Deputy Regional Director, West Region

Job Description

Job Overview:

Working in close collaboration with the Regional Director (RD), the Deputy Regional Director (DRD) will lead key regional activities across a growing portfolio of programs and complex interdependencies to deliver on our mission. The DRD serves as a trusted partner and principal support to the RD to shape an organizational culture that is fit for the future and harnesses the extraordinary engagement, diversity, talent, and commitment of our people.

Acting on behalf of the RD, the DRD will ensure smooth operations that enable quality and timely delivery of IRC's programs, support the region to develop new opportunities, and drive performance by managing the Strategic Action Planning (SAP) process of critical priorities. Success requires disciplined organization and building effective working relationships across local program office leadership, national programming technical teams, and global headquarters units such as Operations, Security, Human Resources, Sourcing, Budget, and Finance teams.

This role requires regular travel to field offices to aid in the smooth running of local program services by providing management support. A significant portion of the DRD’s time will be spent on unlocking operational challenges, reporting and data quality, and strategic planning and preparation.

Key responsibilities

Strategy & Planning

- Manage, coordinate, and facilitate the effective delivery of the Regional Strategy Action Plan (SAP). This includes planning, implementation, and quality assurance; delivery of Regional SAP workshops, development of SAP documents, facilitation of regular SAP check-ins, identifying and removing barriers to success, and leading the SAP reporting and budget request processes. - Provide input and guidance to ensure that our global strategy, Strategy100 (S100), advises and guides critical decisions by the RD. - Reinforce and implement the RD’s vision of success, including developing and tracking appropriate indicators. - Design and host quarterly in-person meetings at the region and/or program level and, as relevant, multi-office grant management meetings to agree upon operational priorities in annual objectives. - Regularly assess progress, challenges, trends, strengths, opportunities, etc. to advise the RD on the status of the overall portfolio of regional activities and if any actions, investments, or interventions are needed.

Management & Administration

- Serve as a champion for ‘Management in Partnership’ through joint planning, shared commitments to outcomes, mutual accountability, alignment of resources, and quality assessments with other functions. - Proactively support the cultivation of a safe and protective working environment for all staff. Combine locally led initiatives with wider organizational efforts related to Safeguarding, Duty of Care, and Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI), including the development and delivery of regional strategies. - Act as a proxy or a primary point of contact to respond to requests for general information on behalf of the RD. - Facilitate sharing and learning across offices and programs, and support development activities to incorporate standard methodologies and knowledge from the other regions. - Provide ad-hoc acting support in the regions, across all senior management positions (e.g., Executive Director, Deputy Director of Programs, etc.) where needed.

Business Development & Partnerships

- Actively participate and represent a program office view in go/no-go decisions regarding the pursuit of funding opportunities with other program officers or colleagues in Resource Acquisition Management (RAM). - Provide input to local office teams to complete timely submissions of competitive, responsive, and high-quality proposals for donors that align with the SAP. - Engage with the Awards Management Unit and RAM on matters above the individual project level and engage in regional-level representation with donors, NGOs, and networks as needed. - Participate in shaping policy positions and advocacy messages pertaining to the overall humanitarian situation and IRC operations in the region. - Advise offices in networking and alliance-building activities. Promote cross-sectoral engagement with the private sector, academic institutions, corporations, and other potential “non-traditional” partners.

Requirements

Success requires an individual with exemplary leadership abilities who deploys strong communication and emotional intelligence effectively, both internally and externally. The successful candidate will excel in developing strategic networks and partnerships to diversify program resources and will have a strong understanding of how to develop and deliver a portfolio of responsive, high-quality programs.

Education

- Relevant university degree required; graduate degree strongly preferred.

Work experience

- At least ten years of progressively professional relevant work experience. Experience includes cross-functional or cross-geographic leadership at the Deputy Director or Executive Director level with experience collaborating across a dynamic programmatic portfolio. - Demonstrated ability to plan strategically and implement long-term goals while remaining adaptive and forward-thinking to evolving circumstances and priorities. - Extensive budgeting and grant management experience; prior experience working with relevant donors a plus. - Consistent record of collaborating and working with partner organizations. - Experience with organizational capacity strengthening and partnership building.

Technical Skills

- A solid background in process and operational management, with strong analytical skills, and experience leading strategic planning processes. - Demonstrated expertise in representation, advocacy, and negotiations resulting in delivering on significant or new opportunities for the region. - Ability to analyze and represent program context, constraints, and successes to counterparts and organizational leadership in a compelling manner. - Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with local government, private sector, INGO, NGO and other partners. - Outstanding analytical and critical thinking skills, with a focus on results and impact.

Leadership Competencies

- Superior written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with a commitment to open communication, conflict resolution, and coaching. - Keen ability to cultivate an inclusive environment by building and maintaining strong relationships with people from all backgrounds, genders, cultures, and viewpoints. - Demonstrated agility to continuously multitask, while simultaneously exhibiting flexibility and resilience during peak periods - Skilled at establishing and managing relationships with a broad range of partners to understand needs and gain support; ability to anticipate and resolve disagreements by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. - Balanced approach to individual performance and project management delivery as appropriate to working with diverse, dispersed, cross-functional, and multidisciplinary teams.

Languages Required/Preferred:

- Professional fluency in written and spoken English. - Other language skills are a definite advantage.

Ability to Travel: approximately 25 - 40% within and outside the region for workshops, representation, and conferences.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities 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.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits! In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

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Qualifications