ERT People & Culture Coordinator At International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC’s s Emergency and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) leads or oversees IRC’s global emergency preparedness and response activities. EHAU’s is to expand and improve IRC’s ability to help affected communities survive in acute emergencies and hard to reach contexts by investing in people, systems, and solutions to complex humanitarian challenges. The EHAU team achieves this mission through ongoing rigorous risk analysis, investing in capacity strengthening of frontline humanitarians, partnership with local actors, offering collaborative support and technical assistance to teams working in emergencies and hard to reach places, and deploying and supporting world class emergency response staff as they help people affected by acute crisis situations.

Job Overview

EHAU’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) is made up of team members who regularly deploy to either support existing country programs in their emergency response, or to initiate a new program in a crisis zone. The overall responsibility of the team is to rapidly and effectively design, develop and manage the IRC’s on-site humanitarian response to meet the immediate needs of the affected population. The ERT is also responsible for supporting the transfer of responsibilities and knowledge to the long-term staff to ensure the continuity of IRC programming and operations.

All ERT staff members are expected to be deployed in the field, either in an emergency or roving capacity, for 65% of the time and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification; emergency deployments take precedence over other duties.

In this context, the ERT People & Culture Coordinator (ERT P&C Coordinator) is responsible for leading and establishing a strong and highly effective People & Culture presence during an emergency response. Its main objectives include creating and implementing all the critical people policies, programs and system necessary for our teams to deliver on each emergency response’s goals, balancing contextual realities, budget limitations, and labor requirements, while also maintaining alignment with IRC’s Strategy 100 and People and Culture commitments (including GEDI, Safeguarding, and Duty of Care). This individual is a key member of the Country Senior Management team (SMT) and serves as a strategic leader, advisor, and coach with a particular focus on supporting a safe, inclusive, and welcoming culture for all staff that prioritizes Duty of Care and wellbeing. The ERT P&C Coordinator will also focus on establishing a local P&C team, ensuring newcomers are appropriately onboarded, and managing the efficiency and effectiveness of people-related operations in the emergency context. Finally, this position will drive the implementation and adaptation of P&C global initiatives and practices within the local context and in line with GEDI, Safeguarding, and Duty of Care values and principles.

Major Responsibilities:

Emergency Deployments

P&C Strategic Emergency Management

• At emergency onset, develop a P&C strategy for the Emergency Response in line with organizational, global and regional objectives.

• Co-lead and facilitate the workforce planning for the Emergency Response in partnership with senior management team and EHAU’s P&C Deputy Director, ensuring all actions comply with local legal requirements and IRC’s policies while minimizing risks and ensuring appropriate resourcing. Activities will include engaging actively in proposal design and grant review meetings to provide expert advice on organizational structure, position scoping, demographic and staffing analysis to build a robust P&C foundation that supports high program quality.

• Proactively meet with emergency leaders to clarify changing talent needs, identify cultural, resource or competency gaps, and devise workforce plans that facilitate and support staff retention.

• Act as a thought partner to the SMT, offering strategic and contextualized guidance on People & Culture (P&C), and organizational culture/values to align with the mission and goals.

• Serve as an advocate for Gender Equality, Duty of Care, and Safeguarding priorities within the Senior Management Team (SMT) and role model safe, inclusive, and caring leadership standards. Collaborate closely with EHAU counterparts to prioritize and support these efforts effectively, enhancing staff engagement, promoting their wellbeing, and raising awareness across the Emergency Response.

• Promote initiatives that enhance the employee experience, team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion within the Emergency Response, fostering an environment conducive to continuous learning and honest dialogue.

• Advise supervisors on appropriate disciplinary actions, serve as an impartial mediator in disciplinary proceedings, and oversee follow-up measures to ensure fairness, compliance with employment laws, and adherence to labor regulations.

• Hire, supervise and be a supportive leader to all P&C staff within the Emergency Response, ensuring the onboarding and management of direct reports is handled with excellence. Be accountable for the overall quality and successful delivery of P&C services, actively monitoring progress against established goals.

• Implement an employee engagement and communication strategy tailored to suit remote management contexts, ensuring it supports effective interaction and staff integration across all levels of the organization.

P&C Operations/ Foundational

• As appropriate, manage the development of key local policies and standards, including a National Staff Handbook, the Post Country International Staff Handbook, Rest & Relaxation Policy, and National Relocation Policy, among others.

• Oversee the creation and tracking of P&C objectives at the Emergency Response, ensuring alignment with organizational and response goals.

• Ensure the development and implementation of high-quality, context-specific strategies and practices in areas such as recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee relations, onboarding, offboarding, employee experience and overall wellbeing, contract management, learning and development, performance management, leave management, code of conduct compliance, legal compliance, HR Information Systems, coordination of policy development and implementation, etc.

• Supervise the full-cycle recruitment process and directly participate in the recruitment of leadership positions.

• Oversee the payroll process ensuring accurate and timely compensation for all staff.

• In alignment with our PEERS framework, promote mutual learning and capacity sharing on P&C standards with our local partners and ensure their ways of working are healthy and in compliance with IRC’s standards.

• Escalate code of conduct issues and lead or co-lead investigations in collaboration with the Global Employee Relations unit and when needed Ethics and Compliance unit (ECU). Ensure that issues are thoroughly resolved, and appropriate follow-up actions are implemented to maintain integrity and compliance within the organization.

P&C GEDI

• Foster a healthy organizational culture that is free of unequal power dynamics, discrimination, bias, harassment, bullying, and abuse of power. This includes partnering with the CRRD GEDI team to facilitate in-depth discussions on GEDI topics, ensuring these conversations extend beyond compliance to genuinely enhance practices, particularly in recruitment and selection processes, and inclusive team leadership.

• Champion inclusive practices as part of the GEDI initiative, organizing cultural exchanges and culture-building activities to enrich team cohesion. Ensure the incorporation of GEDI best practices into the employee lifecycle, recruitment, and day-to-day operations.

P&C Safeguarding

• Promote best practice through the integration of safeguarding considerations in hiring, recruitment and onboarding practices (e.g., ensure delivery on Safeguarding Minimum Standard).

• Ensure that all IRC employees receive orientation to IRC’s Safeguarding Policy and behavioral expectations, collaborating with the Safeguarding Manager function where it exists and/or Regional Safeguarding Advisor.

• Ensure that the IRC Way and information on reporting channels are sign-posted in all IRC office locations (in all relevant local languages).

• Collaborate with specialized safeguarding staff and Country SMT members to convene functional stakeholders within the Emergency Response and promote adoption and progress of the Safeguarding Minimum Standards.

• Partner with IRC global investigations teams and the Country Director to ensure that recommendations from safeguarding investigations, particularly those involving disciplinary actions, are implemented within two weeks.

P&C Duty of Care

• With the support of the global Duty of Care team, provide guidance and support for all staff-related duty of care supports and initiatives, ensuring adherence to organizational standards for health, safety, and wellbeing.

• In partnership with the EHAU P&C Deputy Director, be responsible for country staff’s wellbeing following critical incidents, ensuring that best practices are followed in aftercare responses to critical incidents. Prioritize the recovery and ongoing support of affected staff, with advisory support and guidance provided by the DoC team. Support DOC, GREWS, GEDI, and SG teams to promote safe, healthy, and inclusive workplaces through global and local initiatives.

• Actively organize and facilitate regular check-ins, team-building activities, and open communication channels amongst staff to build a cohesive and supportive team environment.

• Develop country program action plans aimed at enhancing morale and supporting the social, physical, and psychological well-being of staff, seeking guidance from the DoC team. Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that promotes open, honest, and productive communication.

Emergency Preparedness

• Undertake technical assessment and evaluation of P&C structures in emergencies, identify areas for improvement and increased connectivity, and develop systems or tools to support the standardization and efficiency of P&C implementation in emergency contexts.

• As needed, support in the project management of P&C projects to support the experience of emergency staff.

• Support the coordination and upkeeping of P&C emergency response resources.

Team Culture

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with EHAU, the Global P&C Department and regional colleagues and continually promote a culture of partnership and collaboration.

• Cultivate and maintain a positive, collaborative, safe and protective work environment, while additionally setting an example of ‘One IRC’-way of working within the team, EHAU and the wider organization.

Job Requirements:

• A minimum of 6 years of progressive professional P&C experience, with demonstrated success as a P&C professional in emergency response, conflict zones and/or humanitarian aid sector required.

• Ability to commit to deployment within 72 hours of notification of assignment for a minimum of 6 and up to 12 weeks at a time.

• Demonstrated success as a P&C leader supporting groups of 100+ employees at multiple organizational levels, cultures, and locations within a regional or global environment required.

• Demonstrated success in supporting key senior management and building strong, trusted relationships.

• Proven track-record of excellent management and leadership skills including capacity-building, coaching, mentoring, performance management and delivering individual and group training.

• High levels of integrity and empathy, with the ability to understand, engage, and inspire others.

• Skilled in collaborating with operational and technical focal points to ensure organizational best practices are represented in work.

• Broad knowledge and experience across the broad spectrum of People & Culture competencies including Diversity and Inclusion.

• Strong collaborator with effective interpersonal and analytical skills who can work seamlessly across countries, cultures, and organizational units required.

• Demonstrated ability to work, manage, and meet competing deadlines in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and on deadlines; aptitude for problem solving and decision making needed.

• Excellent inter-personal, written, and verbal communication skills required.

• Must possess a highly collaborative, inclusive, consultative, and resourceful workstyle that balances required compliance/policy enforcement with a steadfast commitment to client service and support.

• Excellent project management and organizational skills including detailed work planning and superior time management skills.

• Proficient in people analytics and data management and interpretation, with an aptitude for translating datasets into actionable people insights.

Language/Travel:

• English ability is a must; fluency in French, Spanish and/or Arabic a plus.

• Travel: ERT staff are expected to travel to emergency contexts 65% of their time.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.