ERD Private Sector Engagement Manager

Job Description

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.

Background

The Ukraine crises could become the worst humanitarian crisis Europe has seen in decades. More than 5.3 million people have fled across borders to seek safety in the 1st month since the escalation of conflict in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and over 6.5 million people are reported to be displaced. Reports indicate almost all arrivals in Poland are women and children, including those that are unaccompanied and separated, as well as older persons.

IRC Poland: On 8 February 2022 three IRC staff arrived in Poland to initiate scoping of local and national actors in Warsaw, Lublin, and Rzeszow as well as across the Western, Central, and Eastern regions in Ukraine. When on 24 February Russian troops entered eastern Ukraine with the aim of toppling the government led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and conflict-affected individuals started fleeing to neighboring countries, the IRC established a presence in Poland to build partnerships with local state, civil society, and private sector actors to respond to needs of arriving refugees. As of April 26, over 5.3 million people have fled Ukraine seeking safety with nearly 50% (2.9 million) of those displaced fleeing to Poland. Reports indicate almost all arrivals in Poland are women and children, including those that are unaccompanied and separated, as well as older persons. IRC Poland’s goal is to ensure the survival of emergency-affected people in a way that enables their safety, dignity, and empowerment. Working in the program areas of economic recovery and development and safety, the IRC will accomplish this by working to see that 1) People affected by the war in Ukraine are able to meet their immediate and basic needs with safety and dignity and avoid harmful coping mechanisms and 2) People affected by the war in Ukraine are protected and supported to recover from the consequences of violence and displacement through equitable access to services and information.

JOB SUMMARY

IRC seeks a dynamic program manager to fill the role of Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Private Sector Engagement Manager. The ERD Private Sector Engagement Manager will identify, develop, and manage strategic partnerships with private sector actors (local, national, and multinational) for IRC Livelihoods programming portfolio in Poland.

The candidate must have the legal right to work in Poland. (We do not offer international contracts.)

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the ERD Coordinator and in partnership with ERD Livelihoods Manager, the ERD Private Sector Engagement Manager will be responsible for:

Relationship Management

· Lead private sector engagement for the IRC Livelihoods Programming including employment and enterprise support for refugees and third country nationals in Poland, in both partner and directly implemented projects.

· Coordinate the implementation of all PSE activities ensuring quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.

· Develop tailored contact strategies and compelling pitch presentations for prospective partners

· Develop an overall partnership engagement strategy, identifying the IRC’s added value and entry points to various sectors

· Develop toolkits for engaging prospective private sector partners

· Manage events and workshops with private sector staff to share knowledge and lessons learned and mobilize resources for the economic well-being of clients.

· Manage the Private Partner database, including working with ERD, Partnerships and Finance teams to ensure partnership commitments are realized.

Pre-Award and Agreement Development Support

· Lead on new private partnership contracting processes, including supporting selection of appropriate agreement types, conducting vetting and due diligence processes, and working closely with ERD and partnership teams to develop Scope of Work documents and budgets.

· Provide guidance to prospective private sector partners on IRC’s partnership policies and procedures.

· Act as key focal point for communications with private sector partners representing in negotiations of contractual terms that the ERD program will enter into.

· Coordinate communication between and prospective private sector partners and liaise with relevant IRC staff in the region, country programs, IRC Legal and Awards Management Units, and the donor (where relevant) to ensure timely contractual development.

Partner Support and Capacity Sharing

· Work closely with the ERD Coordinator to integrate technical capacity sharing approaches, including how IRC can learn from private sector partners.

· Promote and identify ways for continual learning between IRC staff and private partners.

· Develop and lead private partner trainings and messaging on various topics, including humanitarian principals, refugee employment, etc.

· Develop and manage processes to routinely gather private sector feedback to enhance Livelihoods program delivery.

Professional Standards

· Complete other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop ERD programs

- Adhere to the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: ERD Coordinator Position directly supervises: Community engagement Officer and assistances.

Works closely with:

Internal: Other ERD team members, in particular ERD Livelihoods Manager, IRC Partnerships, Finance and Supply Chain staff.

External: IRC’s partner organizations, local municipalities and CSOs, and other community stakeholders; other practitioners in the field as needed.

Qualifications

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, international development, law, social science, or commensurate professional experience.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

· At least 3 years in a similar or related role, preferably with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) or government municipality

· Experience in relationship management, ideally with private sector actors

· Strong understanding of the Polish private sector, including government regulations, labour market opportunities, and future trends

· Experience in partnership development, with a strong preference for partnerships in humanitarian or international development contexts

· Strong negotiation skills and understanding of contracting and/or sub-award processes

· Excellent interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to liaise with a variety of people effectively in a fast paced, multi-cultural environment, and to work with a virtual team.

· Proficiency in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

· Full working proficiency in English and Polish is required

· Previous experience working in private sector in Poland preferred.

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