Jobs at International Rescue Committee

Job Overview
 
Reporting to the Director, Humanitarian Action, the Project Director will embed with a partner to implement humanitarian programming in remote areas of East Africa.  The Project Director will resource, design and drive forward the delivery of high-quality humanitarian aid programming serving crisis affected communities. They will ensure excellent donor and partner relations, first-class leadership and support to the delivery team and frequent field visits for oversight and coordination.

Major Responsibilities: 

Leadership and Representation

• Lead programming by maintaining open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing mentorship, oversight and resources to enable staff to perform successfully.
• Develop and carry out strategies that result in strong representation with: government ministries and/or non-state actors at various levels; UN agencies; donors and other international organizations; international and local NGOs; and NGO coordination networks.
• Ensure that IRC remains a partner of choice for major international donors, and maintain a high level of understanding of donor priorities and planned funding streams.
• Ensure leadership and management processes enable the IRC to effectively adapt to contextual changes and realize opportunities to expand humanitarian assistance.

Program Strategy, Quality and Development

• Ensure that a humanitarian response plan or strategy action plan is up to date, aligns team members and stakeholders and is used to guide decision-making. 
• Ensure program quality by promoting the use of: rigorous assessment, design, and proposal development and review processes; comprehensive monitoring & evaluation, accountability and learning systems; staff development investments; and capacity strengthening.
• Actively seek out and pursue opportunities to grow the reach and integration of humanitarian programming so as to reach more people, in more meaningful ways.
• Remain current on national and regional issues impacting the program and develop responsive strategies to changing contexts.

Stewardship, Operational Management, People and Culture

• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations of the program.
• Lead the development, deployment and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with internal and donor requirements. 
• Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all offices, especially in the areas of HR, finance and supply chain.
• Provide timely and effective oversight of the program’s financial position.
• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds.
• Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.
• Ensure HR policies, practices, recruitment and retention strategies are clearly defined, communicated, competitive, context appropriate and support the maintenance of high-quality and high-performing international and national staff

Safety and Security Management

• Ensure overall management of safety and security including up to date safety and security risk analysis, management plans and standard operating procedures.
• Lead the management of all security issues, including appropriate response to emergency situations as they arise.
• Maintain a culture of safety and security, including trainings and briefings that prepare all staff for security incident prevention and response. Keep security, evacuation and contingency plans current and accessible to staff.

Key Working Relationships: 

• Position Reports to:  Director, Humanitarian Action
• Indirect Reporting: Vice President, Emergencies and Humanitarian Action
• Position supervises: Technical and functional leads

Job Requirements: 

• Master’s Degree in international development, humanitarian assistance or related field. Equivalent experience also welcomed. 
• 8 years’ experience leading complex humanitarian programs requiring extensive judgment and interpretation. 
• Proven ability to provide leadership through direction, decision-making, coordination and communication with staff and stakeholders
• Proven ability to work with partners, peer agencies, local government and community leaders to work effectively towards a common and agreed upon result.  
• Proven ability to evaluate and implement best practices and processes affecting multiple technical specialties to achieve rapid, consistent and high-quality outcomes.
• Experience developing, resourcing & leading complex projects with multiple technical specialties. 
• Fluency in English & Excellent oral, written and computer skills

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Job Overview / Summary: 

The Access tJustice Specialist will lead the IRC’s new Access tJustice initiative – funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) – from April 2023 – March 2025, responsible for the implementation of all key objectives and deliverables of this initiative including technical, programmatic, financial and administrative responsibilities.

The Access tJustice Specialist will be based within the Violence Prevention and Response Unit (VPRU)’s Strategy and Learning Team which focuses on the development and testing of innovative programme models and approaches; development of programming tools, guidance, curriculum and other resources; the generation of evidence through research and learning; and evidence-based advocacy tinfluence policy and practice in the field of violence prevention and response. 

Major Responsibilities: 

Project Management, Oversight and Coordination: 

• Manage the access tjustice project, providing oversight of all programmatic, financial and administrative activities and deliverables.  
• Establish a core project team and initiate mechanisms for regular collaboration and coordination across VPRU. 
• Actively work with relevant IRC country and headquarters staff tidentify project pilot countries.
• Oversee piloting in all three pilot country locations, ensuring effective implementation and coordination. 

Learning and Impact:

• Establish twproject advisory groups and ensure ongoing coordination between the advisory groups and all core project team members.
• Develop and manage a Community of Practice (CoP) and support stakeholders within this space tcontribute tand support key project resources and learnings.
• Package and disseminate the growing evidence base, learning, and good practices on relevant internal (Kaya Connect, IRC.org; RescueNet) and external platforms (GPC Website). 
• Ensure dissemination, through the CoP and the project’s Advisory Groups of key project resources and learnings.
• Document evidence and learning from pilot locations.
• Ensure the production of quality knowledge management products (including but not limited tcase studies, resource package and training materials) of the project. 
• Document and share learning internally tsupport better access tjustice in crisis program design – linking tEHAU Protection in Emergency conversations, coordinating regularly with the Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies (VPRiE) Specialist.

Dissemination and External Representation:

• Lead IRC’s external representation for the project, including ensuring continued coordination and collaboration with external stakeholders within the relevant global humanitarian architecture and alsrepresentative organisations and local and national partners.
• Participate in external working groups, inter-agency task forces and academic conferences that focus on access tjustice timprove practice, shape policies and build new and innovative approaches.
• Present IRC research findings from pilots across contexts and relevant external conferences and events.

Grant Management

• Track and update a workplan and spending plan for successful implementation of the Project, in coordination with the Senior Technical Advisor – Technical Innovations, STA Protection and Rule of Law, and nominated Grant Management lead.
• Contribute tprogrammatic donor reports, communications, and participate in meetings/calls as needed tkeep the donor apprised of program progress.

Key Working Relationships

• Position reports to: Senior Technical Advisor – Technical Innovations, Strategy and Learning Team, Violence Prevention and Response Unit (VPRU)
• Position directly supervises: N/A
• Regular internal (IRC) contact with: Fellow members of the Strategy and Learning Team including the STA for Technical Innovations, STA for Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL) as well as PRoL, WPE, CP Technical Advisors for focal countries; IRC country program staff in selected pilot countries; Nominated MEL Advisor; EHAU Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies (VPRiE) team.
• Regular external contact with:  Key access tjustice external stakeholders as well as engagement with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

Personal Specification: 

Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years professional experience (of which 3 years should be practical experience) in implementing and/or leading Protection & Rule of Law or Access tJustice programs is required, preferably within a humanitarian, international development setting. 
• Experience working with formal and informal justice systems e.g., courts, legal aid, prosecutors, police, paralegals, and traditional justice leaders.
• Experience in elaborating strategic documents and conducting research.
• Experience in stakeholder coordination, activity design and delivery, training, and facilitation Experience: 
• Expertise in program design, monitoring and evaluation, with the ability tturn concepts and strategy intmeasurable action. 
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. 

Qualifications:

• Education: Master’s/post-graduate degree in Law or related field (international law, human rights law, judicial reform, security sector reform, international development, public policy, international relations or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Language: For this position, fluent oral and written English is essential. Ability twork in French or Arabic is highly desirable due toperating context of East Africa & West Africa.