Deadline: Ongoing

Location: Freetown, Western Area, Sierra Leone

International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking applications from eligible applicants for the post of Deputy Director of Programmes.

The IRC is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development non-governmental organisation. It responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC way (code of conduct) and other IRC safeguarding policies and procedures
• Spearhead the review and implementation of the country programme’s clients’ feedback and response mechanism (CRM) according to IRC’s global CRM standards
• Ensure all partners under a sub-award contract adhere to their safeguarding policies and procedures and meet donor minimum requirements/standards
• Ensure effective and timely implementation of programmatic objectives of grants
• Work with the senior management team to develop operational budgets, which reflect a detailed understanding of situational parameters, beneficiary needs, available resources and technical possibilities
• Ensure that project planning tools (implementation plans, procurement plans, spending plans, monitoring and evaluation plans) are elaborated, shared and used on a monthly basis by programme coordinators in collaboration with operations, finance and grants colleagues
• Work closely with the technical coordinators and grants coordinator to hold efficient and effective project design, project planning and opening, project implementation, closing and lessons learnt meetings
• Ensure that monthly project implementation meetings are conducted by project leads and actions are followed up
• In collaboration with the grants coordinator and technical coordinators, ensure that quality donor reports are generated and submitted to headquarters and donors in a timely manner, ensuring programmatic review and inputs on all reports ahead of submission
• Provide ongoing problem-solving guidance for the field coordinator and field managers and their teams regarding programmatic issues, planning issues, and difficulty encounters with local authorities and partners
• Ensure a close coordination and collaboration with the operations coordinator and field coordinator to ensure adequate synergy between programmes and operations
• Support and promote adherence to finance controls for programme expenditures in accordance with IRC policies and procedures
• Develop strong working relationships with technical units and technical advisors, to ensure adequate remote and in-country support in line with country office needs and strategic direction
• Ensure staff receive adequate capacity-building on topics such as programme design, monitoring and evaluation, report-writing, and proposal development, and specific technical priority areas through supporting direct reports in collaboration with technical advisors to deliver training and coaching
• Take the leading role in programme design drawing on evaluations, lessons learnt and identified beneficiary needs in collaboration with programme coordinators
• Support the grants team, and technical coordinators to write high quality proposals, meeting identified needs and donor requirements
• Promote the use of IRC’s impact standards and revised outcome and evidence framework and impact framework in both programme design and proposal development, ensuring that theories of change are incorporated
• Ensure issues of gender equality and protection mainstreaming are integrated into programme design
• Maintain an up-to-date contextual analysis to ensure pertinence of all programming in collaboration with the technical coordinators, technical units and field teams
• Identify opportunities to diversify the IRC Sierra Leone country programme’s portfolio working in collaboration with the grants unit and technical coordinators

Requirements

• Advanced degree in International Relations, Community Development, Economics, or a related field
• Seven years, minimum, of experience in the management of complex humanitarian and recovery programmes in Africa or a similar context
• Demonstrated successful leadership experience managing a multi-disciplinary team and cross-cultural dynamics
• Demonstrated ability for rapid, accurate analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translation of programmatic priorities into operational strategies
• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including experience with European, U.S. and international donors
• Successful experience delivering appropriate levels of oversight for a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects
• Proven track record of leading and developing multi-location teams
• Solid skills and experience in programme design and delivery, proposal development and monitoring and evaluation
• Proven capacity in staff management, multi-tasking, time management and diplomacy
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders
• Expertise and knowledge of a diversity of programmes (women’s protection and empowerment, health and education)
• Motivated, positive individual who excels at taking initiative and is able to motivate team members to produce results under pressure
• Proven proficiency in both spoken and written English
• Strong commitment to IRC’s vision, mission and core values

To apply and for more information, click here.

Photo source: Dave McGowan