Regional Vice President, Latin America

Languages: Must be fluent in both written and spoken English & Spanish.

As the Regional Vice President (RVP) for Latin America, you will lead IRC teams across 8 countries to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster, including the climate crisis, to survive, recover and gain control of their future.

You will place clients at the center of our work and ensure their voices increasingly influence our decisions at all levels. Success will be defined by ensuring improvements in their safety, health, education, economic wellbeing, and power. You will ensure we prioritize opportunities to partner with and support local actors and systems, including in the context of emergency response. Equality and inclusion will be at the forefront of every decision and action, through thoughtful planning and implementation of all programs and services- both internally and externally.

In this role, you will serve as a champion of IRC’s Strategy 100 and be a model of organizational leadership: developing new program opportunities, ensuring the quality of operations and partnerships, and driving performance and strategic growth in the region while actively promoting an inclusive environment and duty of care for all.

Position Overview

You will ensure the leadership and management of country programs in Latin America, representing an annual budget more than of US $40 million and a team of over 750 staff, with implementation in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.

You will work collaboratively with technical and functional counterparts to strengthen performance and accountability. This role will be an ambassador for IRC values, organizational priorities, cascading measurable goals to country programs and leading delivery of IRC’s Strategy. Equally, you will have a lead role in representing field, country and regional priorities to HQ departments and corroborate those perspectives of frontline staff, clients, and partners across Latin America to influence organizational decisions.

The RVP will ensure close collaboration with other VPs of the other regions and the full range of HQ partners across the technical support, operations, finance, fundraising, awards management, advocacy, communications, compliance, and legal functions. As part of the Senior Leaders Group, you will have an important voice in organizational leadership discussions.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversee implementation of IRC’s global strategy, as articulated in country Strategy Action Plans, across the regional portfolio and programming through Deputy Regional Director- Latin America.

• Build and maintain a collaborative relationship with key global partners internally and externally including Regional Teams, Senior Leadership Team Members, country program HR staff and Recruiting Teams, Partners, Universities, peer agencies, and private sector.

• Lead measurable efforts to ensure IRC’s workforce – including at leadership levels – reflects the diversity of the places we operate and the people we serve.

• Co-manage team of regional Directors/Advisors in HR, Supply Chain, Finance, IT, Safety and Security, GEDI and others in a collaborative manner with HQ parent departments and ensure smooth delivery of operations in country programs.

• Cultivate a safe and protective environment for all people, combining locally led initiatives with wider organizational efforts related to Safeguarding, Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Staff Well-being and Safety & Security.

• Ensure that all country finance, human resources, supply chain, IT and program functions are resourced and managed in accordance with IRC and donor policies and standards.

• Champion humanitarian access and security management strategies across the region

• Actively partner with the Ethics & Compliance Unit to strengthen IRC’s efforts to prevent, detect and respond to issues of fraud and misconduct.

• Foster a balanced and diligent approach to risk management across all country programs.

• Ensure strong representation of the IRC to local, regional, and global stakeholders – including governments, private sector, donors, and civil society partners.

• Support IRC’s business development and fundraising efforts through cultivating a strong network of donor contacts, engaging with the HQ fundraising team, and ensuring that country teams build and maintain strong donor relationships.

• Support the development of creative, impactful approaches to priority policy issues, both locally and in concert with the global advocacy team.

• Raise IRC’s and IRC partners’ profiles, working closely with the communications team.

• Required Travel: up to 30%

Professional Profile

Success in this position requires an individual with exemplary leadership abilities, and extensive lived experience and deep understanding of the Latin American context.

Work experience/ Required Skills:

• Extensive field experience leading humanitarian protracted and/or post-crisis development programs with demonstrated ability to manage in complex and often insecure working environments.

• Minimum of 15 years of professional experience with 10 or more years in leadership with increasing levels of responsibility.

• Ability to represent program context, constraints, and successes to media, government, private sector, donor, civil society, and boards in a compelling manner.

• Exceptional financial and operational analysis and management skills, including project management and team building.

• Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills; commitment to open and transparent communication and top-notch diplomatic skills.

• Deep commitment to and knowledge of strategies to advance diversity, equality, and inclusion; proven track in incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

• Receptive and collaborative leadership approach that contributes to positive enabling environment, builds and maintains strong relationships with people from all backgrounds, genders, cultures and viewpoints.

• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of 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, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC acknowledges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic. IRC is also 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.

Returning Regional Candidates: IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified staff in our programs, and we strongly encourage candidates from the countries within this geographic region (Latin America) to apply. If you are currently located outside of the Latin America region, the IRC has a generous remuneration package, including competitive compensation, travel, shipping allowance, temporary housing, and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.

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.