Senior Director Strategy & Planning

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and across the United States, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC IN EUROPE

Europe is one of the fastest growing regions for the IRC with presence in the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany. The work across our external facing offices in Berlin, Brussels, London, Bonn, Stockholm, and Geneva is led and coordinated by a Europe SMT under the leadership of the Senior Vice President Europe . The role of IRC in Europe is to support IRCs global activities ; to diversify its institutional, governmental, and private donor base and be able to better advocate with European policymakers on behalf of the people we serve. IRC in Europe is acknowledged for its high-quality project management, technical expertise in resettlement and integration; governance and rights, economic recovery, and protection against gender- based violence. IRC in Europe currently employees 430 staff across programmatic, fundraising, advocacy, communication, and operation functions. The largest number of staff is based in the UK, followed by Germany.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Reporting to the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Europe, the Senior Director will support the SVP and his direct reports as a thought partner, strategist, driver, problem solver, and effective partner to internal and external stakeholders.

Working with the SVP and the European Senior Management Team, the Senior Director will:

• Support the SVP to deliver on IRC’s strategy objectives
• Coordinate output and delivery across European locations and identify and resolve any delivery challenges
• Design the SVP’s thought -leadership, advocacy and communication agenda
• Manage and drive special projects
• Advise the SVP on complex internal and external issues
• Ensure effective engagement with all appropriate departments

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supports the SVP in developing a strategic agenda and priorities, identifying opportunities where the SVP and IRC in Europe are best able to have impact and influence
• Coordinates and/or oversees the development of policies, procedures, and strategies relating to complex policy issues
• Works on behalf of the SVP to expand and develop key relationships with critical advocacy targets
• Supports the SVP and Executive Directors in the development and implementations of growth plans for European offices – aligning priorities with IRC’s global and European strategic agenda
• Keeps an active overview and conducts regular status reviews of organizational goals and objectives to identify roadblocks to progress
• Drives on behalf of the Europe SVP, engagement with supervisory boards in Belgium, the UK, Sweden and Germany
• Develops reporting to communicate strategic plans and concepts and represents the views and positions of the Europe SMT/SVP to external and internal stakeholders
• Maintains sensitivity and diplomacy with senior colleagues

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Ability to organize, plan, schedule, determine priorities and meet deadlines
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills are essential
• Ability to anticipate and assess situations accurately and recommend/implement effective courses of action required
• Ability to coordinate multiple meeting tasks and complex details on a concurrent basis
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders with tact and diplomacy, both orally and in writing, including working with all staff levels and diverse personalities
• Ability to exercise discretion in dealing with sensitive material and maintain the confidentiality
• Ability to handle stress, and function effectively under pressure
• Ability to expand on own initiative in performance of duties