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.
Based in Bujumbura with provincial branches in Muyinga, Ruyigi and Gitega, the IRC is one of the largest NGOs in Burundi. Its objective is to provide emergency aid, development services and post-conflict reintegration, to work for the protection of human rights and to defend people uprooted or affected by violent conflicts and oppression. The IRC opened its office in Burundi in 1996, to respond to the urgent needs of displaced people, with a focus on water sanitation, environmental health programs and the protection of vulnerable children.
With the end of the civil war in Burundi in 2006 and the resulting return of Burundian refugees, the IRC took a first step towards post-conflict reconstruction programs. Today, IRC Burundi has a dynamic post-conflict program including prevention and response to Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, Access to rights and good governance, Recovery Economic, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation.
Job overview
Based in Bujumbura, the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) provides overall leadership in the development, management, strategy, quality and managed growth of IRC’s programming portfolio in Burundi, with particular emphasis on responsiveness to the client’s needs, program quality and evidence of impact. In coordination with the Country Director, the DDP builds and sustains strong donor relationships. Reporting to the Country Director and as member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the DDP directly supervises coordinators for the following integrated programming sectors:
1. Women Protection & Empowerment (WPE)
2. Protection & Rule of Law (PROL)
3. Child Protection and Education (CPE)
4. Economic Recovery and Development (ERD)
5. Environmental Health (EH)
6. Logistic support Program (LSP)
The DDP also supervises the Monitoring and Evaluation, Grants, and Partnership departments.
Working closely with other members of the SMT, s/he will lead the updating and delivery of a high-quality Strategy Action Plan (SAP) and other strategic initiatives. The DDP will also be the focal point for the Emergency Preparedness Planning (EPP) and the Country Emergency Team (CET), ensuring appropriate development, implementation, and liaison with the region and HQ for these initiatives.
This position has close working relationships with the Deputy Director of Finance, Operations Coordinator, HR Coordinator as well as field-based staff. The DDP position is limited accompanied and requires extensive in-country and occasional regional travel. The position reports to the Country Director.
Responsibilities
Program Strategy, Design and Fundraising
• Provide leadership to development and implementation of a needs-based strategy for the country program; and ensure effective and timely delivery of the ambitions laid out in the Strategy Action Plan (SAP) for Burundi, as well as regular progress reporting and annual review.
• Ensure, with Coordinators, and HQ-based Technical Unit staff, that project design reflects IRC program quality standards and industry best practices.
• Lead efforts for sustainable program growth, proactively identifying opportunities for new programming initiatives and emphasizing multi-year funding to support them.
• Provide leadership support to the programming and grants teams to develop competitive, evidence-based and cost-effective funding applications.
• Provide guidance, strategies and tools to ensure that programming choices are based on needs assessment findings (primary & secondary data) and analysis, input from communities, a thorough understanding of context, technical best practices, and operational viability.
• Formulate integrated programming initiatives so that technical sectors complement each other and promote mainstreaming of protection principles and gender responsive approaches.
Program Management – Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Provide overall leadership and management of IRC Burundi’s programming portfolio, ensuring strategically coherent program direction, well-managed growth, and compliance with IRC and donor regulations.
• Organize and chair regular program coordination meetings with relevant staff.
• Continually seek out ways to build the capacities of program team members, individually and collectively, particularly in program design, monitoring and evaluation, reporting and proposal development.
• Ensure that detailed, realistic and feasible project implementation plans are developed by program coordinators, and updated as needed, in collaboration with the operations Coordinator and heads of field offices.
• Regularly review progress against on Outcomes and Evidence Framework indicators and progress on G&G prioritized standards.
• Coordinate with other members of Senior Management Team on appropriate management, compliance and performance standards, as well as effective systems for budget management, knowledge management and risk management.
• Put accountability mechanisms in place for clients/beneficiary feedback and routine monitoring.
• Support programming staff to collect, document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices, incorporating these into new project designs.
• With programming staff, develop effective and appropriate M&E plans, including methodologies and tools to strengthen the quality of data collection, analysis and reporting.
• Review M&E and accountability data with program staffs to identify and address areas for operational improvement.
• Support program teams to initiate and build partnerships with local partners in line with IRC guidance.
• Conduct regular visits to program sites to monitor program quality and provide action-oriented feedback and recommendations.
• Ensure a close coordination and collaboration with the Deputy Director for Operations (Or Operations Coordinator) to ensure an adequate synergy between programs and operations.
Grant and Financial Management
• In coordination with finance and operations, oversee grants to ensure compliance with donor requirements.
• In collaboration with finance and operations, contribute to the development and periodic reforecasting of the annual operating budget.
• In collaboration with finance team, ensure that programming staff are well trained to properly manage project budgets.
• Work closely with the Grants Coordinator, sector coordinators, finance, and field management to hold efficient and effective Project Cycle Meetings.
• Meet with program, grants and finance staffs regularly to review budget comparison reports.
• Ensure that risks limiting achievement of objectives are reported and rapidly addressed.
• Ensure that quality donor reports are generated and submitted to donors and headquarters in a timely manner.
• Oversee budget re-alignments and amendments when necessary.
• Support and promote adherence to finance controls for program expenditures in accordance with IRC Global and Burundi policies and procedures.
• Provide on-going problem-solving guidance for field offices regarding programmatic issues, planning issues, and difficulties encounters with local authorities and partners.
Staff Management and Development
• Provide excellent line management of the coordinators including setting objectives and work plans, and carrying out predictable, regular 1:1 meeting.
• Create a supervisory environment focused on the achievement of team and individual results that emphasizes the importance of learning, productivity, accountability and openness.
• Communicate regularly with staff and promote positive conflict resolution among team members.
• Provide guidance and supervision to all program Coordinators and Grants Coordinator; discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback on performance of direct reports, including timely implementation of performance management system.
• Adhere to IRC’s performance management system, providing regular, timely and thoughtful coaching, feedback, performance assessment, and professional development for all direct reports, while making sure that they do the same for their direct reports.
• Build capacities of the program staffs in key project management principles, tools and approaches and ensure that these new skills are utilized on the job.
• Manage recruitment, hiring and development of high-performing national staff to assume greater levels of responsibility.
• Provide leadership support for the successful implementation of and adherence to the IRC Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
• Lead with commitment, integrity and accountability to the “IRC Way” – Global Standards for Professional Conduct.
• Promote constructive, collegial teamwork between program staff and operational support staff.
Representation and Communication
• Enhance IRC Burundi’s profile among relevant stakeholders: donors, national and local government partners, international and national NGOs, etc.
• Represent IRC Burundi and actively participate in NGO, interagency and governmental meetings of the humanitarian and development community in IRC’s interest, e.g., Clusters, Working Group, other HCT Task Forces.
• Act as the focal point for program-related communication between IRC country programs in the region and worldwide offices.
• Oversee programmatic inputs to advocacy efforts both in-country and globally.
• Support program coordinators in their representation roles in technical meetings
Requirements
Education: Degree in international relations, development studies, economics, or relevant discipline. Equivalent experience would be accepted as well.
• Must have at least seven years of senior management experience working with national or international humanitarian and/or development organizations, including technical staff supervision.
• Demonstrated success managing programs with hundreds of employees in multiple locations within the region or global environment required.
• Strong experience is required in the management of humanitarian and post-conflict recovery projects, including specific skill in program design, people management, program budget management, project cycle management and donor relations (proposal negotiation, reporting, and donor compliance).
• Must be fluent in French and English.
• Previous experience managing programs financed by US and UK government agencies, EU, UN, foundations and private donors a must, with previous experience in competitive RFA/P environments a plus.
• Proven ability to manage projects to completion on time, within budget, and with the anticipated results.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated successful leadership experience with a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching.
• Must be an innovative and creative problem solver, and a team player.
• Extensive experience with monitoring and evaluation tools and systems for complex programs.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
• Ability to work and live in an emergency/high stress environment while maintaining a positive attitude.
Standards of Business Conduct: IRC workers are expected to uphold the values and principles outlined in the IRC WAY – Standards of Business Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality.
Safeguarding: Strictly adhere to the IRC Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy and all other policies, including those relating to security and fraud prevention. In accordance with the safeguarding, IRC maintains policies on protecting beneficiaries/clients from exploitation and abuse, child protection, Anti-Harassment in the Workplace, fiscal integrity and anti-retaliation.
Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an equal opportunity employer. IRC considers all job applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, gender, color, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.
Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC recognizes 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 or disability. IRC is also committed to closing 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 safety protocols and other supportive benefits.
National applications as well as female applications are strongly encouraged.