Regional Head, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Regional Liaison – MENA

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

The Agenda for Renewal provides a vision for how the IFRC sees its role in the implementation of Strategy 2030. The Agenda for Renewal ensures that the IFRC provides strategic and operational membership coordination, National Society Development services and represents the collective with humanitarian diplomacy and advocacy.

The IFRC Secretariat work is guided by its Plan & Budget 2021-2025, articulated around five strategic priorities: Climate and Environmental Crises, Evolving Crises and Disasters, Growing gaps in health and wellbeing, Migration and Identity, Values Power and Inclusion. The Plan & Budget 2021-2025 also defines three enablers: Engaged, Accountable, Trusted.

This position sits in the Regional Office under the supervision of Regional Director.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this position is to lead a team composed of different functions which have overall responsibility for Humanitarian Diplomacy, Regional Liaison Support and the Communications. The position is responsible for overseeing different positioning initiatives and coordinating external relations of the Regional Director’s Office as well as the implementation of IFRC’s Humanitarian Diplomacy agenda in the region. The position is responsible for managing Communications, Risk Management and Executive Support.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Regional Director, this position ensures that IFRC engages and influences key stakeholder through various forums and events, engagement with the diplomatic community, governments, and international organizations and humanitarian diplomacy initiatives with the aim of advancing the IFRC agenda and better positioning the IFRC in the humanitarian field.

The role also includes communications with staff, National Societies, and a wide range of external stakeholders.

As required, the Regional Director will directly engage on certain files such as communications and/or risk management as necessary.

Communications

• Provide strategic direction focusing on internal and external stakeholder engagement in support of humanitarian diplomacy goals.
• In close liaison with communication and technical leads, facilitate the production of analytical pieces, briefs, or reports to support effective advocacy.
• Collaborate with, and leverage support from, internal and external partners to support the development of innovative approaches and initiatives that build advocacy expertise and enable collective strategic positioning within the IFRC network.

External Relations and Events

• Ensure thorough preparation and coordination of external relations and events.
• Coordinate the preparation and content development of supporting documentation for strategic meetings.

Engagement with the Diplomatic Community, Governments, and International Organizations

• Ensure the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the Regional Director’s strategic outgoing correspondence by coordinating with relevant internal stakeholders, providing analysis on political and humanitarian issues and compounding contexts and stakeholders as well as finalizing supporting documentation.
• Proactively identify opportunities for engagement with the diplomatic community, governments, and International Organizations and ensures effective follow-up as appropriate.

Risk Management

• Manage the provision of strategic risk management to the Regional Director.
• Ensure the successful implementation of the IFRC’s Risk Management Policy / Framework by ensuring its’ operationalization across country and regional teams.
• Manage the successful embedment of risk management into day-to-day tools, processes and policies.
• Lead the analysis, collation and dissemination of salient information and advice pertaining to the management of risks facing IFRC in the region.
• Ensure informed decision making based on tracking, assessment, mitigation, escalation, and reporting of operational risks faced by IFRC and its stakeholders in the region.
• Provide proactive solutions to existing risk management issues.

Convening of Humanitarian Diplomacy Forums and Capacity Building

• Serve as a trusted adviser in positioning IFRC appropriately in the humanitarian diplomacy space and liaises closely with key internal and external stakeholders to support the Regional Director in the advancement of the Federation´s Humanitarian Diplomacy agenda in the region.
• Lead the planning, coordination, and management of the regional conference.
• Identify key decision-makers, power centres and policy opportunities to develop engagement plans to strategically position the IFRC within the Region.
• Prepare, coordinate, and promote policy position papers and briefs on relevant topics and ensure their implementation.
• Establish a clear HD strategy for the region, taking in to account the challenges outlined in the Strategy 2030.
• Facilitate support to and engagement of National Societies in enhancing their auxiliary role and national positioning as well as in contributing to regional and global humanitarian diplomacy goals.

Coordination

• Ensure proactive and effective coordination both internally and externally with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Movement, on humanitarian diplomacy and communications issues to further the IFRC agenda.
• Manage high level PNS coordination, including mapping and alinement of regional strategies with IFRC planning.
• Proactively coordinate with technical counterparts for each portfolio covered within the teams’ responsibilities.

Regional Liaison Support

• Ensure the effective planning and management of strategic forums and relationship development with key external stakeholders.
• Ensure smooth strategic and administrative support to both the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director.
• Responsible for identifying risks within their work area, monitoring the development of the risks, and implementing risk responses or escalating to the Director when necessary.

Effective Matrix and People Management

• Ensure a well-managed team while promoting a culture of performance and continuous learning.
• Contribute to the effective coordination with the technical units of the Regional Office, country/cluster offices and PNSs.
• Ensure effective coordination with focal points from Country Delegations, Country Cluster Delegations and Geneva.
• Work actively towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals.
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Education

• Master´s degree or equivalent in management, public administration, business administration, international relations, law, or other relevant field of study; or a first-level university degree combined with extensive relevant experience. – Required
• Qualification or certification in project management or risk management qualification such as IRM. – Preferred

Experience

• At least 7 years of experience in Humanitarian Diplomacy in the humanitarian sector or similar. – Required
• At least 7 years of experience managing staff. – Required
• At least 5 years of experience working on risk management in an international environment. – Required
• Strong experience working in a multicultural and cross-disciplinary environment. – Required
• Experience in providing front office support. – Preferred
• Experience in managing external relations with International Organizations, diplomatic missions and other key actors. – Preferred
• Red Cross / Red Crescent experience. – Preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Highly developed leadership skills. – Required
• Professional credibility, strong analytical skills, and ability to work at various levels of complexity. – Required
• Excellent communication, networking, and representation skills. – Required
• Proven ability to motivate and manage a team. – Required
• Strategic analysis, systematic planning, and implementation skills. – Required
• Excellent collaborative and teamwork skills. – Required
• Highly organized and results oriented. – Required
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills and ability to negotiate while maintaining effective working relations. – Required
• Risk Management. – Required
• Fluent spoken and written English. – Required
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish, or Arabic). – Preferred

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values:

• Respect for diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Accountability.

Core competencies:

• Communication
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Judgement and decision making
• National society and customer relations
• Creativity and innovation
• Building trust

Functional competencies:

• Strategic orientation
• Building alliances
• Leadership
• Empowering others

Managerial competencies:

• Managing staff performance
• Managing staff development

IFRC provides equal employment opportunities