Director – People & Culture At International Rescue Committee

Background:

Over the past 80 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in responding to emergencies and helping uprooted communities to rebuild. 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.

The IRC is on the ground in more than 40 countries, providing emergency relief, relocating refugees and rebuilding lives in the wake of disaster. Through offices in cities across the United States, the IRC also helps refugees and other immigrants resettle in the U.S. and become self-sufficient. We are committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and, most crucially, accountability to those we serve. The IRC is a diligent advocate for the most vulnerable.

Job Overview:

The IRC is setting up a new People and Culture department to draw together Human Resources (HR), Safeguarding and Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) to integrate our shared objectives into all aspects of our decision making and strategy. More than a joining of distinct teams, the People & Culture Department will help to formulate how employees experience IRC as an organization, and how that experience translates into impact to our clients – those whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by conflict or disaster. The role of Director, People & Culture, Strategy and Delivery will be an integral role to build and formulate the newly forming People & Culture organization and People & Culture leadership team.

Working in proximity to the Senior Vice President of People and Culture, Chief HR Officer, Chief Diversity Officer and other IRC leaders, the Director will be responsible for planning strategic goals and supporting effective delivery against those plans, and developing strategies and processes to adequately prioritize and measure success. The Director will be the go-to subject matter expert and strategic counselor for the SVP, People & Culture and the COO on matters related to people and culture strategy.

Major Responsibilities:

Strategy

• Develop and drive adoption of IRC-wide People and Culture strategy and underlying initiatives to effectively deliver on IRC’s ambitious learning, management, and diversity goals
• Use data to develop people insights that define IRC’s strategic People & Culture direction
• Act as a counselor to COO, CHRO and Chief GEDI Officer and other leadership pools on People and Culture leading practices
• Implement special projects as needed – these may be cross-functional or specific, short or long term.

Delivery

• Devise and implement organizational change strategy to ensure the effective set-up and performance of the team across 40 countries with a focus on engaged, coordinated, and fulfilled teams.
• Plan and oversee the implementation of cross-functional initiatives and enable the organization and the function to effectively prioritize across initiatives.
• Collaborate with department focal points to develop detailed, meticulous, data-driven strategic and operational reviews with a focus on learning and prioritization
• Conceptualize and write communications across all the various functions of People & Culture including Human Resources and Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion; internal organization-wide communications; and external communications.
• Establish deep working relationships with colleagues cross-IRC.

Job Requirements:

Work Experience:

• Minimum 8-10 years in strategy development and execution that require substantial cross-departmental collaboration to deliver ambitious goals.
• Significant experience working with, and influencing, senior colleagues to solve sophisticated challenges and agreed mutually beneficial decisions.
• Proven experience supporting large-scale change initiatives
• Strategy and problem-solving experience accurately diagnosing business challenges, and devising, crafting by-in for, and implementing effective solutions with timely and efficient performance metrics.
• (Desirable) Experience in Human Resources and diversity, equality, and inclusion strategies

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to translate an organization’s strategy and objectives into operational delivery
• Outstanding project and collaboration skills with a consistent record delivery high-reaching, integrated, and critical initiatives on timelines.
• Organizational Change and Planning
• Strong communicator in written and verbal form.
• Highly versatile and flexible, with a high degree of comfort changing and refining priorities and results.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify and address coordinated business needs.
• Experience and comfort with data analysis and budget management

Working Environment:**

This role may require working remotely full- or part-time (i.e., telecommuting). Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace they can effectively complete their work from during regularly scheduled hours.

At the IRC, we seek to build a welcoming, inclusive environment not only for our refugee clients, but for all of our employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we value the strength found in the diversity of voices, experiences, and backgrounds who join us in our work. Fostering an inclusive culture with equitable practices is everyone’s responsibility, and we regularly offer trainings and opportunities to learn more and find ways to do better. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, socioeconomic status, or disability status. We are dedicated to ensuring that disabled individuals 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. In your application, please feel free to indicate your preferred pronouns .

We recognize that few applicants may “check all the boxes,” but that each person has their own unique strengths that they would bring to the table. In our commitment to building a diverse and authentic work culture, we invite you to apply anyway. You belong here.

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

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.