Deputy Director of Programs

Beirut

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

In response to the influx of refugees in Lebanon, the IRC started a Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program and a Livelihood program in 2012 with program strategies implemented in various locations. To complement these ongoing programmes in 2013 started child protection programming throughout the country. In 2015 Child Protection activities will continue to include: psychosocial support for children and caregivers, lifeskills for adolescents and individual case management services. The IRC will also continue to implement specific activities for street and working children. Capacity building efforts will be strengthened through the continuation of the case management coaching programme, and more targeted case management and PSS trainings for local partners.

Job Overview/Summary

The Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) plays a leading role in ensuring overall program responsiveness, quality and impact. The DDP ensures that programs are evidence-based and needs-driven, monitored closely, and funded appropriately. Reporting to the Country Director and a member of the Senior Management Team, s/he will supervise technical program coordinators as well as the Senior Program Support Coordinator responsible for the Grants and Partnership Coordinator and MEAL. The DDP is responsible for ensuring programmatic strategic direction of the Lebanon Country Programme, high quality implementation of a wide range of programming across emergency to early recovery and development contexts and conducting day to day team management.

Major Responsibilities

1. Leadership and Representation

•Provide leadership and supervisory management for all IRC programming in Lebanon, including mobilization and stewardship of resources, program quality and accountability, and performance management.

•Participate actively in country program management, coordination, and strategy meetings with other members of the senior management team.

•Work closely with Finance colleagues to ensure timely budget development, financial planning and cost management.

•Actively engage with donors, partner agencies and the humanitarian community in Lebanon to ensure IRC is strongly represented in coordination and advocacy efforts.

•Conduct regular field visits to support program teams.

•Actively liaise with IRC programs in the Middle East Region and the regional team to maximize synergies and application of best practice across the region.

2. Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth

•Provide cohesive leadership to IRC’s program teams in Lebanon, ensuring that priorities and opportunities identified are in line with and contribute to achievement of IRC’s objectives in the Middle East region and the Lebanon strategic action plan with a strong partnerships focus.

•Provide guidance to the program team regarding tools and strategies to ensure that programming is based on input from communities, local partners and local/national stakeholders, a thorough understanding of the context, and technical best practices.

•Work with colleagues in the country program, region and HQ to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive, responsive proposals that meet internal standards, apply IRC’s global strategy, and are donor compliant; meet with donors to discuss current and potential funding opportunities.

•Work with the senior management team to develop operational budgets, which reflect a detailed understanding of situational parameters, beneficiary needs, available resources and technical possibilities including partnership capabilities.

•Through the provision of leadership support to the in-country grants and program teams, and in close collaboration with the Finance Team, develop cost-effective funding applications aligned with the IRC’s Outcome and Evidence Framework.

•Ensure programs collaborate across sectors on outcome-based programs for greater impact.

•Manage Program Coordinators to ensure partnership plans that maximize the opportunities for collaborative partnerships in Lebanon are maintained and updated, consistent with the IRC’s Strategy Action Plan.

•Remain abreast of ongoing contextual and funding trends in the region and provide regular updates on these trends and analysis of how they may affect IRC programming.

•Support Program and M&E teams to develop, adapt and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems that enhance program quality, increase effectiveness and measure results.

•Identify and pursue opportunities to improve client feedback mechanisms to ensure responsive programming.

3. Staff Performance Management and Development

•Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, establishing a supportive environment while emphasizing accountability, providing regular and timely constructive performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual 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.

•Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. 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.

•Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the Lebanon country program.

4. Grant Monitoring & Partner Management

•Supervise the Senior Program Support Coordinator and Grants Coordinator in the development of funding strategy, diversifying and strengthening donor base, quality concept notes and proposals for all IRC Lebanon programs.

•Support and supervise implementation of strong Project Management Cycle processes and tools in accordance with HQ tools

•Support the Senior Program Support Coordinator, Grants Coordinator and Partnership Coordinator to ensure that all IRC Lebanon programs are compliant with their respective donor regulations.

•Support the Senior Program Support Coordinator and Partnership Coordinator in having a solid Partnership strategy aligning with the ambitions of the Strategic Action Plan

•Work through the IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS), a comprehensive set of compliance tools to set up, manage, and close out partnerships and subawards.

•Ensure program staff proactively maintain positive relationships with partners, including ongoing capacity building and mentoring, as well as a culture of mutual learning.

5. Communications

•Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations.

•Maintain open communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Eight direct reports including the Economic Recovery and Development Coordinator, Protection and Rule of Law Coordinator, Women’s Protection and Empowerment Coordinator, Child Protection Coordinator, Early Childhood Development Coordinator, Education Coordinator, Health Coordinator and Senior Program Support Coordinator.

Key Working Relationships

Internal: Country Director; Lebanon Senior Management Team; Lebanon Field Coordinators; HQ and Regional staff in various departments

External: Public and private donor agencies, international and national NGOs, UN agencies, partner organizations, foreign governments.

Requirements

•Graduate degree in Psychology, social work, human rights, or related degree preferred

•At least 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience managing complex humanitarian and development programming.

•Strong familiarity with IRC Lebanon’s core programming areas including integrated protection, Education, and Economic Recovery and Development.

•Demonstrated successful leadership experience managing a multi-disciplinary team and cross-cultural dynamics

•Superior diplomatic and coordination skills are essential, both for internal coordination and for working with key stakeholders

•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

•Politically astute, with well-developed diplomatic and negotiating skills

•Fluency in spoken and written English; working knowledge of Arabic is an asset

•Strong 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

•Experience of managing programs in a complex and rapidly changing contexts

•Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations

•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

•Strong commitment to IRC’s vision, mission and core values

•Motivated, positive individual who excels at taking initiative and is able to motive team members to produce results under pressure while maintaining a sense of humor.

Travel: This position is based in Beirut, Lebanon with regular travel to all IRC Lebanon field offices.

Working Environment: The overall security situation in Beirut is relatively calm.

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of 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, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

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.

IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.

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This vacancy is now closed.
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