Board Engagement Officer

Job Overview/Summary:

The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, rigorous research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization.

We have an independent Board of Advisors responsible for advising Airbel on its strategic direction and raising flexible funding to support its work. The leadership team is currently revising its approach to the Board and Advisors and how they can best support our strategic goals.. At the same time, Airbel aims to put policy change at the fore of innovations in order to drive scale and impact.

We are seeking a dynamic individual to join the Airbel team as Board Engagement Officer and help us develop and drive projects and new ways of communication and collaboration that support an effective and highly engaged Advisory Board. Reporting to the VP, Humanitarian Systems Change, this role requires someone who is able to engage the Board and Advisors, manage projects to enable delivery of board objectives, and support our overall goals pertaining to system change for the broader humanitarian sector.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Board Engagement

• Design and launch initiatives that engage Airbel’s Board & Advisors members as voices of the IRC in creative and timely ways, such as collaborating with Board members on speaking engagements and posting on social media.
• Identify opportunities and spearhead strategic engagement with the Airbel Advisory Network, a group of private sector leaders, designers, researchers, innovators, and practitioners that serves as an intellectually engaging space to shape the innovations launched, implemented, and scaled at Airbel. Where relevant, Advisors provide guidance on how to improve and accelerate our work, identify new problems and solutions for incubation, and scale successful innovations.
• Collaborate with Board leadership members and Airbel staff to craft and implement biannual meetings for the Advisory Board (including on the board meeting pre-reading and agenda). Draft board meeting talking points for IRC and Board leadership, attend board meeting, take and circulate notes, and write up summary reports.
• Coordinate creative engagement events throughout year for Board and Advisors, including one annual Advisors Dinner.
• Project Manage new Board Pilot, focused on convening board members and their networks in new and creative waysDevelop metrics of success for the pilot, analyze progress, and communicate findings.
• Work with staff presenting to the Board to help synthesize content and fine tune messaging. Frequently provide editorial and copywrite support for pre-reads, presentations, and other written communications.
• Edit and send monthly newsletters and quarterly department updates to board members.
• Work across the Airbel and IRC’s External Relations departments to enhance board member connectivity through special projects like managing a social media platform for board members.
• Work closely with IRCs fundraising team to keep account managers abreast of board members interests and happenings (board meetings, engagement sessions, quarterly communications),collaborate on successful events, and other special projects.
• Implement tailored onboarding programs for new Board or Advisor members and present about the team’s work.
• Coordinate with the relevant department heads and board members to facilitate the renewals of board members and the selection of new board members.
• Migrate the advisory board to Board Effect, a new platform IRC is using to manage all of its boards.

1. Additional Project Management

• Lead and manage special projects as required, such as coordinating with External Relations and the Program Leadership team for positioning for external events, and strategic input & engagement with wider IRC leadership on ad hoc policy/crisis-oriented communication.
• Provide project management and research for relevant system change thematic areas and support the development of strategy and messaging.
• Prepare briefing materials and communications outputs for select non-board related activities.
• Supports the VP Humanitarian System Change to drive information flows within the Airbel department and between other IRC Units.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in business, communications, public relations or other relevant field, or equivalent professional experience
• 4+ years in fundraising or partnership development for a higher education or non-profit organization.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including experience writing formal emails, letter, policy briefs, presenting to senior staff and high net worth individuals, and other communications. Has demonstrated the ability to be clear and concise in all communications.
• Experience in project management with a proven history of delivering complex projects on time and on budget.
• Ability to work independently, collaborate cross-departments, and multi-task in response to shifting priorities.
• Active listening skills and ability to work with colleagues from different cultures and contexts.
• Excellent judgment, tact, initiative, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, organizational skills, and self-motivation.
• Able to proactively see gaps and issue areas, propose solutions and mitigation strategies, and independently take forward initiatives that meet demands.
• Ability to handle stress and function effectively under pressure while meeting deadlines.
• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred

• Experience at international organizations.
• Experience with non-profit governing bodies and board relations.
• Language Skills: Fluency in English is required. Additional working knowledge of Arabic, French or Spanish is highly advantageous.

Working Environment:**

Standard office work environment.

This position requires occasional flexibility to participate in meetings or calls outside regular working hours when needed.

Occasional international travel, including to IRC project sites, may be required.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 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.

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

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).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity:

IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. 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.

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.