ASSISTANCE IS PORTFOLIO MANAGER

Porpose of the post

In a rapidly evolving humanitarian environment, the ICRC wants to take full advantage of opportunities offered by latest digital technologies in order to continue to respond to the needs of people affected by conflict and other situations of violence in a professional and efficient manner. To this end, the ICRC decided to transform its approach to data management and to digitalise its Assistance services and processes, geared towards a beneficiary centric approach. Within the broader frame of the digitalisation of its operation, the ICRC aims at replacing IT solutions currently used by Assistance staff and beyond, in a modular and step by step approach, and integrate a range of new solutions in its digital architecture. Intended solutions will serve the teams in the field that engage with the population affected by conflict, as well as Headquarters, ensuring integration of systems and data and its availability for follow up processes.

The Assistance IS Portfolio Manager is the focal point of the Division for all Assistance IT related projects and initiatives. He/She will oversee the Division’s portfolio of all solutions, projects and initiatives, harmonize project governance, support the Units in identifying connections and opportunities to harmonize their processes with other units, identify and mitigate risks, understand architectural interdependencies and strengthen synergies amongst projects managers within Assistance. He/She liaises with Communication and Information Management (CIM) to integrate the Institutional Information Environment Strategy (IES), supports the various projects’ sponsors to structure their projects and initiatives, anticipates required changes and proposes relevant change management strategies. He/She liaises with the Director General’s Project Management Office (DIR_GEN/PMO) and the Heads of Units to ensure a clear overview of the progress of the Division in the coordination and evolution of its IT portfolio. He/She supervises and coordinates the transversal activities of the portfolio, and the related resources.

Main duties and responsibilities

Reporting to the Deputy Head of the Assistance Division, the Portfolio Manager:  

• Manages the portfolio of all the Division’s all solutions and projects having a digital component, in compliance with the ICRC’s Project Management Framework. He/She ensures alignment, consistency and prioritization, decisions on risks/mitigation measures within the Assistance Management team, and escalates and manages coherence issues amongst projects and initiatives.
• Maintains a global view of the Assistance Division’s solutions and the portfolio of projects, with updated roadmaps and necessary documentations, ensuring alignment with the objectives of the Division, assisting in the prioritization and identifying synergies amongst Units. He/She closely follows-up the resources allocated and contributes to planning and budgeting processes as well as monitoring the portfolio of solutions and projects by relevant KPIs.
• Supports the Division Management team in the evolution and implementation of the Assistance IS Program.
• Supports and coaches Sponsors of Assistance IS projects, as well as Project Managers on all aspects of project management, in line with the ICRC Project Management Framework when applicable. He/She ensures awareness of and timely application of PMO processes and guidelines, as well as alignment of Assistance internal initiatives and coherence with the Information Environment Strategy.
• Ensure that relevant stakeholders outside of the Assistance are consulted and invited to attend workshops when there are interdependencies with other tools / projects, notably Protection (PROT), Resource Mobilization (REM), ICT, Finance and Administration (FAD) and Logistics (LOG).
• Closely cooperates with the Protection Division, developing synergies and ensuring interoperability of data and commonalities of future digital tools of both Assistance and Protection.
• Keeps strong relationship with representatives of the Director of Operations (OP_DIR) and other HQ Departments in data/digital related governance mechanisms (eg. Project Board, Case Management Project, Data Management Model, Planning and Monitoring Tool, Business Intelligence, OSCAR, SYNERGY, Project Management Office, etc.).
• Identifies the areas of change (processes and practice), and contribute to define and implement change management strategies accordingly.
• Participates to Assistance Management team meetings and provides appropriate visibility and reports on the progress of the Assistance portfolio.
• Contributes to the profile and recruitment of the all staff involved in the digitalisation of the Assistance Division (e.g. change management advisor, project managers, data manager).

Required background and experience

• University Degree in Information Systems Management or Engineering, or equivalent
• 5 to 10 years of professional experience in software development and IT/IS systems architecture (network, data flow, API, etc.)
• 5 to 10 years of confirmed professional experience in project, programme and portfolio management, and good understanding of change management. Experience in risk management an asset
• Proven experience in dealing with large and multidisciplinary teams, and managing challenging and complex relationships, and ability to create followers and ownership
• Experience in data management and data modeling
• Good knowledge in the field of data privacy/protection
• Good knowledge of the ICRC, especially of the Assistance Division, its Units and working processes, as well as an understanding of the work flows / interactions with Protection, Finance and Administration, Logistics, Human Resources, the organizational projects led by DIR GEN (BI, PMT) having an impact on the information systems and the Donor Reporting Unit of the Resources and Mobilisation Division.
• Good understanding of the processes of the ICT Division, the ICRC Information Environment Strategy and the newly adopted Data Protection Framework.

Desired profile and skills

• Strong analytical and organizational skills; ability to synthesise information; pragmatic and solution-oriented.
• Sense of initiative and ability to work autonomously.
• Strong capacity to direct and prioritise stakeholders’ requests, and to take decisions.
• Interest in supporting line and programme managers in achieving their project objectives.
• Listening, negotiation skills, presentation and interpersonal skills, facilitation skills.
• Availability for occasional/short field visits.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French, with the ability to communicate in simple terms.
• At ease dealing with uncertainty.
• Appetite for learning new processes and new technologies.

Additional information

Type of contract:             Open-ended

Starting date:                   ASAP

Working rate:                   100%

Application deadline:    Sunday, 12th November 2017