact between IRC and key stakeholders, ensuring effective engagement and alignment of project objectives. This includes MoECHE (at Federal and Federal Member State levels).

• Oversee project planning, coordination, and monitoring for all project activities, including those undertaken by partners and/or sub-contractors, ensuring these are compliant with donor requirements and implemented with high quality.

• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to assess project implementation, ensuring adherence to IRC and donor guidelines and environmental and social safeguards requirements.

• Ensure project adaptability and learning, incorporating feedback and lessons learned to proactively address challenges and improve implementation.

• Harmonize development of project strategic plans, annual and quarterly work plans, and overall management of the program in line with donor guidelines.

• Provide effective coordination and guidance among project teams, local government and authorities, community and private sector partners, NGOs, and other key stakeholders.

• In collaboration with the project team, and line ministries staff, establish and oversee monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanisms to develop strong tracking systems and evidence-based reporting.

• Establish compliance with IRC and donor regulations, procedures, and guidelines.

• Promote strong team spirit and provide oversight and mentorship to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

Required qualifications & competencies:

• Education: Master’s degree in education, economics, public health, engineering or a relevant discipline,

• Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in education program management, particularly focusing on adults and young women.

• Demonstrated expertise in overseeing skills training and vocational education programs for adult learners, including large-scale initiatives targeting women’s economic empowerment.

• Proven experience in designing and implementing education programs for women and girls, addressing gender disparities and promoting access to education and skills development.

• Proficiency in evaluating programs and materials, establishing student support systems, implementing assessment strategies, and managing administrative systems.

• In-depth knowledge of the institutional and political context in Somalia, with knowledge of institutional strengthening and policy development in post-conflict contexts

• Experience integrating gender and inclusion strategies into education programming.

• Demonstrated ability for rapid analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translation of programmatic priorities into operational strategies.

• Excellent human resource management skills, interpersonal skills, cross-cultural communication and ease in managing a multi-cultural team.

• Ability to oversee the measurement and communication of robust results and impact and hold their team and implementing partners accountable for good and timely performance.

• Strong understanding of operational management, fiduciary risk, attention to Value for Money and the importance of learning and continual improvement.

• Proficiency in English language, knowledge of Somali language will be an added advantage

• Excellent IT skills (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint).

• Ability to manage a large and varied workload, work under pressure and meet deadlines.

• Somali nationals or long-term residents are particularly encouraged to apply.

**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.

More Information

Job City Dhusamareb

International Rescue Committee Somalia

International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Since October 2012, the IRC has been responding to humanitarian needs of Nigerians. The IRC initially intervened in response to floods that affected over 7 million people across the country, destroying harvest and damaging homes. The IRC is currently implementing programs in Health, Protection, WASH, Nutrition, Food Security, and Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) in Adamawa and Borno States in North-Eastern Nigeria.

The IRC is dedicated to making women and adolescent girls healthier from the earliest phase of acute crises (a target group most vulnerable during crisis) and implements evidence-based reproductive health interventions in line with the SPHERE-standard Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises (MISP). The goal is to ensure that the IRC’s health responses in emergencies include the core package of Reproductive Health (RH) services in its interventions.

The IRC’s Reproductive Health (RH) program is currently implementing (MISP) for RH in 4 health care centers in MMC and Jere LGAs and 1 IDP camp clinic. In addition the program is starting up an emergency mobile programming outside of these areas of Maiduguri in coordination with the WPE team. The focus of this program is to provide quality comprehensive RH and WPE services to conflict-affected women and girls in a timely manner. In addition to the mobile program, the WPE and RH joint mobile teams will be in charge of rapid assessments and rapid response. The mobile teams will be focused in the newly opened LGAs and emergency areas previously inaccessible due to conflict and insecurity. These teams will provide life-saving services to populations outside of Maiduguri, who have not had access to services in approximately 3 years.

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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. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.