Senior Director, Ukraine Crisis

IRC has been present in Ukraine and Poland since the outset of the conflict in late February 2022 and has established country programs in both countries. With no clear pathway to resolution, IRC anticipates that humanitarian support will now be required for the foreseeable future. With registrations secured, staffing stabilizing, and pathways developed to take responses to scale in both Poland and Ukraine, there is now a need to support the two country teams to mature systems and evolve programming for a longer-term presence.

Job overview:

The Senior Director, Ukraine Crisis (SDUC) role has been established to oversee the Ukraine and Poland Country Programs. The SDUC will oversee and ensure the delivery of impactful, scaled, and well-resourced humanitarian assistance programs in Poland and Ukraine. They will represent IRC programs in Ukraine and Poland at the regional level, promoting IRC as the go-to delivery organization.

The SDUC will start their new role designing and implementing a transition plan that will see the country programs move away from reporting to the EHAU’s Snr. Director of Delivery, and through to the SDUC themselves. Going forward, the SDUC will oversee and drive accountability for the development and execution of Country Strategy Action Plans for both Ukraine and Poland. They will be a key ambassador for the Ukraine and Poland teams internally and in HQ, and by representing the IRC at the Crisis and Regional level. The SDUC will oversee, and where needed engage directly, in business development opportunities, especially around multi country, multi-year and very high value opportunities.

The SDUC will be based in Warsaw, Poland, and split their time between Poland and Ukraine offices to provide oversight and support, and to monitor Response Strategy / SAP implementation, program quality and operations.

Length of assignment: 2 years, potential to extend.

Major responsibilities:

Prior to taking over oversight of the Poland and Ukraine country programs:

Develop Support Transition Plan (3-months duration maximum):

• Work closely with the Sr. Director DiE and Sr. Director QiE during the transition planning process and coordinate with the EHAU SMT for the design and implementation of the transition plan.

• Based on the priorities of the Ukraine and Poland country teams, lead the development of comprehensive transition plans for both country programs. Ensure continuity of support to country teams and maintains delivery of IRC humanitarian programs.

• Ensure that a detailed, realistic, and feasible transition plan includes:

o Benchmarks and timelines with the goal of ensuring continuous and right-sized support to the country programs.

o Adequate staffing and support structures to properly absorb the portfolio, current and future.

o Clear roles and responsibilities for IRC teams that will provide assistance to Ukraine and Poland, including support departments, technical excellence, and continued involvement from EHAU colleagues.

o A strong communication strategy ensuring organizational partners are informed of plans, timelines and shifting responsibilities for oversight of Ukraine and Poland teams.

• Develop JD and partner in recruitment for any positions required and approved to oversee and support Poland and Ukraine long term.

Once assuming oversight:

Strategy

• Socialize and promote IRC’s global strategy so that it is understood and guides decision-making throughout the region.

• Approve country response and strategy action plans.

• Support delivery of country-level strategy action plans (SAPs) including implementation of SAP monitoring mechanism and review processes, including leading SAP reviews and reporting.

• Be responsible for the implementation of IRC’s measurement strategy across country programs resulting in measurable, continuous improvement in program implementation, reporting and decision-making.

• Build consensus around a common vision of what shared success in Ukraine and Poland looks like, including developing and tracking appropriate indicators. This includes program quality and growth.

• Support country programs to move forward S100 priorities including partnership, client responsiveness and using data for decision-making.

Leadership & Coordination

• Supervise and mentor Ukraine Crisis Country Directors, and other direct-report staff, by presenting clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.

• Work with Country Directors to encourage coordination, communication and cross learning between Ukraine and Poland teams – and with the wider IRC network.

• Facilitate close and efficient coordination of regional staff’s support to the country programs, and with headquarters departments on common programming, operational and funding issues.

• Foster an environment of trust and cross-functional collaboration and a ‘One IRC’ way of working, both within the country programs and between the country teams and the wider organization.

• Coordinate with regional leadership of NGOs, Donors and UN agencies, ensuring that IRC’s remains a key partner in the humanitarian coordination architecture.

Business Development & Partnerships

• Work with Country Directors to establish annual business development targets and plans, to ensure programs receive sufficient, flexible, and multiyear funding.

• Working with Country Directors and the Awards Management Unit to identify, plan for and submit for high value competitive opportunities, liaising with regional leadership colleagues from other high performing organizations to form/join highly attractive implementation teams.

• Represent IRC’s Ukraine Response in regional and HQ level donor meetings.

• Contribute to, and approve policy positions and advocacy messages pertaining to the overall humanitarian situation and IRC’s response in Poland and Ukraine.

• Support country programs in networking and alliance-building activities, promoting cross-sectoral engagement with the private sector, universities, research institutions, and other potential “non-traditional” partners.

Key working relationships:

• Reports to the VP EHAU.

• Works primarily with the Sr. Director of Delivery in Emergencies and the Sr. Director of Quality in Emergencies, as well as with EHAU SMT and relevant IRC teams, during the transition planning and implementation period.

• Supervises Poland and Ukraine Country Directors.

Requirements:

The SDUC, will have significant management and international experience, a passion for humanitarian relief and development work, and be capable of thoroughly understanding and successfully supervising program design, implementation, and delivery:

• 10+ years in senior program management roles, with several of these being in an international NGO. Experience with IRC systems and ways of working a plus.

• Outstanding analytical skills, and experience leading strategic collaboration and planning processes.

• Shown ability to manage complex projects to completion on time, within budget, and with the anticipated results.

• Demonstrated successful leadership experience in pulling together diverse collaborators.

• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, active listening, and coaching. Able to give direction from a variety of management styles and roles.

• Demonstrable ability to analyze, strategize and implement sophisticated projects.

• Fluency in English is required; Polish, Ukrainian or Russian language skills highly desirable.

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 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.

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

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers 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 characteristic protected by applicable law.