Executive Director

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 is seeking an Executive Director (ED) to advance its work in Dallas and Abilene, Texas in providing services to refugees and Asylum seekers. The ED sets the vision, articulates the mission, and manages the implementation of quality, evidence-based or evidence-generating programming to maximize client outcomes. They are responsible for the development of resources vital to operate national and local programs, including building positive relationships with local, regional, and national resource partners. The IRC is especially seeking applicants who bring lived experience and those who reflect a background in working with unionized organizations.

IRC’s offices in Dallas and Abilene currently have a combined projected FY24 operational budget of $26.1 million and approximately 180 total staff with significant anticipated growth. Programs primarily focus on refugee resettlement and case management, employment, behavioral health, economic empowerment, education, anti-trafficking, youth, and immigration services.

Major Responsibilities

General Management and Leadership

• Organizational Leadership: Establish and articulate vision and strategy for the IRC in Texas. Engage with local leaders and communities to advance IRC’s mission and serve as a thought and operational leader; cultivate collaborative working relationships with state and local agencies, service providers, donors, advocacy partners and community organizations. Ensure the development and implementation of inclusive, effective, and holistic strategies to improve outcomes for clients.
• Planning: Lead local strategic planning process. Coordinate with IRC headquarters and ensure office’s strategic plan reflects the agency’s overall mission and goals. Contribute to RAI network-wide initiatives and capacity building models to advance the IRC Strategic Plan.
• Team Management: Build and cultivate an inclusive team. Plan, organize, distribute, and coordinate the flow of work. Hire, supervise, guide, and advise staff in accordance with IRC processes and values. Promote compliance with the IRC Code of Conduct; take ownership for actions and be accountable for those of the team. Maintain office management structure that bolsters coordination across departments. Ensure effective onboarding, capacity building, professional development and performance management strategies, and compliance with applicable labor laws. Responsible for the building of strong employee relations.
• Operations: Ensure timely and consistent communication with HQ on operational issues, policies and reporting; support local implementation of IRC policies including procurement, IT, and security and safety protocols. Plan for and collaborate with HQ to secure adequate facilities and operations support, as needed, to successfully enable IRC’s work.

Financial Management

• Budget Oversight: Coordinate annual budget development; regularly review the operating budget as well as monthly budget-to-actuals; maintain effective systems for tracking spending rates; address anomalies in revenue and expenses. Build capacity of program managers to support responsible financial management of their assigned programs.
• Resource Development Plan: Be responsible for development and tracking of annual resource development plan to ensure achievement of goals and adequate resourcing of restricted and unrestricted funds.

Advocacy, External Relations, Development, and Fundraising

• Advocacy: Lead local advocacy efforts and support national and state advocacy efforts; host Board members, senior staff, and donor visits; engage in and support community and policy outreach efforts.
• Resource Development: Define resource development strategy and develop a local fundraising plan based on analysis of office and program strengths, service gaps and local environment. Collaborate with colleagues to optimize use of technical support and resources; cultivate local donor relationships to maintain and expand funding base.
• Marketing: Coordinate development of a marketing strategy and plan contextualized for the local environment; ensure marketing materials are consistent and of high quality.
• Media and Communications: Maintain positive public image of IRC; engage with the local media outlets and develop working relationships; collaborate closely with IRC Communications Department on media efforts in accordance with IRC policies on external messaging.
• Partnership: Build positive relationships in relevant sectors and refugee communities. Collaborate with partners to address refugee needs and support an enabling environment for refugee integration.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree required; advanced degree in related field preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible work experience with social services or humanitarian assistance programs; strong preference for previous experience with direct services delivery to clients in cross-cultural environments.
• Demonstrated staff management, program development, monitoring, evaluation, and advocacy experience.
• Authentic leadership; demonstrated ability to promote an organizational culture that reflects IRC’s core values of service, accountability, integrity, and equality. Ability to lead in a way that recognizes that IRC’s work is best accomplished through the true collaboration of individuals from many cultures with a great variety of skills and perspectives.
• Successful and significant fundraising and grant writing experience.
• Financial management experience, including effective management of budgets.
• Proven people management and strong employee relationship-building skills; demonstrated ability to deliver results and translate words into action.
• Experience or background in working within unionized organizations is highly desired.
• Keen diplomatic and interpersonal skills; ability to enhance internal and external relationships, including with partners and donors. Ability to work successfully and with utmost integrity and respect in cross-cultural environment and with limited English-speaking client population.
• Ability to heighten the visibility of the office and programs, both within the IRC network and in the external environment.
• Superior organizational skills: ability to set priorities and effectively manage time in a fast-paced team environment.
• Proven digital literacy to include experience using MS Office.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 25%.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Minimum Qualifications:Update