Deputy Regional Director – MENA

IRC’s work in the Middle East and North Africa Region is among our most challenging and innovative. Over a decade of conflict in Syria has pushed millions from their homes and into poverty, and millions more have become refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and further afield. Equally complex are the emergencies in Libya and Iraq, where waves of fighting and displacement have overwhelmed infrastructure and services and pushed communities to the brink. Lebanon is struggling to cope with a so-called ‘triple crisis’, consisting of a pre-existing refugee crisis, near financial and economic collapse and a global pandemic. These crises were only exacerbated by the devastation caused by the Beirut explosion in 2020. In Jordan, like across the world, the virus added to the already existing challenges caused by a recent history of rapid population growth due to instabilities in the region and further economic challenges, and as always, the most vulnerable have been hit the hardest. The economic, social, and health effects of these crises have impacted the entire region.

The IRC responds to people’s acute and longer-term needs with integrated programs that improve health and safety, prioritize women and children’s protection, foster economic wellbeing, and empower communities to regain control over their lives. Our work gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, conflict sensitivity, coordination, and impact.

The Deputy Regional Director (DRD), Middle East and North Africa (MENA), will have significant management and international experience, a passion for humanitarian relief and development work, relevant language skills, and be capable of thoroughly understanding and successfully overseeing program design, implementation and delivery in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Libya. The DRD will ensure the quality of IRC’s programs, develop new program opportunities, and drive performance and results in the region. S/he is expected to be an outstanding communicator and team leader, and a committed and passionate humanitarian.

Position summary

Exercising the delegated authority of the Regional Vice President, the DRD provides a range of strategic, programmatic and management support to country programs and regional colleagues. S/he will be an ambassador for organizational priorities and goals to the country programs and supporting country leaders in the implementation of IRC’s Strategy 100. A key function of the role is to navigate the organization on behalf of the country programs.

The Deputy Regional Director will support the Regional Vice President in overseeing IRC’s engagement and programming in response to the development challenges and the humanitarian crises impacting the Middle East and North Africa region. In addition, the DRD will engage with regional NGO, UN, and donor representatives, to position IRC on regional initiatives and to further IRC’s strategic goals. The DRD will also be actively engaged in business development opportunities, especially around multi-year, high value projects.

The DRD will travel regularly to country offices (as is possible) to provide management support, including exceptional management of specific issues as required, and to monitor program quality. A significant portion of the DRD’s time will be spent on Strategic Plan monitoring and support, business development activities, quality program implementation, regional representation as and when required and programmatic staff coaching and mentoring. The DRD role will be based in Amman, Jordan and report directly to the Regional Vice President- MENA.

Key responsibilities

1. Strategy

• Work closely with the Regional Vice President to ensure that the IRC’s global strategy is understood and guides decision-making throughout the region.

• Facilitate and coordinate regional participation in global strategy discussions, initiatives and pilots.

• Support delivery of country-level strategy action plans (SAPs) including implementation of SAP monitoring mechanism and review processes, including leading SAP reviews and reporting.

• Build consensus around a common vision of what shared success in the Middle East and North Africa Region looks like, including developing and tracking appropriate indicators. This includes program quality and growth.

• Support country programs to move forward agreed regional priorities including partnership, client responsiveness and using data for decision making.

2. Leadership & Coordination

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.

• Provide support to the country programs’ Deputy Directors for Programs.

• Provide leadership to increase country programs’ coordination, collaboration, communication and harmonization of programming.

• Drive coordination between programming and operations and across sectors and outcomes, with the objective of improving the quality of IRC programs and impact on the people IRC serves.

• Facilitate close and efficient coordination of regional staff’s support to the country programs, and with headquarters departments on common programming, operational and funding issues.

• With the Regional Vice President, coordinate with regional NGOs, Donors and UN representatives, ensuring that IRC’s remains a key partner in the humanitarian coordination architecture.

3. Innovation & Program Quality

• Manage the region’s relationships with the Technical Units (TUs), and support TU-country program collaboration to optimize impact on program quality within and across country programs.

• Strengthen the region’s readiness to respond to new emergencies in line with global IRC emergency response and preparedness guidelines.

• Facilitate sharing and learning across countries, and support country programs to incorporate learning from other regions into project design and operations management.

• Support the region’s engagement with IRC’s R&D lab.

• Engage the regional team and country programs in on-going context analysis to ensure IRC programs are continually adapted to the evolving contexts across the region.

• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented in support of IRC’s vision of cost-effective, outcomes-driven and evidence-based interventions that are responsive to the local context and the priorities of our beneficiaries.

• Where applicable support country teams to adopt and use industry-standard remote management practices and maximize program quality and controls.

4. Business Development & Partnerships

• In coordination with the IRC’s Awards Management Unit, provide focused business development support to country programs, building country capacity to win multi-year and high value projects.

• Support RVP in taking go/no-go decisions regarding pursuit of regional funding opportunities.

• Support timely submission of competitive, responsive and high-quality proposals that align with country priorities identified in Strategy Action Plans, and support country program colleagues in negotiations with donors.

• Oversee the design and implementation of IRC’s work in partnership to support and build capacities of local civil society and other key stakeholders, positioning IRC as a valued INGO partner.

• Participate in shaping policy positions and advocacy messages pertaining to the overall humanitarian situation and IRC’s response in Middle East and North Africa.

• Support country programs in networking and alliance-building activities, promoting cross-sectoral engagement with the private sector, universities, research institutions, and other potential “non-traditional” partners.

• Support the development of country business development plans which marry the priority outcomes identified in each country SAP with the priorities of existing and new donors.

Supervisory responsibilities: Regional Measurement Action Coordinator; Director, Awards Management; Regional Emergency Director; Regional Partnerships Advisor.

Key working relationships

Internal: Regional Vice President; other members of the MENA Regional Leadership Team; Deputy Directors of Programs; Technical Excellence Unit staff; other regional staff; other Deputy Regional Directors; HQ and UK colleagues in various departments

External: Donors; NGO representatives; UN officials; and others

Qualifications and experience

• 8-10 years in senior program management roles, with several of these being in an international NGO.

• Post-graduate qualification or equivalent relevant experience in a relevant discipline.

• A diverse background in programs, with strong understanding of M&E, strong analytical skills, and experience leading strategic planning processes.

• Demonstrated ability to influence peer agencies, local government and community leaders to work effectively towards a common and agreed upon result.

• Demonstrated ability to evaluate and implement best practices and processes affecting multiple technical specialties to achieve rapid, consistent and high quality outcomes.

• Demonstrated expertise in representation and negotiations, resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organization.

• Highly-developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching. Must be able to give direction from a variety of management styles and roles.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently with limited supervision.

• Strong commitment to the IRC’s mission, purpose and values.

• Fluency in English is essential, Arabic language is preferred

Other Information: This position is based in Amman, Jordan and will require up to 40% of time spent traveling within the region.

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.