Country Anticipatory Action Coordinator

The Country Anticipatory Action Coordinator leads the implementation of the Scaling Anticipatory Action for Displacement (SAAD) project in Colombia, focusing on integrating displacement forecast triggers within DRC's Rapid Response Mechanisms to enable earlier humanitarian mobilization. The role involves technical leadership, stakeholder coordination, data analysis, advocacy, and project management to reduce the impact of predictable shocks and displacement-related protection risks in conflict-affected areas.

Responsibilities

• Lead the integration of displacement forecast triggers within DRC's Rapid Response Mechanisms, embedding a structured foresight layer within the existing coordination platform and adapting activation protocols to enable anticipatory mobilization.
• Lead the development and operationalization of conflict-sensitive Anticipatory Action Plans (AAPs) for Colombia, including trigger design, pre-agreed intervention packages, and clear institutional roles and responsibilities.
• Coordinate the refinement and localization of DRC's machine learning displacement forecasting model for Colombia, integrating protection monitoring data, climate-conflict compounding risk indicators, and community-based early warning signals.
• Lead the Integrated Context Analysis (ICA) process for Colombia, including community consultations, key informant interviews, and mapping of existing early warning systems, displacement drivers, and protection risks across SHARP coverage areas.
• Facilitate co-design processes with civil society organizations, protection actors, peacebuilding stakeholders, and government institutions to develop and validate AAP triggers and intervention packages.
• Ensure AAP design is conflict-sensitive and protection-centered, reflecting the interaction between armed conflict dynamics, climate shocks, and displacement patterns specific to Colombia.
• Provide operational oversight of AAP activations, ensuring timely delivery of anticipatory measures and robust evidence capture.
• Represent DRC in the National Technical Working Group on Anticipatory Action, ensuring coordination with government duty bearers, UN entities, Red Cross, INGOs, and local civil society and protection actors.
• Maintain and strengthen partnerships with local civil society organizations, peacebuilding actors, and academic institutions supporting AAP co-design, sub-grant implementation, and local knowledge production.
• Coordinate closely with DRC Colombia's SHARP team, Protection Monitoring staff, and emergency response colleagues to align anticipatory action with existing country systems and ensure operational coherence.
• Support institutionalization of anticipatory action within national disaster risk management and early warning architectures, including engagement with relevant government counterparts at national and sub-national levels.
• Work with DRC's global and regional data analysts to monitor displacement forecasts, refine trigger thresholds, and ensure forecasting models reflect current field realities in Colombia.
• With the support of the MEAL manager, oversee the implementation of the SAAD MEAL framework in Colombia, including impact assessments of displacement mitigation and cost-effectiveness.
• Coordinate the project's academic partnership with a Colombian university, supporting joint research design, longitudinal monitoring, and data collection during AAP activations.
• Document and systematize evidence from AA activations, including trigger-to-action intervals, intervention outputs, and after-action review findings.
• Contribute to the South-South learning exchange between Nigeria and Colombia, sharing evidence, methodological adaptations, and lessons from contrasting implementation approaches.
• Contribute to global, regional, and national knowledge-sharing through case studies, learning briefs, and policy papers.
• Contribute to SAAD's national advocacy strategy on anticipatory action for displacement in conflict-affected settings.
• Support DRC Colombia's broader business development efforts by contributing to AA-related proposals and donor engagement.
• Represent DRC's anticipatory action approach at national and regional forums, contributing to positioning DRC as a thought leader on anticipatory action in conflict-affected settings in Latin America.
• Ensure quality and timely technical and financial reporting in line with SAAD project requirements and Carnegie Corporation of New York donor standards.
• In close collaboration with the DRC National Protection and Conflict Analysis Specialist, manage sub-grants to local partners, overseeing implementation quality, financial compliance, and after-action documentation.
• Maintain regular communication with the Regional AA Coordinator, global project team, and country management on progress, challenges, and emerging risks.
• Manage field travel budget and contribute to workplan and budget monitoring throughout the project cycle.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in humanitarian programming in conflict-affected settings, with at least 2 years directly working on anticipatory action, early warning, rapid response mechanisms, or disaster risk management.
• Demonstrated experience working in Colombia or the Latin America region, with strong contextual understanding of armed conflict dynamics, displacement drivers, and humanitarian coordination systems.
• Experience designing and implementing anticipatory action projects or preparedness systems, including trigger development, anticipatory action planning, and participatory co-design processes is a clear asset.
• Familiarity with rapid response mechanisms (RRM), protection monitoring, and conflict-sensitive programming in complex displacement contexts is a clear asset.
• Strong coordination and facilitation skills, with demonstrated ability to convene and sustain multi-stakeholder processes involving government, civil society, and humanitarian partners.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and work under pressure in complex, politically sensitive environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 30% of time, including to field locations in conflict-affected areas.
• Full professional fluency in Spanish (written and spoken) and professional proficiency in English is required.
• Proficiency in MS Office and working knowledge of data tools for monitoring and analysis.
• Familiarity with rapid response coordination mechanisms.
• Experience managing sub-grants to local partners.
• Experience with quasi-experimental MEAL methods in humanitarian settings.
• Experience with climate-conflict interaction analysis.
• Academic background in International / Humanitarian Affairs, Political Science or Peace and Conflict Studies, Geography or Environmental Studies with a conflict/displacement focus, Social Sciences (Sociology, Anthropology) with a displacement or forced migration specialization, or related field.

Skills

• Humanitarian Programming
• Anticipatory Action
• Early Warning Systems
• Rapid Response Mechanisms Implementation
• Disaster Risk Management
• Conflict Analysis
• Humanitarian Coordination
• Project Design
• Trigger development
• Participatory Co-design
• Protection Monitoring
• Conflict-Sensitive Programming
• Stakeholder Coordination
• Subgrant Management
• Quasi-experimental MEAL Methods
• Climate-conflict Analysis
• Data Analysis
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Rapid Response Coordination

Languages

Spanish, English