Deputy Director of Innovation Venezuelan Crisis Response

Job Description

Please submit your Resume in English

The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRC’s deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, rigorous research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization.

Many Airbel projects have begun testing a new way of working that shifts research, ideation and prototyping to be led and carried out by local teams and collaborators who are based in the country where we are working. We have an impressive collection of partners and staff across the Venezuelan Crisis Response (VCR) countries (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru) who have made this shift possible and we’d like to support the organic growth of our portfolio of innovative and partnership led work in the VCR with dedicated leadership to support our innovation teams and collaborate with regional IRC leadership, and local innovation networks and partners.

Scope of Work

We are looking for a Deputy Director of Innovation to build a Venezuelan Crisis Response innovation strategy while growing and nurturing creative talent and partners in the response countries. Your work will focus on collaborating with Venezuelan Crisis Response leadership and program staff to define a strategic vision and support creative excellence across practitioners. You will be responsible for inspiring and demonstrating innovation work that is consistently human-centered and ensures impact, scale, cost effectiveness and equity. You and your teams will always seek to partner with existing local or regional innovations, and will focus on generating value for our clients, colleagues and the communities we work in.

Major responsibilities of this Deputy Director role include:

• Manage innovation project leads, and collaborate with existing program leadership to define the project vision, intent and learning approach.

• Coordinate with country based and VCR leadership to identify Venezualen Crisis Response innovation priorities to increase effectiveness, uptake, and/or scale of programming approaches.

• Lead regional business development innovation opportunities in collaboration with Technical Units and Technical Advisors, when applicable, as well as DDP, and existing regional BD processes and structures., i.e. Identify donors interested in funding innovation portfolio and collaborate with external relations to build relationships and explore funding opportunities with these donors.

• Consistently scan to identify promising solutions

• Launch projects and build teams in close collaboration with country program teams and leadership.

• Build and strengthen relationships with the Venezuelan Crisis Response innovation community across private sector start-ups and social impact focused networks and hubs.

• Ensure innovation quality standards are clear and met; including that all approaches are client centered and leveraging local and global best practice

• Fosters and spreads innovation culture beyond innovation teams

- This position will report to a management in partnership (MIP) arrangement. This person will work closely with the existing Colombia country program’s design and innovation leads.

Requirements

• Minimum 6 years of experience as manager of designers or leader of product teams

• Minimum 4 years experience as a designer or product manager in Latin America, ideally with under-served communities.

• Prefered Masters degree in design or related field

• Experience with innovation work, product leadership and work in the public sector

• Excellent Spanish and English communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively among multicultural leadership

• Fluency in Spanish and English

• Must be based in Latin America

Language Skills:

• English

• Spanish

Working Environment:

- Location: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, or Venezuela

Consistent travel, coronavirus permitting.

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.

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Qualifications