The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is among the world’s leading nonprofit humanitarian relief and development organizations. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC’s mission is to assist those whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control over their lives. The organization has been at the forefront of virtually every major humanitarian initiative for the last 85 years. At work today in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
Job Overview/Summary:
The Director for HR Planning & Operational Excellence will support the Senior HR Director - Crisis Response, Recovery, and Development Department (CRRD) in developing a strategic, focused, effective, collaborative and data-driven CRRD HR team and culture. They will be a thought partner for the Senior HR Director and CRRD HR leadership team, often leading the analysis and development of solutions for complex problems, establishing a foundation for data-driven decision-making, and ensuring that we are focusing our energy and time on the most important issues. The Director will ensure streamlined efforts and will provide high-level process and project management support to the CRRD HR leadership team. They will also develop, direct, and implement special projects. This role will evolve and change over time to support IRC and CRRD’s continued growth and innovation.
Key Responsibilities:
Planning, coordination, and project management
- Maintain an active overview of the work of the HR teams, tracking priority issues and ensuring effective and lean coordinating mechanisms to support improved HR prioritization, delivery, and communication throughout CRRD.
- Ensure that team processes are aligned with the organization, and that the HR team is appropriately and effectively participating in IRC-wide efforts.
- Coordinate and/or support planning, delivery and implementation of global HR initiatives including HRIS, talent programs, policies and procedures, monthly and quarterly metrics, compensation and benefits, and pilots and programs across CRRD
- Advise the Senior HR Director on priorities, opportunities, and challenges
- Independently plan and manage select key projects from inception to completion - these will typically be projects which are highly cross-functional, or which are particularly critical.
- Responsible for the planning and management of CRRD HR leadership meetings, both regular and ad hoc, including agenda development, effective facilitation, and follow-up.
- Provide leadership and coordination for HR-related initiatives requested by other HQ departments that impact CRRD e.g., Global Supply Chain, Safety & Security, Measurement, Safeguarding
Data Oversight and Analysis
- Build and strengthen routines for consolidation of CRRD HR-related data, working across different teams and functions to establish an integrated and ongoing picture of ‘state of talent’
- Analyze data, note trends and flags, and provide recommendations to CRRD SMT and HR Leadership teams to drive data-driven decision making in talent-related management processes.
- Foster a commitment to data-driven continuous improvement within CRRD HR by developing Communities of Practice.
- Evaluate people analytics capabilities across CRRD HR and identify ways to build skills within the HR professional development framework.
CRRD HR Professional Development
- Lead creation of and maintain CRRD HR career framework, including standardization of roles, titles, levels, and related competencies, ensuring linkages with global HR practices.
- Lead Talent Dialogue process for CRRD HR Leads and establish system for development and nurturing of HR Leader talent pools, paired with regular check ins to ensure professional development opportunities/ commitments are in place and followed through.
HR Continuous Improvement
- Identify HR policies & practices required to support the delivery of Strategy 100’s ambitions and assess current state in CRRD HR against what is needed.
- Work collaboratively with CRRD and global HR colleagues to prioritize required changes and lead and/or collaborate the work to ensure the CRRD HR function is well-placed to support CRRD’s ambitions.
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports directly to: Senior HR Director, CRRD
Other Internal and/or external contacts: CRRD HR Leadership Team, HQ HR colleagues, Country HR Leads, CRRD Senior Director of Planning & Policy and other CRRD Leaders
Job Requirements:
Work Experience:
- Minimum 8-10 years of relevant work experience, preferably in the NGO sector, with experience in humanitarian organizations a distinct advantage.
- Successful implementation of HR activities at a global or regional level working with multiple stakeholders, across cultures and at a range of organizational levels
- Proven success as an HR professional in emergency response, conflict zones and/or humanitarian aid sector strongly preferred.
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
- Excellent project management and organizational skills including creation of detailed work plans and superior time management
- Ability to deliver high quality work on schedule
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to anticipate and assess situations accurately and recommend/implement effective courses of action required.
- Strong facility with analysis and practical use of HR data
- Highly collaborative, inclusive, consultative, and resourceful work style
- Outstanding interpersonal, presentation, verbal, and written communication skills
- Ability to work within a highly matrixed and complex agency organizational structure and to adapt to shifting priorities
- Exceptional discretion and confidentiality in dealing with sensitive material
- Ability to handle stress and function effectively under pressure while meeting deadlines.
- Ability to expand on own initiative in performance of duties.
- Excellent judgment, tact, initiative, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, organizational skills, and self-motivation.
Working Environment:
Occasional international travel may be required.
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, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or other protected characteristics. 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.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.