Deputy Director of Human Resources At International Rescue Committee

Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 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.

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues to intensify. Venezuelans face hyperinflation, which puts them out of reach of basic goods and services, including health care and food. A shortage of medical supplies means that it is difficult to diagnose and treat communicable diseases and sexual and reproductive health needs, among other services. The lack of food has resulted in hunger and malnutrition. From 2015-2018, over three million Venezuelans left to seek goods and services in primarily neighboring countries.

IRC has responded to the crisis by supporting Venezuelans crossing the arc of the migration pattern, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In Colombia, IRC works in the areas of health, protection, education, and multipurpose cash assistance in Cúcuta, Medellín, Cundinamarca, Norte de Santander, and Nariño (specifically Ipiales). In Venezuela, IRC has been developing programs through the support of local partners. Since January 2021, we have expanded our response in Ecuador and in 2022 to Peru, establishing projects and strategic alliances with local partners, with emphasis on border corridors. IRC works to strengthen the capacity of local partners to provide access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, nutrition, basic needs, and dignified livelihoods for the migrant population.

Job Overview

The Deputy Director of HR is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the HR functions for all staff, consultants and volunteers across the Venezuelan crisis response countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). The Deputy Director HR will lead the HR team to ensure high quality and efficient staff recruitment, orientation, contracts management, learning and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, leave management, code of conduct compliance, legal compliance, employee relations, HR Information Systems, coordination of policy development and implementation, employee engagement, exit management and staff care. The position acts as an HR advisor to the VCR Director, Senior Management Team and other senior positions. The Deputy Director HR reports to the VCR Director and is a member of the Senior Management Team.

The Deputy Director HR will adapt and implement Global HR initiatives and practices to maximize staffing resources and performance, promote a positive organizational culture, minimize risk and ensure economy and efficiency of work processes.

Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership and Management

• Devise and deliver a planned HR approach to attracting, developing, inspiring, and retaining the right people with the right skills to achieve strategic, high-quality programmatic outcomes. This will also include a remote management context.
• As a member of the SMT, determine workforce needs, identify human resource and competency gaps, and plan a development and workforce plan and retention strategy for staff.
• Actively participate in proposal design and grants opening and review meetings specifically advising on organizational structure, position scoping, demographic/staffing analysis and other inputs critical to ensure a strong HR foundation to support program quality.
• Conduct monthly and quarterly strategic HR metrics and analysis to inform Senior Management Team and Regional HR decision-making, lead on country program inputs to global HR Operations Scorecards & Priority Metrix and Gender Equality initiatives.
• In collaboration with the Country and Recruitment teams, set a strategy for recruitment. Develop candidate rosters, actively network and employ innovative, creative recruiting methods to attract, hire and retain the best talent. Proactively position IRC as an Employer Brand of Choice in the country.
• Review and approve job position requests, job descriptions, and make recommendations, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Deliver international HR management, including policy, process, and employee relations management, with support from Regional HR Director.
• Lead the performance management process with guidance from Regional, HQ HR and the Country Director. Create a plan to manage annual and mid-year reviews and conduct training on goal setting. Supervise Staff Capacity Building team organize development activities and work one-on-one with managers and employees to create country wide staff development plans. Through HR initiatives and actions, support a culture of continuous feedback.
• Participate in budget preparation and provide strategic compensation analysis to attract high-quality talent. Define and review the salary structure; coordinate the annual compensation review process and compensation adjustments.
• Manage benefit plans and communicate updates and conduct information campaigns for national and international staff.
• Devise staff care action plans that elevate morale and support the social, physical, and psychological well-being of staff; create emergency staff care interventions – both in collaboration with the Regional Staff Care unit.
• Oversee HR-related administrative duties and ensure compliance with existing legal and governmental reporting requirements. Ensuring all legal obligations are fulfilled.
• Lead all employee relations in a professional manner with the aim of empowering employees and supervisors to have the tools and resources necessary to resolve conflicts with mutual respect.
• Escalate code of conduct issues, lead or co-lead investigations and ensure issues are resolved and appropriate follow-up is carried out, in partnership with Ethics and Compliance Unit (ECU).
• Advise supervisors in determining appropriate disciplinary plans of action in a judicious manner. Follow-up disciplinary measures and related employment law matters.
• Act as impartial mediator in disciplinary procedures and ensure it is administered in an equitable and fair manner and that it meets all legal and labor regulations and requirements.
• Manage any lay-offs or reductions in workforce in partnership with senior management and carrying out due diligence in compliance with legal frameworks and IRC country and global polices, risk reduction techniques, communications, and staff care.
• Lead exit management procedure to ensure seamless and positive transition for departing employees and analyze turnover and exit interviews to make real-time, continuous improvement utilizing learnings to formulate retention strategies.
• Oversee Incentive Worker sub-department and ensure compliance with existing internal policies and legal and governmental requirements.
• In partnership with designated senior program staffer, oversee Gender Equality & Safeguarding unit to champion gender equality, diversity, inclusion and safeguarding concepts, ensuring staff feedback and awareness.

Staff Performance Management and Development

• Serve as a model of supervisory excellence; 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 constructive feedback and counsel on career paths and professional development for HR team and IRC staff; establish a culture of continuous learning opportunities.
• Support the management, coaching and development of national staff to build a team of skilled, committed and motivated staff.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices.

Communications

• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Code of Conduct” throughout the country program.
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and is devised to meet the remote management context, by delivering an employee engagement and communication strategy.
• Maintain and leverage open communications and partnership on projects and shared goals with other HR Leads at the country level, Regional HR and HR HQ levels.
• Provide direct support and advise the CD and SMT on staff communications to ensure clear, consistent and transparency in communications.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: The VCR Director

Position directly supervises: HR team in VCR (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) and indirectly the HR staff in all the field offices.

Key Internal Stakeholders:

• Country: Deputy Director Programs, Deputy Director Operations; Deputy Director Finance; Field Coordinator/Managers, Head of Departments, and all staff within IRC VCR Program.
• Regional: Regional HR Director, Duty of Care Unit, Gender Equality Advisors, and other Regional Staff.
• HQ: Compensation & Benefits, Talent Management Team. General Counsel Office. Ethics & Compliance Unit (ECU).

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s university degree in HR management, International Relations or Development, MBA, Law or related field is preferred.

Work Experience:

• 10 years of progressive experience as an HR generalist, including recruitment, performance management, employee relations, compensation, training and development and HR Administration.
• Minimum 5 years strategic leadership experience managing own HR function for large budget programs and/ in a fast-paced environment in the INGO sector is strongly preferred.
• At least 3 years of experience with an international organization or international experience.
• Remote management experience a plus.
• Strategic experience with managing staff, workforce planning, and development of HR processes during a start-up phase is a plus.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Superior remote management skills
• Top-tier written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development in English and Spanish.
• Proven sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to manage complex HR situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.
• Excellent management, interpersonal and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.
• Effective in developing high-potential staff to achieve career growth and maximum contribution
• Proven ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional manner.
• Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other stakeholders to maximize cooperation and productivity.
• Analytical ability in creating effective HR solutions while adhering to labor laws; Working knowledge of Ethiopian labor law is a plus.
• A commitment to IRC’s mission and vision.

Language/Travel*:***

• Professional fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English.
• Travel: Frequent travels to fields.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Gender Equality. 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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons

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

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.