Regional Head, PMER and Quality Assurance

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

In Asia and the Pacific, the IFRC secretariat has a regional office in Malaysia which supports 38 National Societies, many of which have significant local and international capacities and resources in delivering humanitarian services. The IFRC secretariat has 5 country cluster delegations and 8 country delegations in the region.

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 2026-2030, 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 2026-2030 also defines four enabling functions: strategic and operational coordination, national society development, humanitarian diplomacy and communication, and accountability and agility.

This position sits in the Asia Pacific Regional Office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This role provides overall leadership and oversight for Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (PMER) and Quality Assurance.

• Provide strategic leadership for PMER across the region, ensuring quality programming, accountability, and the systematic use of evidence to inform decision-making and programme improvement.
• Strengthen regional monitoring, evaluation and data quality systems, ensuring consistent standards, credible verification processes, and effective tracking of progress and results at scale.
• Drive learning, innovation and knowledge management, facilitating analytical work, peer-to-peer learning, and the sharing of operational evidence and lessons across the region and globally.
• Build and coordinate partnerships with National Societies, technical courtpartners and academic institutions to strengthen PMER capacity, advance methodologies, and contribute field-based evidence to global humanitarian knowledge.

Reporting to the Deputy Regional Director, this position provides strategic leadership for PMER across the region. The role ensures that IFRC programmes and operations are supported by strong planning, monitoring, reporting and information management systems that enable effective performance management and informed decision-making.

The position oversees the implementation of results-based planning, monitoring and evaluation processes that generate credible evidence on performance, including relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and impact. It also strengthens regional learning and knowledge management to ensure that operational evidence and lessons learned are systematically captured and applied to improve programme quality and accountability.

Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Reporting

• Lead and coordinate the regional unified planning process, including contextual analysis to support programmatic planning aligned with IFRC Strategy 2030 and National Societies’ priorities.
• Provide strategic oversight and technical guidance for the development and monitoring of Regional and Country Unified Plans, Operational Plans and related reporting.
• Ensure timely, accurate and evidence-based operational reporting across the region, including annual reports, operational updates and pledge-based reporting.
• Strengthen results-based management practices across programmes and operations by supporting the use of IFRC network indicators, monitoring frameworks and performance tracking systems.
• Support regional leadership and technical units with analysis and evidence to inform strategic decision-making and programme adjustments.

Quality Assurance, Compliance and Accountability

• Lead regional quality assurance processes for programmes and operations, ensuring alignment with IFRC standards, donor requirements and accountability commitments.
• Strengthen monitoring systems and programme performance tracking, including verification of programme results and documentation of evidence.
• Provide technical oversight for monitoring, evaluation, surveys and assessments, including baselines, endlines, post-distribution monitoring and operational reviews and evaluations.
• Ensure that programme documentation and reporting across the region meet minimum quality standards before publication and submission.
• Promote accountability to affected populations and strengthen mechanisms for learning and continuous improvement.

PMER in Emergencies and Regional Response Readiness

• Lead the integration and institutionalization of PMER in Emergencies (PMERiE) standards and practices across regional operations.
• Provide technical leadership to strengthen emergency monitoring and reporting systems, including Situation Reports and operational tracking.
• Support emergency operations with PMER technical guidance, surge support and coordination of monitoring and reporting processes.
• Strengthen regional readiness by developing minimum PMER standards for emergencies and ensuring their application in emergency response operations.
• Contribute to the development and mobilization of the PMER surge pool and support deployments to emergency operations when required.

Data, Knowledge Management and Learning

• Strengthen regional data management processes and data quality to ensure reliable, consistent and accessible programme information.
• Promote the use of data for decision-making by improving indicator tracking, data aggregation methodologies and reporting systems.
• Lead regional learning initiatives, including evaluations, reviews, and innovative learning methodologies such as theory of change reflections, most significant changes, and learning workshops.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing across the region through communities of practice, peer exchanges and learning products.
• Promote innovation in monitoring and evaluation approaches to strengthen programme and operational learning and effectiveness.

National Society Capacity Strengthening

• Support National Societies and IFRC delegations to strengthen PMER systems, tools and practices.
• Provide technical mentoring, coaching and training on programme planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• Support the development of National Society PMER frameworks, systems and standard operating procedures.
• Facilitate regional capacity-building initiatives including PMER, project management and data literacy training.
• Strengthen and mobilize the Asia Pacific PMER network to promote peer learning and technical collaboration.

Coordination and Leadership

• Lead and manage the regional PMER and Quality Assurance team, and provide technical guidance to the extend PMER team at the Country and Cluster Delegation, promoting a culture of collaboration, learning and high performance.
• Coordinate closely with regional technical units, Country and Cluster Delegations, Geneva counterparts as well as IFRC Network (PMER colleagues) to ensure coherence across programmes and operations.
• Represent the PMER and Quality Assurance function in regional strategic discussions and contribute to the overall strengthening of programme quality across the region.

Required

• Master’s degree or equivalent in business administration, management, risk management, finance, economics, public health, political science, international studies, international development or other relevant field of study;
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in business administration, management, risk management, finance, economics, public health, political science, international studies, international development, actuary or other relevant field of study

Preferred

• Formal training or certification in risk management or a background in institutional/programmatic risk management.
• Qualification or certification in project management.

Required

• At least 10 years of work experience in quantitative and qualitative analysis and/or data modelling.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in strategic planning, PMER, project/programme management, learning or risk management functions.
• At least 7 years of experience managing staff.
• Experience in evaluation design and execution.
• Experience working in a multicultural, international environment

Required

• Highly developed leadership skills.
• Professional credibility, strong analytical skills, and ability to work at various levels of complexity.
• Strong project management skills and capabilities, including workplan development.
• Excellent oral and written communication, networking, and representation skills.
• Proven ability to motivate and manage a team.
• Strategic analysis, systematic planning, data analysis and implementation skills and ability to translate strategy into reality.
• Excellent collaborative and teamwork skills.
• Highly organized and results oriented.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills and ability to negotiate while maintaining effective working relations with complex stakeholders and multiple reporting lines with flexibility, resilience, maturity and a high degree of emotional intelligence.
• Knowledge of IFRC and its policies, processes and governance structures.
• Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants.
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.
• Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

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.