Deputy Country Director – Programs

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Today, 13.4 million people in Syria – more than half of the country’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance with needs increasingly being exacerbated by economic decline. Of these, 6.8 million are refugees and asylum-seekers who have fled the country. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1000+ staff in Syria Country Program. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, early childhood development, education, women’s protection and empowerment, non-food items and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, protection and rule of law, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

IRC Syria Country Program (CP) has recently united under one leadership for the entire Syria response. The Deputy Country Director – Programs reports directly into the Country Director and is responsible for overall leadership and management of program delivery and expansion in line with priorities outlined in the CPs Strategic Action Plan. Specifically the DCD-P oversees a dynamic and diverse team of national and international staff spread across multiple geographies, to ensure that IRC Syria’s programs are of high quality and impact, with a focus on ensuring programs are evidence-based and needs driven.

As a Senior Management Team member the DCD-P is expected to engage actively in strategic thinking, planning and coordination. S/he works closely with all SMT members (finance, operations, security, HR, advocacy and compliance), fostering collaborative working relationships to ensure that IRC is able to achieve its mission on the ground.

Alongside the Country Director the DCD-P represents the IRC at the highest level and is able to develop, articulate and deliver a strategic vision in line with decisions made by the Country Director. Specifically s/he will work alongside the CD to actively expand the IRCs networking capacity across the Syria response, including representation in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Northeast Syria as required. The DCD-P will also act as the primary designate and acting CD when required, and will assist the CD in maintaining and leveraging the IRCs leading position in the Syrian response.

The DCD-P is based in Amman, Jordan, with 50% of time expected travelling across the region for field visits and external representation as required.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Representation

• Provide leadership and supervisory management of programs in Syria, including mobilization and stewardship of resources, program quality and accountability, and performance management.

• Participate actively in country program management, coordination, and strategy meetings with other members of the senior management team.

• Actively engage with donors, partner agencies, and the humanitarian community in Syria to ensure IRC is strongly represented in coordination and advocacy efforts, across multiple locations as required by the Syria response.

• Remain abreast of ongoing humanitarian response and funding trends in the region, and provide regular updates on these trends and analysis of how they may affect IRC programming in the short and long term.

• Actively liaise with IRC counterparts in the Middle East & North Africa Region (DDPs/DCD-Ps) and the regional team to maximize synergies and application of best practice across the region.

• Primary designate to the Country Director; engage in high level representation as required.

Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth

• Custodian of Syria’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP), providing cohesive leadership to IRC’s program teams in Syria, ensuring that priorities and opportunities identified are in line with and contribute to achievement of IRC’s objectives for the Middle East & North Africa Region and the SAP.

• Provide strategic guidance to the Program Implementation and Quality Director (PIQD) to ensure programming is evidence and needs based, and of high quality and impact, and in line with SAP priorities.

• Support the PIQD and HR director in pushing forward GEDI related initiates as of our S10

• Work with colleagues in country program, region and HQ to identify funding opportunities and oversee the development of competitive, responsive proposals that meet internal standards, contain cost effective funding applications, apply IRC’s global strategy, and are donor compliant; meet with donors to discuss current and potential funding opportunities.

• Ensure all supervisors uphold the principle of shared security responsibility by rigorously identifying, effectively mitigating, and appropriately resourcing safety and security risks across all grants and opportunities, both with IRC staff and partners.

• Work closely with all SMT members to ensure support department systems are regularly reviewed and in place to support ongoing program operations and strategic growth.

Staff Performance Management, Learning and Development

• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting quarterly performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented regular performance reviews.

• 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.

• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations.

• Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate.

• As part of succession planning and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of selected national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by end of assignment.

• 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.

• Promote and monitor staff care, well-being and self-care and ensure this is practiced throughout the programs department. Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage.

• Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.

• Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.

Grant Monitoring & Partner Management

• Support the Program Implementation and Quality Director to develop, adapt and implement appropriate systems that enhance program effectiveness and quality, and ensure appropriate and timely grant spending to achieve program goals.

• Ensure systems and policies are in place in the programs department to enable timely and accurate budgeting and spending plans, and compliance to all donor rules and regulations.

• Consistently promote and ensure application of the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results system (PEERS)

• Oversight of the Partnership Working Group and other coordination meetings between the partnership team and other departments, ensuring these mechanisms drives cross departmental collaboration and the effective and efficient management of partnerships under the direction of the SMT.

• Direct oversight of project risk management, working closely with the Country Director and Compliance Coordinator to determine and rollout appropriate preventive risk mitigation measures to reduce risks.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Country Director

Position directly Supervises: Program Implementation and Quality Director, Grants Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator and Partnerships Coordinator, WoS Protection Co-Coordinator and WoS Health Co-Coordinator

Key Internal Contacts:

 Country Program: Senior Management Team members

 Regional: Deputy Regional Director and team members from humanitarian access and security, partnerships, public affairs, HR, finance, supply chain, monitoring and evaluation, ICT4P and others

 HQ: Program quality and technical units, advocacy, strategy and others as needed

Key External Contacts:

 Public and private donor agencies

 International and national NGOs

 UN agencies

 Partner organizations

 Foreign governments

Job Requirements

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s university degree in international development, public health or other relevant field is preferred.

Work Experience:

• 8 – 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience managing complex multi-sectoral humanitarian programming.

• Previous experience in an emergency or conflict-afflicted setting is required.

• Experience living and successfully working in a remote, complex, unstable environment, while maintaining a focus on program outcomes, preserving calm and a sense of humor.

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

• Successful leadership experience managing a multi-disciplinary team and cross-cultural dynamics.

• Successful management of multi-site operations.

• Proven remote management experience.

• Conversant in best practices in humanitarian interventions across programmatic sectors. Strong familiarity with IRC’s core programming areas in Syria, including Protection, Health, and Economic Recovery and Development

• Design, implementation, and management of highly-sophisticated M&E systems.

• Demonstrated ability for rapid, accurate analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translation of programmatic priorities into operational strategies.

• Repeated, successful experience delivering appropriate levels oversight for a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects.

• Superior diplomatic and coordination skills are essential, both for internal coordination and for working with key stakeholders

• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.

• A keen understanding of political complexities in the Middle East region.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Excellent leadership and management skills including coaching, mentoring and managing teams

• Politically astute, with well-developed diplomatic and negotiating skills.

• Superior oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders.

• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US and international donors.

• Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations.

• Strong commitment to IRC’s vision, mission and core values.

Language/Travel:

• English is required, while Arabic is an advantage.

• Travel: 50% to field sites in Turkey and Northeast Syria as well as attending regional and global workshops and meetings

Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Diversity and Inclusion: at IRC MENA, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.

How to apply

https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/29412?c=rescue