Senior Executive Officer, Office of the Secretary General

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”  IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

The OSG is responsible for ensuring that the Secretary General is provided with the information and support required to carry out the full range of his activities as executive head of the organization. The OSG facilitates coordination and communication within the Secretariat as well as between the Secretariat and the broader spectrum of IFRC stakeholders.

The position is based in the Office of the Secretary General (OSG), and reports directly to the Senior Advisor, Executive Office, OSG (Senior Advisor, OSG).

Under the guidance of the Director of the OSG and the Senior Advisor OSG, the Senior Executive Officer plays a principal role in managing the full range of internal and external activities of the Secretary General in order to support the Secretary General’s leadership, management and accountability vision. The incumbent provides expertise, guidance and support in the day-to-day management of the OSG as well as the broader IFRC on all matters pertaining to achieving the IFRC’s Agenda for Renewal. 

Senior Executive Officer, OSG, has the following duties and responsibilities:

• Provides expertise and guidance, and as necessary, day-to-day research, coordinating, drafting and editing for the preparation of briefing materials for the Secretary General’s external and internal, bilateral and multilateral meetings. Ensures that such briefs and research are kept up to date and accessible to the Global Leadership Team.
• Analyses the complexities of administrative and organizational issues, exercises high levels of discretion and judgement in their management and referral, and keeps the Secretary General informed as appropriate.
• Guides managers and concerned colleagues throughout the Secretariat on the content, presentation and timelines for inputs and information by ensuring that all materials are timely, of high quality and consistent with required standards for strategic relevance, accuracy and clarity.
• Provides expertise and guidance to IFRC staff and external partners on OSG policies, procedures and guidelines so that the organisation’s objectives are aligned in line with the Strategy 2030 and the Agenda for Renewal.
• Manages eApprovals and ensures the Secretary General is able to make efficient and effective decisions.
• Ensures the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the Secretary General’s strategic outgoing correspondence, including liaising with managers and other concerned colleagues, analysing political and diplomatic issues, ensuring substantive accuracy, drafting, editing, and finalising for clearances.
• Accompanies the Secretary General, upon request, to meetings, events, and on official travel to support the Secretary General with necessary strategic advice, inputs, preparation of notes, reports and records of meetings and engagements, and to ensure effective dissemination and follow-up action.
• Leads on the development of a system that ensures timely and efficient sharing of information (operational, thematic and organisational) between delegations, Regional Offices, the Global Leadership Team (GLT) and the Secretary General. Once developed, leads on ensuring the system provides regularly updated information to support the Secretary General and the GLT for high level engagements.
• Supports the Senior Advisor, OSG to ensure the smooth functioning of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Global Leadership Team (GLT), the Senior Management Team (SMT) and the Global Management Team (GMT). To include agenda setting, documenting decisions taken, identifying action points and supporting the Secretary General in monitoring, measuring, evaluating and reporting follow- up on key decisions taken in these fora and progress on organizational objectives and results as well. Leads on the delivery of the annual GMT meeting.
• Supports the Director of OSG to lead on the development and management of special projects / solutions group.
• Supports the Director of OSG in the monitoring of budget implementation, analyses and advises of necessary adjustments.
• Assists the Senior Advisor, OSG in day-to-day management of OSG, and carries out daily management functions for the OSG in the absence of the Senior Advisor, OSG.

Work actively towards the achievement of the Federation’s goals. 

Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.

Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Required

• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in management, public administration, social sciences, international relations, economics, law, or other relevant field of study; or a first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with extensive relevant experience.

Required

• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in one or more of the following fields: humanitarian emergency management or disaster response; economic or social development; communications; management or public administration; partnership development; community development; organizational development and governance; strategic planning; or another relevant field.

• Demonstrated professional experience working in an international organization, NGO, or other relevant international and cross-cultural environment.

Preferred

• RCRC experience.

Required

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in spoken and written English.
• Leadership skills.
• Interpersonal skills and ability to negotiate while maintaining effective working relations.
• Strategic analysis, systematic planning and implementation skills.
• Ability to draft and edit in English and French in a clear and concise manner.
• Knowledge of and ability to use state-of-the-art electronic management monitoring and evaluation tools and programmes.
• Discretion, loyalty and ability to identify and handle sensitive issues and confidential information.

Preferred

• Good working knowledge of another IFRC official language (Arabic, French or Spanish).

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.