Background/IRC Summary: Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. 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.
The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through 26 offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees and other immigrants resettle in the U.S. and become self-sufficient. The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a tireless advocate for the most vulnerable.
The Policy & Practice Department is a dynamic team combining the IRC’s Communications, Policy and Advocacy, and Technical Unit expertise. Its core purpose is to develop the IRC as a thought leader and drive transformational change in the humanitarian sector, and specifically to dramatically increase the productivity of humanitarian aid and its ability to achieve outcomes for people living in and displaced by conflict and crisis.
Job Overview/Summary: This position is responsible for supporting the Director, Senior Director and Vice President of Policy and Advocacy in creating a well-functioning, efficient and results oriented Policy and Advocacy department. This includes leading forward planning to increase the resources, scale and scope of advocacy work during the implementation of the IRC 2020 Strategy. The Manager will also create and improve systems for collaboration with IRC Country Programs, U.S. Programs offices and Technical Units, seeking to understand diverse needs and define a balance between strategic and responsive decision making processes. S/he will create and facilitate mechanisms and business processes that enable effective governance, prioritization and implementation of the IRC’s advocacy work.
Major Responsibilities:
- Develop and manage operations of policy governance board, an internal body through which IRC’s advocacy work will be prioritized, measured, communicated and coordinated
Create and manage effective coordinating mechanisms to facilitate a multi-disciplinary and matrixed team of colleagues with diverse, complimentary competencies aligned on a set of priorities and working efficiently
Develop strategies and systems to support positive change management and harness the depth of knowledge and experience of the team to champion new ways of working together
Identify areas of inefficiencies or gaps in current systems/policy/procedures and work with relevant units and IRC operations departments to develop and implement improvements
Support VP in strategic effort to strengthen relationships, collaboration and prioritization with regional and country leadership, serving as a key partner, relationship builder and leader
Analyze data and evidence produced by Technical Units and Country Programs in order to support advocacy initiatives on health, safety, education economic wellbeing and power
Establish effective business practices to ensure optimization of resources where need is evident
Survey knowledge management needs and develop action plans to address these
Coordinate process of technical product completion, and hold members of the department to account on deliverables as identified by the VP
Produce, coordinate and disseminate communications materials to support the team. Provide regular updates to the department and senior leadership on the status of program activities. Oversee the establishment and ongoing maintenance of a resource library
Job Qualifications:
Education:
Graduate degree in related field such as Business Administration or Public Affairs
Work Experience:
- Minimum five years work experience in relevant roles
- Experience in organizational strategic planning, problem solving, operations and performance management in complex but low resource organizations
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
- Management consulting, business strategy or equivalent skills, preferably with pre-existing knowledge or experience in humanitarian/development/nonprofit sector
- Extensive knowledge of change management and organizational development approaches and practices
- Aptitude for and interest in providing creative means of training and developing staff in organizational systems and procedures
- Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to successfully work in a fast paced environment, within and across departments/functions and develop positive relationships with locally and remote based staff
- Strong Microsoft Office skills and experience with organizational information and financial systems needed
Working Environment: Standard office environment.
IRC leading the way from harm to home.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
EmoticonEmoticon