The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

This position can be fully remote in or near EST time zone. 

The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioural sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and precision, flexibility and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience and reputation of a large-scale implementing organization. 

IRC is a leader in humanitarian research engaging in hundreds of studies worldwide and producing more impact evaluations than any other humanitarian actor. 

We are looking for a strategic implementer with a background in applied social sciences research to work closely with the Senior Research Director to advance work critical to both delivering sector-advancing research and ensuring research findings reach key decisionmakers. This includes advance strategic research projects, boost resources mobilization, amplify our research findings and thought leadership, and ensure solid project and performance management across the research team. To do so, you will leverage a team of 40 researchers across 7 outcome areas, plus cross-functional collaboration within Airbel. 

Responsibilities:

Strategic Research Projects

• Advance strategic projects to conduct research and to drive the generation and use of evidence across the humanitarian sector. 

• Support the design and quality assurance of research and ‘evidence for influence’ projects 

• Project manage and contribute to the substance and content of strategic research and innovation projects including design, resource mobilization, implementation, and thought leadership

• Advance prototypes and working drafts of projects for discussion with stakeholders, internal experts and the Senior Director of Research 

Team Engagement and Performance

• Support a diverse and distributed team to ensure a shared sense of mission and community, and to uphold research quality standards.  

• Add technical bandwidth to the research team through peer reviews, quality assurance and methods sharing and capacity building

• Ensure development, monitoring, troubleshooting and ultimately achievement of team goals

• Lead structure and content for events/moments, including regular team meetings office hours and communities of practice

• Create efficient systems for soliciting team feedback and monitoring engagement. 

• Minor administrative tasks as required

Policy Engagement and Thought Leadership 

• Support the Senior Director of Research’s engagement on policy and thought leadership

• Support teams in identifying and synthesizing high impact findings 

• Generate ideas and draft content for internal and external profile of research efforts and findings. 

• Facilitate and support the Senior Director of Research as well as research team members engagement on strategy and evidence to advance IRC’s Impact at Scale program priorities. 

Job Requirements: 

Education and Work Experience: 

• Bachelors degree in relevant field or equivalent professional experience.

• Minimum 6-8 years of relevant work experience, preferably in the NGO sector, with experience in humanitarian organizations a distinct advantage.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Experience planning, leading, and delivering large-scale, cross functional projects in humanitarian or development contexts;  Experience with team and organizational strategy is a bonus.

• Experience with quantitative and qualitative social science and health research; Experience with humanitarian and/or impact research is a bonus. 

• Ability to advance multiple strategic initiatives and a myriad of complex details on a concurrent basis.

• Ability to master large amounts of information including technical details and think critically and strategically

• Demonstrable interest in and familiarity with international politics, humanitarian and development policies and related subjects.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Excellent judgment, tact, initiative, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, organizational skills, and self-motivation.

Working Environment: 

This position requires occasional flexibility to participate in meetings or calls outside regular working hours when needed. Occasional international travel, including to IRC project sites, may be required. 

Compensation: (Pay Range: $85,000 - $110,000) Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Equal Opportunity Employer: 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.

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