Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination (NSDOC); (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization (GRHDD); and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services (MPSCS).

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Disasters, Climate and Crises (Prevention Response & Recovery) Department consists of four teams, of which the Climate, Migration & Resilience is one. The Climate team is part of this team, alongside the Migration and Displacement team.

The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (Climate Centre/RCCC) was established by IFRC and the Netherlands Red Cross in 2002. Its mission is to help the IFRC membership and wider Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its partners reduce the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events on vulnerable people. The Centre works at the interface of climate science, policy and practice. For further information, see www.climatecentre.org.

Climate change is a central element of IFRC’s Strategy 2030 and Plan & Budget 2021-2025, which stresses the urgency to massively scale-up climate action in view of increasing disasters and climate-related impacts on vulnerable people.

Job Purpose

The Senior Officer, Climate Action is the IFRC technical focal point on climate action and seeks to advance the work and position of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on climate action globally. The Senior Officer ensures quality technical advice and resources to support effective climate action and enables increased engagement of Red Cross Red Crescent-National Societies on climate change. The Senior Officer, Climate Action promotes climate-smart programs and operations, locally led adaptation, and contributes to capacity building and the development of approaches and tools to support the translation of global policy and standards into practice at the national and local level.

The Senior Officer works closely with the various units of the IFRC Secretariat that have responsibility for climate-related work, at both global and regional levels, and the work of the Climate Centre. This includes coordinating DCC Department planning and reporting in relation to climate change, liaising with other relevant teams as needed, including alignment of Climate Centre activities related to climate action and programming on the ground to ensure maximum contribution to IFRC strategic aims and deliverables.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure quality technical advice and resources to support effective programming

• Contribute to the development of strategies and plans for how to reach IFRC’s climate-related targets related to the Plan & Budget, in close coordination with relevant colleagues.
• Support the mapping of needs and practices of National Societies related to climate action, in collaboration with regional offices and the Climate Centre.
• Provide technical advice on how to mainstream and scale up climate action in country operational plans and emergency appeals.
• Identify necessary tools and information needed by IFRC and National Societies related to climate action and climate-smart programming and operations and contribute to the development and/or improvement of guidance, tools, trainings or other material, as required, in collaboration with relevant colleagues.
• Work with Regional Offices and relevant partners to support capacity building activities for National Societies related to climate action, ensuring a coherent and comprehensive approach aligned with related technical areas (e.g. anticipatory action, nature-based solutions).
• Support resource mobilization and proposal development related to climate action, together with relevant colleagues and Regional Offices.

Advance the work and position of the IFRC on climate action globally

• Contribute to global level planning and positioning efforts for the IFRC Secretariat on climate action, in particularly through providing inputs into IFRC multi-year and yearly operational planning, promoting alignment of Climate Centre planning to ensure maximum contribution to IFRC strategic aims deliverables, supporting coordination with other relevant teams, and pursuing opportunities within IFRC governance and the Movement’s statutory meeting processes.
• Support the creation and the functioning of coordination platforms for National Society engagement on climate change (e.g. the Climate Action Task Force).
• Draft strategic documents for the Red Cross Red Crescent network on climate action, in close cooperation with relevant colleagues.
• Contribute to climate-related efforts by other IFRC departments, as relevant (e.g. Policy, Partnerships, Communications).
• Support IFRC’s Humanitarian Diplomacy team in enabling the Secretary General and senior management in their representational and positioning efforts on climate change.
• Strengthen relationships with external partners, including by representing and presenting on behalf of the IFRC, developing strategic partnerships and advocating for key priorities identified by the IFRC and RCCC.
• Support the shaping of climate finance opportunities through strengthening global level partnerships and supporting the engagement of regional/country offices and National Societies and, where possible, shaping the methodology for strengthening our engagement and contribution to climate finance projects.
• Represent IFRC in key global fora, such as the Global Framework for Climate Services and UN for NAPs initiative, ensuring effective coordination and information sharing with IFRC Regional Offices and the RCCC.
• Provide direction and contribute to the development of IFRC communications campaigns and products on climate action.

Support effective technical level coordination between the IFRC Secretariat and the Climate Centre related to climate action

• Support communication and dialogue between IFRC and the Climate Centre through information sharing, establishing connections between teams, and drawing from and linking Climate Centre expertise to IFRC work wherever relevant.
• Provide input to the Climate Centre’s strategies, proposals and concept notes to ensure consistency with IFRC approaches.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Be responsible and accountable for the overall planning of related projects

• Provide financial management, monitoring and coordination of project activities, and the delivery to time, budget and agreed quality standards of project outputs with related reporting and representation.
• Ensure the integrity of financial and administrative procedures and the consistent application of IFRC rules and procedures related to project activities.
• Contribute to the overall planning, budgeting and reporting of the IFRC team and the department.

Contribute to an effective, high quality IFRC team

• Provide progress reports on results against objectives and risk analyses as required.
• Contribute to a client-oriented approach that values accountability for results, proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, high performance and cost effectiveness.
• Foster a collaborative working environment with colleagues in the IFRC Secretariat, Regions, the Climate Centre, National Societies and external partners.
• Be available to deploy to Regions, Country Offices, or Operations to provide support as necessary.

Duties applicable to all staff

1. Actively work towards the achievement of the IFRC Secretariat’s goals.
2. Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
3. Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Education

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in climate change, disaster risk reduction, international relations or related field.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in related field.

Experience

Required

• 5 -7 years of work experience in climate change adaptation, climate change policy, climate-smart disaster risk reduction and/or related work.
• Experience working in humanitarian or development sector, with developing countries and/or with an international organisation.
• Experience in building relationships with relevant partners and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated professional credibility in the sector of climate change adaptation or climate change policy.
• Experience working in an international or cross-cultural environment.

Preferred

• Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC/Climate Centre.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluently spoken and written English.
• Knowledge of organisational and management methodologies, techniques and interventions to create environment of sector excellences.
• Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive.
• Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners.
• Energetic and enthusiastic individual, engaging, brokering and facilitating learning and dialogue among diverse groups.
• Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organisation.
• Proven good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality.
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment.

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.

Application Instruction

Please submit your application in English only.