ERT Deputy Director of Programs

Deputy Director for Programs

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.

The IRC Emergency Unit (EmU) supports the IRC's global vision of serving people affected by emergencies, including in the hardest-to-reach communities, with quality, responsive humanitarian aid. We aspire to ensure programs are properly resourced, locally led and always designed and delivered in partnership with local organizations and communities.

Scope of work: EmU's Emergency Response Team (ERT) is made up of team members who regularly deploy to either support existing country programs in their emergency response, or to initiate a new program in a crisis zone. The overall responsibility of the team is to rapidly and effectively design, develop and manage the IRC's on-site humanitarian response to meet the immediate needs of the affected population. The ERT is also responsible for supporting the transfer of responsibilities and knowledge to the long-term staff to ensure the continuity of IRC programming and operations.

All ERT staff members are expected to be deployed in the field, either in an emergency or roving capacity, for 65% of the time and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification; emergency deployments take precedence over other duties.

The Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) is a full-time position, responsible for starting up and leading programs in acute emergency response. This may include providing strategic leadership, decision-making and coordination for program development and delivery, overseeing the effective implementation and technical quality of IRC's emergency programs. The DDP ensures that programs are evidence-based and needs-driven, monitored closely, and funded appropriately. The position reports to the Country Director (CD) and is a member of the Senior Management Team. The DDP directly supervises grants, partnerships, MEAL, and all technical coordinators, often in Health, Cash and Basic Needs, Education and Protection sectors. When not deployed, the ERT DDP will contribute to IRC's strategic objectives and technical workstreams for the Quality in Emergencies pillar. A successful candidate will demonstrate a track record of working independently in fast-paced environments and applying creative, flexible design to protection programming in humanitarian contexts.

This position has close working relationships with the EmU Quality in Emergencies (QiE) team, and other members of the EmU and regional support teams.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and management of IRC emergency programs, maintaining and enforcing strategic program direction and growth.
• Oversee the implementation of the emergency response plan and lead the eventual transition to the development of a country program Strategy Action Plan (SAP).
• Drive IRC's efforts towards a 'partner first' program approach and foster a network of local partners, empowering those entities to lead key decision making and service delivery, and positioning IRC as a partner of choice.
• Build strategic partnerships with local actors, fostering collaboration on strategy, program design and development, and capacity sharing.
• Serve as a leader in building a culture of effective and respectful partnerships. Promote attitudes and values conducive to building and sustaining collaborative partnerships across the country program.
• Participate actively in country program management, coordination, and strategy meetings with other members of the senior management team.

Program Quality

• Ensure programming is aligned with the emergency response plan, eventual SAP priorities, and IRC's Outcomes and Evidence Framework (OEF), including program planning and project design.
• Liaise with headquarters technical advisors and ensure technical coordinators apply relevant guidance and best practices in new program design and implementation.
• Ensure high-quality and adaptive technical program support and guidance to partners.
• Support the development of measurement tools to assess program impact and involvement of client groups in program design. Ensure the alignment of the IRC emergency programs with the MEAL Handbook and the use of established stringent monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Champion an organizational culture where data and client input are routinely used for decision making and program adaptation. Promote systems which ensure that evidence is used to inform proposal design and theories of change.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to improve client feedback mechanisms to ensure responsive programming.

Program Delivery

• Maintain a sound understanding of IRC emergency programs and activity plans. Ensure continued oversight of both partner and direct delivery.
• Support and supervise implementation of strong Project Management Cycle processes and tools in accordance with standard IRC tools. Ensure that safeguarding risks and measures to mitigate risks are consistently addressed through the PCM cycle.
• Ensure program teams develop, implement, and regularly update detailed workplans, procurement plans, spending plans and staffing plans.
• Actively contribute to and/or chair project implementation meetings as required to review progress of programs, including but not limited, to progress indicators, workplans and spending. When required, coordinate the development of corrective measures to ensure projects finish on time and on target, ensure timely follow up on any agreed actions.
• Ensure the office consistently promotes and effectively uses IRC's Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) and that partnership decision-making and action is driven by IRC's partnership principles.
• Build staffing required to deliver on safeguarding risk mitigation and Minimum Standards into program design and budgets (e.g., support delivery toward Safeguarding Minimum Standards 2 and 5).

Business Development and Grants Management

• Work with colleagues in the country program, region and headquarters to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive, responsive proposals that are strategically aligned and donor compliant.
• Provide strategic direction for new program design in close coordination with the grants and technical coordinators.
• Ensure that strategic partnership considerations are incorporated in program design, including in Go / No-Go funding discussions.
• Ensure the proactive engagement of partners in program development and project design efforts.
• Review and assure the quality of concept notes and proposals.
• In collaboration with the Grants Coordinator, ensure program compliance with donor regulations, local government regulations and IRC internal control procedures.

Representation and Coordination

• Maintain a strong working relationship with donors. Lead external representation with donors as required.
• Actively, systematically, and regularly ensure ongoing communication with various partners in country.
• Ensure that IRC emergency program interventions are planned and coordinated within the broader humanitarian effort.
• Ensure IRC is represented at sector coordination groups, including the clusters.

Staff Performance Management and Development

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, and establishing a supportive environment while emphasizing accountability.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Develop cohesive teams through regular department meetings, individual meetings, and the promotion of a collaborative working environment.
• Coordinate performance management within the department and ensure a culture of high performance through staff engagement and accountability.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices.
• Work with regional People & Culture staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
• Model accountability and commitment to safeguarding all staff, partners, clients and others with whom we work; build a culture of safeguarding -- where our clients and staff trust IRC, feel safe raising concerns.
• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the "IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct" throughout the country program.

Requirements

• Excellent professional track record with at least 8 years of experience in conflict and humanitarian environments with significant program leadership responsibilities.

• Successful experience delivering programs in a complex security environment strongly preferred.

• Ability to commit to a deployment within 72 hours of notification of assignment for a minimum of 6 weeks at a time.

• Proven ability to think strategically, prioritize and meet deadlines in a challenging emergency setting.

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

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