Deputy Director, Cash & Markets

Background / IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive, recover and gain control of their future. The IRC is working to improve the safety, health, education, economic well-being and power of people in crisis affected places.

The Economic Recovery and Development Technical Unit (ERD TU) is responsible for supporting the development, implementation, and monitoring of client-centered programs such as, but not limited to, cash and voucher assistance (CVA), rural & agricultural livelihoods, and enterprise development and employment promotion. The TU’s technical assistance to this wide variety of programs ensures quality and use of evidence-based practices; promotes innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion; and drives data-based management and decision making.

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:

1. 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.
2. Provide management and technical leadership to a passionate team of CVA and emergency response personnel, including through mentorship, training, and technical guidance.
3. Serve as a member of the senior management team for the ERD TU.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Ensure that new program models and emergency strategy advances the IRC commitment to cash first.
11. 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.
12. Provide technical support to strategic country engagement as identified.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Senior Director, ERD

Position directly supervises: Cash Technical Advisors (up to one per region, totaling 6), CVA Operations Specialist, Management in Partnership with Sr. Director, Quality in Emergencies to supervise STA Cash & Emergencies

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: IRC’s Business Development Unit, Emergency Preparedness and Response unit, external relations and advocacy departments and country programs.

External: Donors, inter-agency working groups, other non-governmental organizations, foundations and other practitioners in the field.

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.

Working Environment: Travel approximately 20% of time.

Standards for professional conduct and commitment to equality:

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Client Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

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.

We offer benefits that help promote an empowering work environment, including parental leave, medical insurance, counseling services, gender-sensitive security protocols, and more.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Language preference and/or interpretation to interview for the role can be made available upon request for the IRC’s working languages (Spanish, French, Arabic, English).

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:

In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

US Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.