Deputy Director, Livelihoods

Background

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.

Job Summary

The Deputy Director (DD), Livelihoods serves as the lead for livelihoods programming at the IRC, which includes agriculture and rural livelihoods and enterprise development and employment (EDE) programming. The DD leads the team in driving the global vision, direction, innovation and policy positions focused on increasing food security, and the economic empowerment of IRC clients. The position holder will equally lead on the expansion of IRC’s CVA strategy and work with other team members. Lastly, the DD will ensure the integration of cross-cutting themes and collaboration across other TUs in line with IRC’s organizational and ERD TU’s team strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy

• Develop, refine, promote, advance, and track IRC’s livelihoods (agricultural, rural, urban, enterprise development, and employment) priorities, programming and strategy for growth and sector thought leadership, including quality assurance, decision-making, tool development, and areas for innovation
• Lead the ERD TU’s financial inclusion work, including further developing and refining a financial inclusion strategy, partnerships, innovation piloting and country program uptake
• Along with the other DDs, Sr. ERD TAs and Sr. Director, further improve non-financial private sector partnership approaches
• In pro-active collaboration with ERD’s cash team, further the continued development of ERD’s market strengthening and transition programming approaches
• Ensure adequate buy-in and incorporation of cross-cutting issues into ERD work, including gender equality, ICT4P, climate change and inclusion
• Track and translate new sector developments for IRC to add to and incorporate into programming to improve program quality
• Support the development and processing of overall ERD strategy, including contributions to other ERD program areas and ERD engagement in IRC Strategy100

Management

• Recruit, on-board, and directly manage new staff
• Manage staff goal setting, work planning, talent development, performance check-ins, and ensure timely implementation and follow-up
• Build and maintain strong team culture and model collaboration and positivity
• Serve on ERD’s leadership team
• Plan and be responsible for the timeline implementation of livelihoods-related work streams such as related tools and resource develop or those within ERD’s annual work plan

Technical Assistance

• Support TAs to carry out quality technical assistance following the IRC Technical Assistance Model and IRC’s IMPACT Standards
• Support the M&E team in refining and developing core indicators and relevant data collection and analysis tools to support use and uptake of data to course correct programming
• 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
• 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

Internal and External Engagement & Communications

• Along with Sr. Director, develop advocacy, communications outputs for advancing priorities within livelihoods programming
• Identify and engage in relevant networks, working groups, and platforms and establish and maintain key peer relationships
• Acts as a global spokesperson for IRC’s livelihoods programming through representation within the humanitarian sector
• Support team in its work towards advocacy and representation

Research

• Along with the Sr. Director and Research Coordinator, refine and develop enterprise development, employment, rural and agricultural livelihoods, and financial inclusion related research priorities and programs
• Support the Research Coordinator in identifying and developing relevant academic and research partnerships as well as country program partnerships
• Advance the Research and Innovation Priorities identified at organizational level

Business Development

• Function as point person for IRC’s business development units to evaluate funding opportunities
• Pro-actively identify and pursue funding opportunities advancing livelihoods priorities, including global funding opportunities and TU-lead specific funding opportunities
• Build and sustain key donor relationships
• Provide business development staff at IRC with support to promote livelihoods related fundraising (e.g. communications material, participating in meetings, supporting pitch/presentation development)

Key Working Relationships

• Reports to the Sr. Director Economic Recovery and Development
• Supervises at least 7 global staff directly
• Collaborates closely with other ERD TU teams, as well as other TUs, regional teams, advocacy teams, and assigned country programs as focal point and backstop
• Engages regularly with CRRD leadership around IRC’s strategy development and Strategy100 initiatives, including Outcome and Evidence Framework (OEF), Strategic Action Planning (SAP) and IMPACT standards
• Collaborates closely with business development units across IRC Inc and UK and across public/statutory and private funding

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications

• Post graduate degree in economics, business management or finance or equivalent education and experience
• Proficiency with Windows-based software (MS Office, Teams) and cloud storage systems such as BOX
• Demonstrated dedication to an anti-racist and Do No Harm approach, gender equality and inclusion
• Excellent interpersonal skills involving listening to, interacting with, and communicating clearly with people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds with a high degree of professionalism and pro-activity
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills, with the ability to think and plan strategically
• Capacity to work flexible hours, as appropriate to accommodate for different time zones
• Solid organizational skills: proficiency in working productively under remote team and management structures
• Language: Fluency in English plus demonstrated excellence in one of the four IRC working languages – Arabic, French, or Spanish is preferred
• Excellent writing and editing skills, particularly with the ability to draft and edit proposals and to write and publish technical resources

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years related work and team management experience, preferably in humanitarian or post-conflict settings
• Proven technical expertise in delivering and managing enterprise development and employment, financial inclusion, market strengthening, agricultural and natural resource management programs including some significant experience in implementing programs overseas, preferably in conflict or disaster affected environments
• Proven track record in business development with US, European, and multilateral donors and partnership with the private sector
• Experience in supporting the design and implementation of research initiatives
• Willingness and interest in travelling internationally up to 40%.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position

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 Beneficiary 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, (add additional benefits based on the role/location or any that may be missed), 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).