Head of Office At International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee 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, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC worked in Haiti from 2010 through 2016, initially launching an emergency response to the 2010 earthquake and later delivering child protection, water and sanitation, health, women’s protection and empowerment, and economic recovery programs in Port-au-Prince and beyond. Since the closure of its country office in 2016, the IRC has continued to provide operational, technical, and financial support to a small number of Haitian NGO partners, including in response to the 2021 earthquake.

The IRC is scaling up its support to partner-led programs in Haiti in response to the recent escalation of violence in Port-au-Prince and the resulting rise in humanitarian needs related to cholera, food insecurity, protection, and displacement. The IRC is working with local NGOs and CBOs with the knowledge and ability to deliver emergency services in affected communities, and establishing collaborative partnerships to fund, complement, and scale the work of these organizations. Technical experts from IRC’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) will work closely with Haitian partners on the design and delivery of programs.

Job overview/summary

The Head of Office (HoO) is the senior leader and representative of the IRC in Haiti. The HoO is responsible for overall leadership and supervisory management of IRC staff, partner-led programs, and operations. This includes program quality and accountability, stewardship of resources, staff and partner safety and security, performance management, and external representation. In this role, you will be responsible for IRC Haiti’s strategic direction and engagement with external actors, including the government, the humanitarian system, and donors. You will ensure the delivery of and adequate support to programs led by IRC’s partners, supervise and coach managers, efficiently manage funding, and oversee financial management and compliance systems.

The HoO will directly supervise the Programs & Partnerships Manager, the Partnerships Finance Manager, and the Operations Manager. This position is based in Port-au-Prince with possible travel to other parts of the country.

Specific responsibilities

External Representation

• Develop and carry out strategies that result in strong representation and engagement with government entities, donors, OCHA and other UN agencies, international organizations, and international/local NGOs.

• Ensure that IRC remains a partner of choice for major international donors. Develop and maintain a high level of understanding of donor priorities and planned funding streams.

• Play a leadership role in efforts to improve humanitarian coordination across the Haiti response.

• Ensure that IRC is adequately represented in coordination meetings as deemed relevant, including sector-based working groups/clusters and broader inter-agency forums such as CLIO, INSO and the OCHA led Access Working Group.

• Ensure that the IRC complies with relevant government statutory requirements. Lead engagement with government counterparts to that ensure necessary operating permissions are obtained and regular updates on IRC’s work are shared.

• Ensure all correspondence with the government is well-coordinated within IRC and in-line with internal policies. Ensure organizational records are retained in organized manner.

Strategic Direction

• Ensure the strategic vision and direction of the IRC in Haiti is aligned with the organizational ambition to serve people with responsive, high-quality, and accountable programming.

• Closely monitor events with the potential to impact IRC and its partners in Haiti, including security incidents, political changes, and humanitarian need. Provide regular updates to senior management, including identification of possible need for program evolution.

• Develop a strategy for the IRC in Haiti and ensure it is responsive to changing contexts.

• Make recommendations to senior leadership on the appropriate expansion and growth of programs and partner support.

• Promote, nurture, and sustain strong, mutually beneficial and authentic partnerships with Haitian NGOs and CBOs. Advance IRC’s ambitions to increase the level of funding to and influence of local organizations.

• Promote strong linkages and exchange between IRC’s partners and its program and operations teams.

Security Management and Humanitarian Access

• Take primary responsibility for overall security management for the IRC in Haiti

• Ensure the drafting, updating and availability of up-to-date Security Risk Assessment (SRA), Security Management Plans (SMP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Contingency Plans (CPs). Ensure all country-based and deployed staff are aware of SMPs and Standard Operating Procedures.

• Maintain a culture of safety throughout the country program, including trainings and briefings that prepare all country-based and deployed staff for security incident prevention and response.

• Oversee the management of all security issues, including appropriate response to emergency situations as they arise.

• If requested by national NGO and CBO partners, develop strategies and processes to support their security management and systems.

• Maintain close coordination and communication with the HQ security focal point on relevant concerns and evolving issues that could adversely affect IRC staff or operations.

• Develop a humanitarian access strategy in collaboration with local partners and EHAU Humanitarian access team to expand reach and scale of IRC’s response in Haiti.

Team Leadership

• Lead the country program by maintaining open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit, oversight, and resources to enable staff and partners to perform successfully.

• Oversee the management, coaching and development of staff to build a skilled, committed, and motivated team.

• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting quarterly performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.

• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis.

• Promote and monitor staff and partner care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified care needs for both IRC and partner staff.

Financial & Operational Management

• Oversee the development, deployment and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with IRC and donor requirements.

• Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of support for HR, finance and supply chain functions.

• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds.

• Provide timely and effective oversight of the country program’s financial position.

• Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.

• Ensure compliance with IRC and donor finance and operations policies, including all aspects of procurement and asset management.

Other

• Any other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor.

Job requirements

• Excellent professional track record with a minimum of 10 years of related work experience, including leadership of multi-sector humanitarian programs in complex operating environments.

• Highly developed leadership abilities, including the ability to coach, motivate, and support effective teams.

• Confirmed ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations. Experience with organizational capacity strengthening and partnership building is preferred.

• Ability to develop networks and build strong working relationships and diversify program resources. Representation experience required, including prior experience with institutional donors.

• Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities.

• Experience managing security in a complex and rapidly changing security context.

• Advanced understanding of the political and humanitarian context in Haiti.

• Previous experience in a conflict-affected or protracted crisis setting required. Experience in a range of operational settings is preferred.

• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.

• Fluent in French and Haitian Creole. Professional proficiency in English.

Working Environment: This position is based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

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

How to apply

https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/39728?c=rescue

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