Director, Strategy and Measurement in Emergencies at International Rescue Committee

Responsibilities

Lead Emergency and Humanitarian Action Strategy (60%)

• Lead, structure and project-manage the long-term development, improvement, delivery, and measurement of IRC’s Strategy Action Plan (SAP) for Emergencies and Humanitarian Action. This includes identifying and prioritizing initiatives relating to all areas of IRC’s emergency response strategy, influencing decision-making, advocating for and allocating resources, and establishing trusted metrics to measure progress. 
• Via close intra- and cross-departmental collaboration, identify opportunities for EHAU’s growth and improvement and facilitate discussion amongst relevant stakeholders regarding high-potential action areas. Ensure actionable strategies and goals are appropriately integrated into the broader unit expectations and areas of focus. 
• Utilizing insights from the MEAL team and other organizational sources, lead on governance and performance management for EHAU, providing quarterly data and insights, identifying key management and performance metrics, establishing overarching routines for tracking, coordination, discussion, and debate, and monitoring and communicating performance and financial health across EHAU teams.  
• Serve as a thought partner, sounding board, and idea crafter for the EHAU VP and SMT. Create written and presentation content to advance the unit’s major needs and requests. Support stakeholder management and presentation strategy with senior stakeholders.
• Be responsible for managing and identifying risks and challenges that may impact EHAU’s efficiency and ability to meet strategic goals. Develop contingency plans and partnerships to detect and prevent issues from arising. 
• Effectively manage the communication of the unit’s strategy to senior management, team members, CRRD regional leaders, and other IRC stakeholders to ensure all levels of the organization are aligned and working towards a shared goal. This includes managing the update of SAP content and narrative to reflect up to date priorities and progress, overseeing the proper implementation and focus of team events, and ensuring a “One-IRC” approach to messaging. 
• Establish routines and structures that support efficient working of the SMT in collaboration with VP Emergencies.
• Act as a full voting member of EHAU’s SMT. Routinely attend CRRD SMT as an advisor.

Lead EHAU’s MEAL Team (40%)

• Provide technical leadership and strategic direction to the Quality in Emergencies’ MEAL team.
• Participate in QiE Leadership team to ensure clear coordination and support of pillar-wide MEAL needs.
• Closely collaborate with QiE STAs to ensure relevant programmatic lens is brought into MEAL deliverables. Provide oversight to MEAL technical and strategic direction to responses and technical projects.
• Develop and lead QiE’s Learning Strategy in close collaboration with QiE and Delivery pillar leads. Work closely with the MEAL TA to establish routines and consistent learning products.
• Backstop and provide mentorship in the completion of learning exercises for relevant emergencies. 
• Foster and champion a cultural of data driven decision-making in emergencies.
• Ensure EHAU MEAL team is well synced with global Measurement Unit shifts, policies and guidance.
• Serve as focal point for any incoming EHAU level requests for MEAL support.
• Work with the Systems TA in the development of governance structure for Airtable and documentation around maintenance. Ensure EHA SAP measurement and analysis backend is maintained.

Team Culture

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with EHAU, TechEx, and regional colleagues and continually promote a culture of partnership and collaboration.
• Cultivate and maintain a positive, collaborative, safe and protective work environment, while additionally setting an example of ‘One IRC’-way of working within the team, EHAU and the wider organization.
• Contribute to efforts across EHAU to promote gender equality, diversity and more inclusive practice across our programming and our ways of working.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Senior Director, Quality in Emergencies 
• Position directly supervises: Strategy Officer, Unit & Events Officer, MEAL Systems Technical Advisor and MEAL Technical Advisor.
• Partners with: Vice President of Emergencies and Senior Director of Policy and Planning for CRRD
• Works closely with: EHAU SMT, ERT MEAL Coordinators, QiE Leadership Team, HQ Technical Leaders, TechEx Leaders, CRRD Regional Leaders, Regional Emergency Directors, Departmental Strategy focal points and Directors of Policy and Planning, Strategy Unit focal points.

Job Requirements: 

Essential:

• Strong strategic leadership and ability to drive forward project implementation with minimal oversight and support.
• Ability to proactively identify challenges and develop creative solutions in close collaboration with partners. Shown ability to understand the bigger picture, make connections across the organization, and identify trends and opportunities.  
• Exceptionally well-organized and structured critical thinking, work planning, and execution – with ability to remain adaptive and flexible to changing circumstances. 
• 10+ years’ experience working in the humanitarian sector.
• 5+ years in progressively senior roles in MEAL or strategic analysis; shown ability to design tools, guidance and learning exercises in emergency contexts.
• An ability to accurately distil information, data, and opinion to draw out key messages and critical details.
• Shown ability to collaborate across diverse roles, functions, and geographies to devise and inspire change.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, orally and in writing, within a diverse team. Includes active-listening and the ability to incorporate feedback.
• High integrity and ethical standards, collegial and collaborative behavior, high energy, resiliency, and creativity.
• Experience developing and leading capacity strengthening initiatives around MEAL.
• Experience leading teams toward the achievement of joint goals.
• High dedication to fostering a working environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Excellent spoken and written English.
• Ability to travel globally up to 20% of the year.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree or equivalent relevant work experience.
• Consistent record serving as a role model, empowering others to translate vision into results; effective at delegating the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority.
• Receptive and collaborative leadership approach.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work in fast-paced, often insecure and stressful environments.
• Working knowledge of Arabic, French, and/or Spanish.