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Deputy Director of Programs

Amman

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

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 6.2 million people are internally displaced and 11.7 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. There are 5.6 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair and has a profound impact on the neighboring countries which are hosting the overwhelming majority of Syrian refugees and find themselves under increasing strain. 
Job Overview/Summary
The Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) plays a leading role in ensuring overall program delivery, quality and impact. The DDP also ensures that programs are evidence- and needs-driven, monitored closely and funded appropriately. Reporting to the Country Director, the DDP is a member of the Syria Senior Management Team, and supervises a team of technical, program and monitoring and evaluation coordinators.  
Key Responsibilities
1. Leadership and Representation
•Provide leadership and supervisory management of programs in Syria, including mobilization and stewardship of resources, program quality and accountability, and performance management.
•Provide overall direction for all program staff, including those working remotely and/or based in locations other than Amman
•Participate actively in country program management, coordination, and strategy meetings with other members of the senior management team.
•Actively engage with donors, partner agencies, and the humanitarian community in Syria to ensure IRC is strongly represented in coordination and advocacy efforts.
•Actively liaise with IRC programs in the Middle East & North Africa Region, the regional team and technical units to maximize synergies and application of best practice across the region. 
•Remain abreast of ongoing humanitarian response and funding trends in the region, and provide regular updates on these trends and analysis of how they may affect IRC programming.
2. Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth
•Provide cohesive leadership to IRC’s program teams in Syria, ensuring that priorities and opportunities identified are in line with and contribute to achievement of IRC’s objectives for the Middle East & North Africa Region and the development and implementation of the Syria Strategic Action Plan.
•Provide guidance to the program team regarding tools and strategies to ensure that programming is based on input from communities, a thorough understanding of the context, and technical best practices. 
•Work with Program Coordinators to ensure that in strategy and program planning IRC’s role is defined based on how we can best complement the roles, capacities and strategies of Syrian actors.
•Manage Program Coordinators to ensure partnership plans that maximize opportunities for principled, collaborative partnerships in Syria are maintained and enhanced, consistent with the IRC’s Strategy Action Plan. 
•Work with colleagues in country program, region and HQ to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive, responsive proposals that meet internal standards, contain cost effective funding applications, apply IRC’s global strategy, and are donor compliant; meet with donors to discuss current and potential funding opportunities.
•Work closely with field and operations teams, especially the Deputy Director for Operations (DDO) to ensure that field activities are closely aligned with programmatic goals.
•Work in collaboration with the Humanitarian Access & Security Lead to maintain and expand safe and principled humanitarian access for program teams and to facilitate the sustainable delivery of services.
•Ensure all supervisors uphold the principle of shared security responsibility by rigorously identifying, effectively mitigating, and appropriately resourcing safety and security risks across all grants and opportunities, both with IRC staff and partners.
•Provide regular guidance to program teams on the development and implementation of conflict-sensitive interventions and the monitoring of humanitarian principles in practice across all program activities. 
•Ensure programs collaborate across sectors on outcome-based programs for greater impact.
•Ensure new business development, program design and implementation are consistent with partnership ambitions and the Strategy Action Plan (including through the Go/No-Go review process).
•Work closely with operational support departments to ensure systems are regularly reviewed and in place to support ongoing program operations and strategic growth.
3. Staff Performance Management, Learning and Development
•Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting quarterly performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented regular performance reviews.
•Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
•Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations. As a member of the SMT, co-responsible for promoting IRC’s internal capacity to partner, including by: promoting a partnership culture; establishing appropriate management structures; promoting effective cross-departmental collaboration regarding partnerships; ensuring appropriate resourcing and clear roles and responsibilities as well as effective accountability for those roles; and ensuring staff recruitment, training and performance management for success in partnership
•Promote and monitor staff care, well-being and self-care; approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage. 
•Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. Offer leadership support for successful adherence by staff to IRC’s country and Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
•As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of selected national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by end of assignment.
•Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
•Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
•Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
4. Grant Monitoring & Partner Management
•Support Senior Program Coordinators to develop, adapt and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems that enhance program effectiveness and quality. 
•Ensure the systematic inclusion of department leads such as Humanitarian Access & Security, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Field Management from the onset of new business development opportunities all through program design, implementation, monitoring, and close-out. 
•Working with the Senior Program Coordinators, ensure appropriate and timely grant spending to achieve program goals, including procurement, use and distribution of supplies and resources.
•Support the submission of timely, accurate and well-written donor reports and other reporting requirements including grant modifications, with a focus on identifying and troubleshooting potential issues well in advance.
•Lead the development of a funding strategy, diversifying and strengthening donor base. 
•Ensure Senior Program Coordinators budget accurately and realistically, and consistently spend and implement in a timely fashion, including procurement of program supplies in accordance with approved procurement plans, while meeting targets.
•Support the Grants Coordinator to ensure that all IRC programs are compliant with their respective donor regulations.
•Direct oversight of and accountability for the Partnership Working Group, ensuring the PWG drives cross departmental collaboration and the effective and efficient management of partnerships under the direction of the SMT.
•Consistently promote and apply the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results system (PEERS), and ensure that IRC’s partnership principles, skills and approaches are applied by all staff across programs and projects with partners.
•Direct oversight of collaborative partnership project risk management as it relates to program issues, in particular through the effective implementation of pre-award due diligence and post-award monitoring processes, and appropriate action to address issues identified.
•Oversight responsibility for effective, timely partnership project support and other capacity sharing commitments as they relates to program components, fostering a culture of mutual learning.
•Oversight of partner feedback systems, ensuring that IRC consistently addresses partners’ concerns and recommendations in a timely manner
•Ensure that the IRC is discharging its duty of care with partners, including by supporting partners to discharge their own duty of care obligations to their staff.
•Strategic external liaison with partners.
Job Requirements
Education:
•Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s university degree in international development, public health or other relevant field is preferred. 
Work Experience: 
•10 – 12 years of progressively responsible professional experience managing complex multi-sectoral humanitarian programming. 
•Previous experience in an emergency or conflict-afflicted setting is required.
•Experience living and successfully working in a remote, complex, unstable environment, while maintaining a focus on program outcomes, preserving calm and a sense of humor.
Demonstrated Technical Skills:
•Successful leadership experience managing a multi-disciplinary team and cross-cultural dynamics.
•Successful management of multi-site operations.
•Proven remote management experience.
•Conversant in best practices in humanitarian interventions across programmatic sectors. Strong familiarity with IRC’s core programming areas in Syria, including Protection, Health, and Economic Recovery and Development
•Design, implementation, and management of highly-sophisticated M&E systems.
•Demonstrated ability for rapid, accurate analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translation of programmatic priorities into operational strategies.
•Repeated, successful experience delivering appropriate levels oversight for a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects. 
•Superior diplomatic and coordination skills are essential, both for internal coordination and for working with key stakeholders
•Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
•A keen understanding of political complexities in the Middle East region.
Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:
•Excellent leadership and management skills including coaching, mentoring and managing teams
•Politically astute, with well-developed diplomatic and negotiating skills.
•Superior oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders.
•Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US and international donors.
•Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations.
•Strong commitment to IRC’s vision, mission and core values.
Language/Travel: 
•English is required, while Arabic and Kurdish are desired.
•Travel: 50% to field sites in Turkey and Northeast Syria as well as attending regional and global workshops and meetings
Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.
Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
Gender Equality: IRC is 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 and allowances.
Diversity and Inclusion: at IRC MENA, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.
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This vacancy is now closed.
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