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.
The IRC’s Global Surge Team (GST) is a roster of highly qualified humanitarian professionals who deploy on short notice to emergency and non‑emergency contexts to support the IRC’s mission. GST members provide specialized, time‑bound support where capacity gaps exist, typically for deployments of up to three months. GST roles offer a flexible employment arrangement, with members expected to be available for deployment for approximately 50% of the year. Deployment opportunities depend on organizational and operational requirements and may vary over time; as such, deployments cannot be guaranteed. Staff supporting emergency responses must be prepared to deploy within 72 hours as needs arise.
Job Summary:
The Emergency People & Culture Coordinator, Global Surge provides strategic leadership for the implementation of IRC People & Culture (P&C) frameworks during emergency deployments. Working in close partnership with the Deputy Director, People & Culture (Emergency Unit), the role ensures global P&C policies and tools are effectively adapted to complex emergency contexts and consistently applied across the response.
The role leads and enables national P&C teams, establishing fit for purpose P&C structures, systems, and operating models that support rapid scale up and sustained program delivery. As a senior advisor to country leadership and response teams, the Coordinator provides expert guidance on workforce strategy, employee relations, duty of care, safeguarding, and staff experience in high risk and fast changing environments.
During deployments, the Coordinator oversees core P&C functions, including workforce planning, recruitment, staff administration, and development, to ensure organizational capacity is aligned with evolving operational priorities, while strengthening local P&C leadership and delivery.
Major Responsibilities:
P&C Strategy
• Establish and lead the P&C function for the country program, providing leadership, technical guidance, and mentorship to P&C staff.
• Develop and implement a country level P&C strategy aligned with organizational, regional, and global priorities.
• Partner with senior response leadership to design workforce strategies that ensure timely access to staff with the right skills and competencies.
• Convene regular discussions with the Senior Management Team to assess evolving workforce needs, identify capacity gaps, and support staff retention.
• Define and monitor key metrics to assess the effectiveness of P&C strategies and interventions.
Hiring & Recruitment
• Lead and oversee end‑to‑end recruitment processes in line with IRC policies and procedures, directly managing recruitment for senior and critical roles.
• As operationally required, directly manage the recruitment of national and/or international staff, including key management positions.
• Establish and manage recruitment teams or temporary recruitment capacity as needed to meet rapid hiring demands.
• Apply innovative and inclusive recruitment approaches to attract diverse, high‑quality talent under tight timelines.
• Review and approve job offers and employment contracts for Coordinator‑level positions and above, ensuring internal equity and compliance.
P&C Administration & Compliance
• Ensure strong P&C operational and compliance foundations, including timely completion of all administrative and statutory requirements.
• Maintain compliance with local labor laws, host‑country regulations, and IRC Global Standards, minimizing legal and operational risk.
• Develop and update National and International Staff Handbooks, P&C policies, and procedures as required.
• Champion the IRC Way and Professional Code of Conduct, fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, service, and equality.
• Liaise with local legal counsel as needed on employment‑related matters requiring legal interpretation.
• Represent IRC in P&C coordination forums, including INGO and consortium meetings.
Staff Care and Employee Experience
• Lead country level implementation of GEDI, safeguarding, and duty of care priorities, ensuring alignment with IRC standards and P&C mandates.
• Foster safe, respectful, and inclusive work environments, free from discrimination, harassment, abuse of power, and unequal power dynamics.
• Integrate safeguarding principles into recruitment, onboarding, and staff management processes, ensuring delivery of mandatory orientations and accessible reporting mechanisms.
• Collaborate with country, regional, and global stakeholders to ensure timely follow up and implementation of safeguarding and investigation recommendations.
• Support staff well being initiatives, including burnout prevention, critical incident aftercare, employee engagement, and communication strategies in high stress contexts.
Compensation & Benefits Management
• In coordination with the Director of P&C and Global Compensation team, define and review country‑specific salary structures and benefits frameworks.
• Support the setup and administration of compensation and benefits mechanisms, including payroll systems.
• Ensure accurate and timely preparation and submission of monthly payroll documentation.
Staff Development and Performance
• Lead performance management processes, including annual reviews, goal setting, learning and development planning, and merit review cycles.
• Ensure timely completion of evaluations and performance‑related processes across the country program.
• Lead employee relations processes professionally and confidentially, including workplace investigations, in close coordination with senior P&C leadership.
• Act as an impartial advisor and mediator in disciplinary procedures, ensuring fairness, consistency, and legal compliance.
• Advise managers on appropriate corrective actions and contribute to maintaining constructive employee‑employer relationships.
P&C Team Management
• Provide high‑level technical guidance on complex P&C matters requiring strong knowledge of IRC global policies and frameworks.
• Lead, coach, and mentor P&C staff, with clear capacity‑building and development plans.
• Ensure consistent, coordinated application of P&C policies and practices across offices, promoting collaboration, communication, and teamwork.
Requirements
• Master’s degree in People & Culture, Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• A minimum of 6–8 years of progressive People & Culture leadership experience, with demonstrated responsibility for complex or large scale teams; experience in emergency or fragile contexts strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to provide strategic P&C leadership in fast paced, high pressure environments, including organizational scale up, transitions, or crisis response.
• Demonstrated experience supporting diverse workforces of 200+ national and international staff, ideally across multiple locations or remote management contexts.
• Strong track record of designing and implementing practical, compliant P&C solutions that deliver timely, high quality outcomes in constrained environments.
• Proven ability to work effectively with local legal counsel and government authorities to interpret labor law, immigration, and employment regulations affecting national and international staff.
• Highly collaborative leadership style, with excellent interpersonal, coaching, and advisory skills across cultures, geographies, and organizational levels.
• Strong people management capability in emergency settings, including the ability to lead teams through ambiguity, stress, and rapid change.
• Demonstrated commitment to GEDI, safeguarding, duty of care, and ethical people management practices.
• Flexible and resilient approach, with the ability to adapt priorities in response to evolving operational needs.
• Strong digital literacy, including proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and online collaboration tools.
• Fluency in English required; working knowledge of Arabic and/or French strongly preferred.
• Willingness and availability to travel and deploy to regional or international locations, including with short notice (up to 72 hours during emergency responses).
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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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.