International Rescue Committee
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. This is no short-term humanitarian episode.
IRC is providing a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis with a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1000+ staff in the Syria Country Program. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria in the fields of health, child protection, early childhood development, women’s protection and empowerment, cash assistance, 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:
The Human Resource Director is accountable for providing strategic leadership for over 1000 staff and incentive workers in the Syria Country Program, across multiple geographical locations including northwest Syria, northeast Syria, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Turkey and Jordan. S/he will lead an HR team of more than 20+ professionals to ensure high quality and efficient staff recruitment, contracts management, orientation, learning and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, code of conduct compliance, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, and staff care. The position holder operates within the scope of IRC management in partnership model and reports directly to both, Syria Country Director and Regional HR Director – MENA.
The HR Director will adapt and implement Global and Regional HR initiatives and practices, and serve as an advisor to maximize organizational staffing resources and performance, minimize risk and ensure economy and efficiency of work processes. Importantly the HR Director will promote and cultivate a positive and healthy organizational culture, and work to ensure that this culture is practiced and lived across the Country Program. The position holder will serve as a key member in the Senior Management Team (SMT) and work collaboratively with the leadership to establish and maintain an organizational culture in line with IRC’s values.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic HR Leadership and Management
• Devise and deliver a planned HR approach to attracting, developing, inspiring and retaining the right people with the right skills to achieve strategic, high-quality programmatic outcomes.
• Monitor the KPIs for Syria Country Scorecards and lead on Syria inputs to both country and regional HR scorecards. Analyze monthly HR data such as turnover rates, time to fill, workforce composition, etc., to diagnose and identify priorities and evaluate effectiveness of relevant HR programs.
• Lead the performance management process in Syria CP. Create a plan to implement the annual and mid-year reviews, conduct training on goal-setting, utilize budgets to organize development activities and work one-on-one with managers and employees to create country wide development plans.
• In coordination with Regional Compensation and Benefits Coordinator, define and review salary structure; coordinate annual compensation review process and compensation adjustments for Syria staff.
• Devise staff care action plans that elevate morale and support the social, physical, and psychological well-being of staff; create emergency staff care interventions.
• Oversee HR-related administrative duties and support compliance with existing legal and governmental reporting requirements. Ensure all legal obligations are fulfilled in Syria, Jordan and Turkey.
• Lead all employee relations matters with professional patience with the aim of empowering employees and supervisors to have the tools and resources vital to resolve conflicts with mutual respect. Lead or co-lead investigations and ensure issues are resolved and appropriate follow-up is carried out.
• Coach supervisors in resolving appropriate disciplinary plans of action in a judicious manner. Follow-up disciplinary measures and related employment law matters.
• Ensure exit management procedures are detailed and a positive transition for departing employees.
Staff Performance Management and Development
• Serve as a model of supervisory excellence; 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 constructive feedback and counsel on career paths and professional development for HR team and IRC Syria staff; establish an organizational environment of continuous learning opportunities.
• Support senior staff to pursue nationalization/regionalization of senior and middle management positions.
• Promote and assess staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices.
Communications
• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the Syria team.
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff by delivering an employee engagement and communication strategy.
• Maintain and demonstrate open communication and partnership on projects and shared goals with field HR staff as well as other HR Leads at the country level, regional HR and HR HQ levels.
Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI)
• Integrate GEDI strategies for building a diverse workforce through recruitment, development, leadership assessment and succession, and total rewards. Support the work of Gender Champion team and Women@Work resource groups.
• Ensure leadership create and empower a diverse and safe organizational environment. One that is respectful and inclusive and grants each employee an equal opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the IRC.
• Research and advice on gender equality, diversity and inclusion issues from an HR lens, including monitoring external HR GEDI trends, and create programs, training and organizational cultural values around them.
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: Country Director and Regional HR Director
Position directly Supervises: HR leads in northwest Syria, northeast Syria, Turkey and Jordan.
Key Internal Contacts:
Country Program: Senior Management Team members
Regional: Regional Compensation and Benefit and Staff Care team members.
HQ: HR, Employee Relations and Duty of Care teams
Key External Contacts:
HR counter parts at other I/NGOs
Job Requirements
Education:
• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s university degree in HR management, organizational behavior, international relations or development, MBA, Law or related field is preferred.
Work Experience:
• 10 – 12 years of progressive experience as a HR practitioner, including recruitment, employee relations, compensation, training and development and HR Administration.
• Minimum 5 years staff management experience in a fast-paced environment.
• Confirmed experience with an international organization or international experience.
• I/NGO experience required.
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
• A commitment to IRC’s mission, vision, values and IRC Way – Professional Code of Conduct.
• Strategic leadership experience leading a HR function for large budget programs in the INGO sector.
• Strategic experience with leading staff, global workforce planning, and development of HR processes during a start-up phase is a plus.
• Credible written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development in English and Arabic (desired).
• Validated sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to handle complex HR situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.
• Excellent management and interpersonal skills and a solid ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.
• Validated ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional patience.
• Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other partners to maximize cooperation and productivity.
• Very strong proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint is required.
• Curiosity, a desire to continually learn and develop and a sense of humor is a must.
• Analytical ability in creating effective HR solutions while adhering to labor laws.
Language/Travel:
• English is required, while Arabic is a strong advantage.
• 50% travel to field in Turkey and northeast Syria and attending regional/global workshops and meetings
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.
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.
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality 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
How to apply
https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/37091?c=rescue