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 People & Culture Coordinator, Emergency Unit (P&C Co, EmU) enables IRC’s humanitarian emergency responses by delivering agile, compliant, and people‑centered People & Culture support across the Emergency Unit, including dedicated P&C partnership for GST staff and responding Country Programs.
Reporting to the People & Culture Director, Emergency Unit (P&CD, EmU), the role works closely with Emergency Unit team members, Country Programs managing emergency responses, GST staff and global P&C Centers of Expertise to translate emergency response priorities into practical and context‑appropriate people solutions. The P&C Coordinator contributes across key P&C areas, including talent, employee relations, learning and performance, duty of care, people data and HRIS integrity, compliance, and culture, and helps ensure practices are fit for purpose in fast‑paced, high‑risk emergency environments.
This role is suited to a People & Culture professional with strong coordination and stakeholder management skills, sound judgment, and the ability to work effectively in complex, fast paced, and evolving environments. The position requires adaptability, collaboration across diverse teams and geographies, and a practical, solutions oriented approach to supporting people and culture in emergency contexts. The role includes emergency surge responsibilities, with a potential of approximately 10–20% travel to emergency response locations.
All current IRC staff employed on national or local contracts, regardless of their country of assignment, are eligible for consideration for this position.
Location: National position only. Open to any location where there is an IRC office.
Key Responsibilities
People & Culture Program and Project Management
• Lead and support the implementation of EmU People & Culture priorities, workplans, and cross functional projects aligned with the EmU Strategy Action Plan (SAP) and the Emergency Unit’s P&C Strategy.
• Manage multi step P&C initiatives end to end, including planning, stakeholder coordination, execution, documentation, and follow up, ensuring delivery against timelines and objectives.
• Contribute to the development, adaptation, and continuous improvement of Emergency P&C tools, guidance, and templates, ensuring coherence with global IRC policies and operational realities.
• Proactively track progress, risks, interdependencies, and resource needs across P&C initiatives; flag issues early and recommend mitigation or escalation where required.
• Serve as a key coordination point between EmU, country programs, and regional/global P&C stakeholders for assigned initiatives.
• Create standardized points for review and updating of existing processes.
Staff Wellbeing and Employee Relations
• In coordination with the P&CD, EmU and relevant Centers of Expertise (GER, Legal, Safeguarding, etc.), manage and advise on complex employee relations matters, investigations, and post investigation actions, including escalated Country Program cases.
• Maintain and strengthen EmU recognition and appreciation initiatives, contributing to a culture of acknowledgement, motivation, and retention in demanding emergency environments.
• Support and help operationalize Duty of Care, safeguarding, wellbeing, and risk mitigation initiatives, with particular focus on staff in high stress and high risk contexts.
• Partner with P&CD, EmU and the CRRD GEDI Director, and program leaders to implement inclusive, context relevant GEDI approaches across the emergency cycle.
• Contribute to initiatives aimed at improving employee experience, engagement, and wellbeing, incorporating feedback and lessons learned from emergency responses.
Organizational Development, Learning, and Performance
• Identify learning and development needs in collaboration with managers; support performance management cycles and performance improvement processes, including coaching through complex cases.
• Support the design and delivery of EmU learning and training initiatives, including emergency onboarding, management standards, and ways of working.
• Contribute to the training, mentoring, and professional development of in country P&C staff supporting emergency responses, strengthening overall P&C capacity.
• Contribute to annual P&C reporting, learning analysis, and follow up actions, translating insights into practical improvements.
GST P&C Business Partnering
• Lead the end-to-end P&C support for GST staff, ensuring a seamless, timely, and employee-centered experience across the full lifecycle, from onboarding to exit.
• Act as the lead P&C advisor to GST employees and managers, providing guidance on policies, procedures, and labor law compliance.
• Manage and resolve escalated employee matters, including benefits, payroll, HRIS, and leave administration.
• Lead the improvement of performance management processes for GST staff, from strengthening the regularity and quality of feedback to supporting managers with disciplinary cases, escalating as appropriate.
• Review and approve GST expansion requests, job descriptions, and employee status changes for GST roles, ensuring consistency and alignment with organizational standards.
• Recommend and support the improvement of GST practices, including related to deployment integration and duty of care.
• Ensure GST staff receive clear, timely, and accurate communication on P&C-related matters (e.g., benefits, pay review, performance processes), enabling transparency and engagement.
• Analyze P&C trends and metrics to identify risks and opportunities, and contribute to continuous improvement of GST operations and staff experience.
• Stay informed of industry and roster management trends, applying insights to strengthen P&C strategies and support CRRD objectives.
Emergency Deployment and Surge Support (10-15% of the time)
• Deploy, as required, to Country Programs and emergency responses to provide hands on People & Culture support during start up, scale up, transition, or shut down phases.
• Support and/or coordinate emergency recruitment, contracting, onboarding, staff movements, and handovers in collaboration with country, regional, and global P&C teams.
• Advise Response Team Leads and country leadership on the practical and context appropriate application of IRC P&C policies in emergency and high risk environments.
• Support the activation, coordination, and management of emergency rosters and deployments, working closely with other members of the response P&C team.
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: People and Culture Director, Emergency Unit
This role is an individual contributor with no direct supervisory responsibilities.
Key Internal Stakeholders:
• Country P&C Leads
• CRRD P&C Leadership Team
• EmU’s Deployment Management Team
• Emergency P&C Coordinators, Global Surge
• Global P&C COE leads and teams
• EmU Technical Leads
Qualifications
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field required; relevant postgraduate study is an asset.
• Experience: Substantial experience in People & Culture / Human Resources roles, including demonstrated experience supporting emergency responses, fragile contexts, or other high risk, rapidly evolving operational environments. Experience working across multiple locations or with distributed teams is highly valued.
• Emergency and Humanitarian Experience: Proven ability to operate effectively under pressure, manage competing priorities, and adapt P&C practices to emergency and surge contexts while maintaining strong standards of compliance, staff wellbeing, and duty of care.
• Staff Care and Wellbeing Focus: Strong commitment to staff care, wellbeing, and psychosocial considerations, with the ability to support and promote healthy, sustainable ways of working in high stress and high risk environments.
• Safeguarding, Accountability, and Integrity: Demonstrated commitment to safeguarding, ethical conduct, accountability, and confidentiality. Ability to role model organizational values and apply sound judgment when handling sensitive, complex people matters.
• Professional Judgment and Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to diplomatically express differing opinions, provide constructive feedback, and engage credibly and respectfully with managers and leadership across cultures and contexts.
• Analytical and Critical Thinking: Strong analytical and problem solving skills, with high attention to detail and the ability to assess people data, identify risks or trends, and develop practical, context appropriate solutions.
• Cultural Competence: Demonstrated ability to work effectively in diverse, multicultural, and geographically dispersed environments; relevant language skills are an asset.
• Other Requirements: Must be able to travel to emergency response contexts for up to 8-12 weeks, sometimes with short notice. Ability to speak French and/or Arabic preferred.
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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