Deputy Regional Director - GREAT LAKES

Nairobi

Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
Location: Nairobi
Grade: Senior level - Senior
Occupational Groups:
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

IRC’s Crisis Response, Recovery and Development (CRRD) department focuses on various relief, rehabilitation, and development programs for refugees, internally displaced persons and those affected by conflict in different regions worldwide. Each region is led by a regional team that coordinates the region’s country programs, headed by a Regional Vice President (RVP) and Deputy Regional Director (DRD), and supported by a Regional Grants Director (RGD). These programs focus on different sectors, including health; water and sanitation; children and youth protection and development; protection; gender-based violence protection; economic development; civil society development; community-driven reconstruction; and refugee camp management. Scope of work

The DRD will support the RVP in being responsible for IRC’s engagement and programming in response to the humanitarian crises impacting the Great Lakes region. In addition, the DRD will engage with regional INGO, UN, and donor representatives, to position IRC on regional initiatives and to further IRC’s strategic goals. The DRD will also be actively engaged in business development opportunities, especially around multi-year, high value projects.

In this role, you will serve as a champion of IRC’s new Strategy 100, lead and coordinate the Development of the Country Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and be a model of organizational leadership: developing new program opportunities, ensuring the quality or the program delivery, and driving performance and strategic growth in the region while partnering with the RVP on promoting a broad culture and duty of care for all.

The DRD will be based in Nairobi and report to the Regional Director. This is an accompanied post.

Position Overview

The DRD will be responsible for program design and implementation in IRC’s country programs in the Great Lakes region. S/he will be an ambassador for organizational priorities and goals to these country programs and supporting country programs to implement IRC’s Strategy100 through the development and the implementation of their SAP.

Exercising the delegated authority of the RVP, the DRD provides a range of strategic, programmatic and operational management support to country programs and regional colleagues. A key function of the role is to navigate the organization on behalf of the country programs. The DRD will travel regularly to country offices to provide management support, including exceptional management of specific issues as required, and to supervise program quality. A significant portion of the DRD’s time will be spent on business development activities, regional representational activities, Strategic Plan monitoring, and staff mentoring.

Key Responsibilities

1.Strategy

•Work closely with the RVP to ensure that the IRC’s global strategy is understood and guides decision-making throughout the region.

•Drive institutionalization of the Outcomes and Evidence Framework, IRC’s program design tools.

•Support delivery of country-level strategy action plans (SAPs). Facilitate and coordinate regional participation in global strategy discussions, initiatives and pilots.

•Oversee implementation of SAP monitoring mechanism and review process, including leading annual SAP reviews and reporting.

•Build consensus around a common vision of what shared success in the Great Lakes looks like, including developing and tracking appropriate indicators.

2.Leadership & Coordination

•Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.

•Provide leadership to increase country programs’ coordination, collaboration, communication and harmonization of programming.

•Drive detailed coordination between programming and operations and across sectors and outcomes, with the objective of improving the quality of IRC programs and impact on the people IRC serves.

•Facilitate close and efficient coordination of regional staff’s support to the country programs, and with headquarters departments on common programming, operational and funding issues.

•Coordinate with regional INGOs, Donors and UN representatives in Nairobi, ensuring that IRC’s remains a key partner in coordination mechanisms hosted in Kenya.

3.Innovation & Program Quality

•Manage the region’s relationships with the Technical Units (TUs), and support TU-country program collaboration to optimize impact on program quality within and across country programs.

•Strengthen the region's readiness to respond to new emergencies in line with global IRC emergency response and preparedness guidelines.

•Facilitate sharing and learning across countries, and support country programs to incorporate learning from other regions into project design and operations management.

•Coordinate the region’s engagement with IRC’s R&D lab.

•Engage the regional team and country programs in ongoing context analysis to ensure IRC programs are continually adapted to the evolving contexts across the region.

•Ensure that programs are designed and implemented in support of IRC’s vision of cost-effective and evidence-based interventions that are responsive to the local context and the priorities of our beneficiaries.

•Where applicable support country teams to adopt and use industry-standard remote management practices and maximize program quality and controls.

4.Business Development & Partnerships

•In coordination with the IRC’s Awards Management Unit, provide focused business development support to country programs, building country capacity to win multi-year and high value projects.

•Take go/no-go decisions regarding pursuit of regional funding opportunities. In coordination with Country Directors, engage in strong regional-level representation with governments, donors, international and local NGOs.

•Ensure timely submission of driven, responsive and high-quality proposals that align with country priorities identified in Strategy Action Plans, and support country program colleagues in negotiations with donors.

•Be responsible for the design and implementation of IRC’s work in partnership to support and build capacities of local civil society and other key Partners, positioning IRC as a valued INGO partner.

•Participate in shaping policy positions and advocacy messages pertaining to the overall humanitarian situation and IRC’s response in the Great Lakes region.

•Support programs in networking and alliance-building activities, promoting cross-sectoral engagement with the private sector, universities, research institutions, and other potential “non-traditional” partners.

•Support the development of country business development plans which marry the priority outcomes identified in each country

SAP with the priorities of existing and new donors.

Supervisory responsibilities: Regional Grants Director, Regional Emergency Director, Regional Management Action Coordinator,

Key working relationships

Internal: Regional Director; Great Lakes Country Directors and staff; other Great Lakes regional staff; HQ and UK colleagues in various departments

External: Donors; NGO representatives; UN officials; and Media

Qualifications

•Extensive field experience leading humanitarian, protracted and/or post-crisis development programs with demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate in sophisticated and often insecure working environments.

•7-10 years in senior program management roles, with several of these being in an international NGO.

•Post-graduate qualification or equivalent proven experience in a relevant field.

•A unique background in programs, with strong understanding of M&E, strong analytical skills, and experience leading strategic planning processes

•Proven records to influence peer agencies, local government and community leaders to work effectively towards a common and agreed upon result.

•Proven records to evaluate and implement standard methodologies and processes affecting multiple technical specialties to achieve rapid, consistent and high quality outcomes.

•Demonstrated expertise in representation and negotiations, resulting in securing significant new opportunities for the organization

•Highly-developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching. Must be able to give direction from a variety of management styles and roles.

•Receptive and collaborative leadership approach that contributes to positive team environment, builds and maintains strong relationships with people from all backgrounds, genders, cultures and viewpoints.

•Demonstrated ability to work independently with limited supervision

•Strong commitment to the IRC’s mission, purpose and values

•Fluency in English and French

•Previous experience with IRC is desirable

Other Information: This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya and will require up to 40% of time spent traveling within the region.

Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality :IRC acknowledges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider 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 protected characteristic. IRC is also committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits.

Professional standards :IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

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