The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The IRC began planning to reopen a Palestine country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health, protection, food security, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities.
The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term Palestine country program in parallel. This effort is being jointly managed by the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a view to eventually transition the country program fully under the MENA region.
Location: Jordan, but will transition to office in Ramallah.
Scope of work
The Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) provides strategic leadership, decision-making and coordination for program development and delivery, overseeing the effective implementation and technical quality of IRC’s programs in Palestine. The DDP ensures that programs are evidence-based and needs-driven, monitored closely, and funded appropriately. The position reports to the Country Director (CD) and is a member of the Senior Management Team. The DDP directly supervises grants, partnerships, MEAL, and all technical coordinators, currently inclusive of health, protection, cash & basic needs, and education with potential to expand into additional technical areas.
This position has close working relationships with the EHAU Quality in Emergencies team, the MENA Deputy Regional Director, MENA Regional Emergency Director and other members of the EHAU and regional support teams.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
• Provide overall leadership and management of IRC Palestine programs, maintaining and enforcing strategic program direction and growth.
• Oversee the implementation of the Palestine emergency response plan and lead the eventual transition to the development of a country program Strategy Action Plan (SAP).
• Drive IRC’s efforts towards a ‘partner first’ program approach and foster a network of local Palestinian partners, empowering those entities to lead key decision making and service delivery, and positioning IRC as a partner of choice.
• Build strategic partnerships with local actors, fostering collaboration on strategy, program design and development, and capacity sharing.
• Serve as a leader in building a culture of effective and respectful partnerships. Promote attitudes and values conducive to building and sustaining collaborative partnerships across the country program.
• Participate actively in country program management, coordination, and strategy meetings with other members of the senior management team.
Program Quality
• Ensure programming is aligned with the emergency response plan, eventual SAP priorities, and IRC’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework (OEF), including program planning and project design.
• Liaise with HQ technical advisors and ensure technical coordinators apply relevant guidance and best practices in new program design and implementation.
• Ensure high-quality and adaptive technical program support and guidance to partners.
• Support the development of measurement tools to assess program impact and involvement of client groups in program design. Ensure the alignment of the IRC Palestine programs with the MEAL Handbook and the use of established stringent monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Champion an organizational culture where data and client input are routinely used for decision making and program adaptation. Promote systems which ensure that evidence is used to inform proposal design and theories of change.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to improve client feedback mechanisms to ensure responsive programming.
Program Delivery
• Maintain a sound understanding of IRC Palestine’s programs and activity plans. Ensure continued oversight of both partner and direct delivery.
• Support and supervise implementation of strong Project Management Cycle processes and tools in accordance with standard IRC tools.
• Ensure program teams develop, implement, and regularly update detailed workplans, procurement plans, spending plans and staffing plans.
• Actively contribute to and/or chair project implementation meetings as required to review progress of programs, including but not limited, to progress indicators, workplans and spending. When required, coordinate the development of corrective measures to ensure projects finish on time and on target, ensure timely follow up on any agreed actions.
• Ensure the office consistently promotes and effectively uses IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) and that partnership decision-making and action is driven by IRC’s partnership principles.
Business Development and Grants Management
• Work with colleagues in the country program, region and HQ to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive, responsive proposals that are strategically aligned and donor compliant.
• Provide strategic direction for new program design in close coordination with the grants and technical coordinators.
• Ensure that strategic partnership considerations are incorporated in program design, including in Go / No-Go funding discussions.
• Ensure the proactive engagement of partners in program development and project design efforts.
• Review and assure the quality of concept notes and proposals.
• In collaboration with the Grants Coordinator, ensure program compliance with donor regulations, local government regulations and IRC internal control procedures.
Representation and Coordination
• Maintain a strong working relationship with donors. Lead external representation with donors as required.
• Actively, systematically, and regularly ensure ongoing communication with various partners in country.
• Ensure that IRC Palestine’s program interventions are planned and coordinated within the broader humanitarian effort.
• Ensure IRC is represented at sector coordination groups, including the clusters.
Staff Performance Management and Development
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, and establishing a supportive environment while emphasizing accountability.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Develop cohesive teams through regular department meetings, individual meetings, and the promotion of a collaborative working environment.
• Coordinate performance management within the department and ensure a culture of high performance through staff engagement and accountability.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices.
• Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the Palestine country program.
Requirements
• Excellent professional track record with at least 8 years of experience in conflict and humanitarian environments with significant program leadership responsibilities.
• Successful experience delivering programs in a complex security environment strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to think strategically, prioritize and meet deadlines in a challenging emergency setting.
• Demonstrated ability for rapid, accurate analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translation of programmatic priorities into operational strategies.
• Familiarity with IRC Palestine’s core programming areas including health, protection, cash & basic needs, and education.
• Excellent leadership, people management, interpersonal and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to develop harmonious teams.
• Demonstrated ability in coordination, networking and relationship building with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organizations, UN agencies.
• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US and other international donors.
• Excellent oral and written English skills, including the ability to write and edit complex technical documents for external submission with minimal oversight. Knowledge of Arabic preferred.
• Excellent MS Office skills.
• Self-motivated, honest, highly responsible.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Willingness to travel at least 25% of time, including to complex security environments.
Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.