Jobs at International Rescue Committee

Job Overview/Job Summary

The Global Programs & Partnerships communications team, is part of the Marketing & Mobilization (M&M) department. The team works to showcase our programmatic and technical excellence, as well as support and highlight IRC’s partnerships with the private and philanthropic sectors and high value donors. Working in collaboration across IRC teams with interdependent objectives and strategies, the team leads communication that spotlights philanthropic partnerships and programmatic impact. 

As a key member of the M&M team, the Senior Global Communications, Impact Partnerships role will develop and lead communication strategies that deliver global visibility around impact partnerships like PlayMatters, Re:Build and Ahlan Simsim. Working closely with M&M colleagues, the global partnership services, philanthropy and high value teams, the role will further support the communications needs within an existing portfolio of foundation partners, working to spotlight impact and scale. The position will also help drive forward coordinated communications campaigns around key moments like World Refugee Day or International Women’s Day. The post-holder will play a key role in developing the strategies for and coordinating the delivery of select integrated campaigns.

Major Responsibilities

• Develop and implement communications strategies for highlighting our innovative partnerships like PlayMatters, Re:Build and Ahlan Simsim.
• Coordinate and support communications staff within key partnerships (PlayMatters, Re:Build) to deliver on donor and program visibility requirements and resources.
• Deliver strategic advice, media stories, communications activities as well handle any potential reputation risks for select partnerships. 
• Identify and champion communications opportunities internally and externally for existing and potential partners.
• Develop business-to-consumer messaging, craft simple and compelling narratives based on complex themes and ensure internal dissemination and awareness.
• Own relationships with key communications staff in partner organizations, and work with them to find opportunities as well as handle expectations and the delivery agreed outputs. 
• Collaborate with internal partnership relationship focal points to identify potential profile-raising opportunities within broader partnership conversations. 
• Contribute to proposals to potential partners, including providing creative ideas, strategic advice, tactical approaches and plans for measurement and evaluation. 
• Work with colleagues in M&M, as well as across Fundraising, Policy & Advocacy, and other IRC teams to plan integrated campaigns around key moments like World Refugee Day or End of Year campaigns. 

Job requirements

• Genuine excitement about the notion of bringing our amazing stories to new audiences.
• 6+ years in Consumer and/or Brand communications in the NGO or Cause-Marketing sectors
• Private sector experience or agency preferred.
• A creative problem solver who’s able to navigate complexity and ambiguity to get to the heart of and cultivate a great story.
• A seasoned media relations professional with relationships with tier-one media, and an ability to form new relationships.
• An experienced generalist who thinks about and drives Communications across channels, e.g., video, digital, social, internal and media.
• A strategist, planner and do-er, i.e., someone who has a proven record of developing creative ideas and campaigns and drive implementation.
• A history of working on profile-raising, dynamic public-private and/or luminary/celebrity campaigns, and a comfort level engaging with and providing counsel.
• Experience of leading projects and collaborating with multiple internal and external partners.
• Superior Communications “hard skills,” e.g., a terrific writer with a demonstrated ability to develop, pitch and secure feature media coverage.

Working Environment:

• Nairobi or London based but working in a hybrid environment with the option of remote work a few days a week. Needs to be available to work occasionally on a EST US time zone.

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The Deputy Director for Cash and Markets is responsible for leading technical support efforts for cash and markets programming, aiming to achieve support as envisioned within IRC's Strategy100. The Deputy Director develops and implements global programming strategies and provides advice on strategic projects as well as advisory and support for new and scaled up cash interventions and markets response. This position guides and informs IRC on strategic design for emergency and cash relief programming, supports technical assistance, supervises the cash and markets teams, and ensures the quality and consistency in delivery of programs.

Major Responsibilities:

•  Lead the development and implementation of global strategies to guide high quality CVA and ERD emergency preparedness and response programs. Provide technical supervision to the delivery of CVA and ERD response programming, in collaboration with the STA Cash & Emergencies. Assure compliance with grant provisions, IRC quality standards, and its overall global strategy.
• Provide management and technical leadership to a passionate team of CVA and emergency response personnel, including through mentorship, training, and technical guidance.
• Serve as a member of the senior management team for the ERD TU.
• Coordinate and guide the implementation of strategic projects relating to CVA or market-based program delivery, including those developed as part of the global cash strategy of Strategy 100 and emergency cash and livelihoods strategy.
• Provide direct remote and on-site technical support and assistance to an assigned portfolio of country programs, supporting the design, implementation, monitoring and management support for country teams.
• Provide leadership and technical review in the development of proposals for TU-led and managed grants, relating to global technical support projects for CVA and emergency programming. Interact with IRC’s Business Development Unit, Economic Recovery & Development Unit, Emergency and Humanitarian Action Unit, and country programs to assess opportunities and evaluate which are most needed to address humanitarian needs in context of the IRC’s strategic priorities and how to best leverage available resources.
• Represent CVA programming across the organization. Serve as a key resource to IRC staff seeking information about program activities, including advocacy and external relations departments and specifically about supporting cash first and cash across outcomes approaches.
• Along with the ERD Sr. Director, other DDs and relevant STAs, continue to update and refine ERD focal point model and country coverage planning to ensure the best possible support to country programs.
•  Represent ERD emergency preparedness and response and cash programming and the IRC in outside meetings of importance with donors, other non-governmental organizations, inter-agency working groups, foundations and other practitioners in the field. Share and learn best practices to support more robust evidence-based programming within IRC.
• Ensure that new program models and emergency strategy advances the IRC commitment to cash first.
• Work closely with regional teams, specifically Deputy Regional Directors, to support trouble shooting of technical issues, push forward key priorities and management of country relationships.
• Provide technical support to strategic country engagement as identified.

Job Qualifications:

• Education: Master’s/post-graduate degree in international relations, economics, agriculture, nutrition or relevant field, or equivalent combination of education and experience are required.
• Work Experience: A minimum of 10 years of work experience within a humanitarian or international development setting is required, with 7 years of field-based experience in emergency or crisis contexts preferred. In-depth programmatic experience coordinating emergency response and markets support efforts, conducting in-depth livelihoods/market assessments, and starting-up emergency programming required. Extensive experience in CVA program implementation is critical, additional experience in food security, agriculture, nutrition, WASH, health or protection programming is highly valued.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Strong supervisory skills are required. This position requires strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively articulate strategic vision within the team, throughout IRC and with external audiences.
• Demonstrated experienced in mobilizing and coordinating internal and external partners to achieve common objectives.
• Expert-level fluency in livelihoods technical terminology, concepts and approaches is important.
• Demonstrated commitment to renewing and maintaining currency with illustrative practices.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in English; Proficiency in one of IRC’s languages, French, Spanish or Arabic, is preferred.

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The Chief Strategy Officer is the leader of the Strategy Unit, overseeing a small but high-performing team that work on projects aligned to the top priorities of the IRC. The role has ultimate responsibility for the work of the SU, managing directly the more senior members of the team and playing a thought leadership role across all projects. The CSO represents and champions the Strategy Unit and S100 across the organization as well as externally.

The Strategy Unit supports projects across a range of different topics that are of critical importance to the IRC. These are defined in close collaboration with the President, the Chief Operating Officer and the rest of the Leadership Board and cover a range of topics from strategic evaluation, operational improvement, organizational structure, etc. Ultimately, the Strategy Unit works to help IRC deliver greater impact for those who we work with and serve, including more than 19 million people worldwide affected by conflict and crisis.

The position requires exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to think strategically about IRC’s role across the humanitarian ecosystem and beyond. Candidates will need strong emotional intelligence and the ability to understand and manage a complex set of stakeholders across the organization as well as externally. They also need to be inspiring leaders who can help recruit, develop, and retain exceptional talent into the Strategy Unit and IRC, and who can oversee teams and coach other members of SU on how to structure and manage complex projects. The role requires independence and initiative, a deep commitment to impact and the ability challenge IRC norms and the ability to think differently about how to achieve the organization’s strategic goals.

The role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and works extensively with the President as well as other Leadership Board members.

Major Responsibilities:

• Be the champion and steward of IRC’s multi-year strategy, S100, internally and externally
• Lead the work to define and develop IRC’s Quarterly Strategy Reviews, present results and lead discussions with the Leadership Board
• Oversee tracking of progress against Strategy100 in collaboration with other leaders across the organization
• Prepare for implementation of Phase 2 of Strategy100, including reviewing results to date as well as changes in the external environment
• Lead the work of the Strategy Unit including defining the Unit’s overall mission as well as it’s key areas of focus, identifying and scoping projects together with “clients” from across IRC, and lead project development and implementation
• Oversee management of the Strategy Unit including line management responsibility for the more senior members of the team. Recruit, develop, inspire, and retain talent with a focus on attracting diverse talent from outside IRC into the organization
• Curate a positive, collaborative, inclusive and efficient team working environment where team members enjoy working with each other, feel able to do impactful work and grow professionally over time, including through regular developmental feedback
• Act as a strategy thought partner for senior leaders across IRC, including the President and members of the Leadership Board
• Co-manage the President’s Office Delivery Unit and provide thought leadership to its work in collaboration with the Senior Director of Policy & Planning

Job Requirements:

Work / Educational Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or a direct equivalent is required
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience, ideally including strategic analysis, project management and advisory of senior leaders
• Track record of high performance with gradually increasing responsibilities

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Experience overseeing and leading teams that drive
  • Strategic analysis, strategy planning and implementation
  • Execution of strategic change and organizational change management
  • Project management of large-scale, cross-functional projects in a fast-paced environment
• Deep strategic thinker that can lead an organization in reflecting on its role in a rapidly changing environment, using qualitative and quantitative data to develop, refine, syndicate, and push towards implementation transformational organizational strategies
• Understanding of and passion for IRC’s work, and how the humanitarian and development sectors are evolving, coupled with a desire to shape and drive change across these sectors
• Ability to connect with, debate and influence senior leaders and support them in reflecting and driving change across their organizations
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills – ability to present and influence at the highest levels both internally and externally.
• Highly collaborative and able ability to work independently in a dynamic, cross-functional global structure
• Experience and ability in managing a team of high-performers and to recruit, develop, inspire, and retain team members.
• Ability to respond enthusiastically and positively to ambiguity, be resilient to shifting priorities and setbacks, and be comfortable with imperfect analysis and solutions

Preferred experience & skills:

• Experience in a strategy role at either a strategy consulting firm, or in the strategy development function of a global organization
• An MBA, a master’s degree or direct equivalent in international development, human rights or another field related to the IRC’s work
• Experience in a humanitarian or development organization, or similar
• Knowledge of French, Arabic or Spanish