Deputy Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to people affected by war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
SCOPE: The Deputy Director of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit provides leadership to strategic unit initiatives, while also managing the Emergency Response Team within large responses. The Deputy Director will bring substantial skills and experience within the field of developing state of the art institutional systems. The IRC is looking for a candidate with the management depth and composure to assure consistent and responsive decision making while leading major emergency responses in fluid and often-volatile crisis environments.
The position of Deputy Director will collaborate frequently with other entities within IRC, as a team approach within emergencies is an agency wide priority. Key relations will be maintained both within field sites and at Headquarters (IRC-UK, technical units, regional units, and the Human Resources and Finance Departments). The Deputy Director reports to the Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Emergency Response Policy Development and Implementation Management • Develop a robust policy base upon which IRC launches all emergency response interventions. This policy will include both programmatic and operations focused content, with the Deputy Director leading on the development of the operations content. This should include content that stipulates how the IRC ensures: o Responses are proportionately scaled and scoped to the size and severity of the crisis; o Rapid and accountable start-ups of new projects and country/field offices; o Appropriate field and project management during the emergency phase of assistance delivery, o Proactive staff recruitment and retention practices, and; o An organizational environment that promotes staff safety throughout all phases of IRC operations o Inclusive and well managed transitions to post-emergency programming and management • Work in collaboration with the Director (EPRU) to develop programmatic models for IRC emergency interventions. Work in collaboration with EPRU and Emergency Response Team colleagues to ensure consistent application of modeled programs during emergency responses – measuring suitability and refining where required. • Lead the process of policy rollout; manage implementation to ensure compliance in conjunction with the Emergency Response Team during interventions.
Emergency Preparedness Systems Management • Develop and manage a training program for IRC emergency responders. The program should incorporate training for IRC roster participants, IRC staff working within high risk countries, and over time, a system by which the IRC will offer fellowships for young professionals. Train emergency responders in collaboration with colleagues from the EPRU and Emergency Response Team. • Manage IRC emergency staffing rosters to ensure immediate access to qualified staff during rapid onset emergencies. Through proactive communication and support, ensure that IRC country programs understand how IRC Rosters function and how resources can be mobilized. • Refine and manage the IRC’s prepositioned emergency stock system. Ensure that stocks are positioned in geographic locations to assure effective deployment. Work with IRC ERT and Country Programs to highlight deployment protocols.
Emergency Response Team Management • Working in collaboration with the Directors of the EPRU and IRC Technical Units supervise Emergency Response Team deployments. Assure that deployment protocols are efficient, clear and well publicized. • Supervise ERT staff while on emergency deployment, within large responses, ensuring that programs are delivered to scale and to high level of quality and accountability.
Other • Contribute to the development of IRC global systems, policies and procedures, providing input on emergency needs and environment specific challenges
REQUIREMENTS: • Minimum 7 years n senior management roles in humanitarian interventions, including experience in a variety of regions and emergency contexts (conflict/natural disaster; rapid onset/slow onset/chronic; direct implementation/partnerships); • Experience in capacity building and training program development preferred; • Graduate level degree in relevant field (management, public administration, finance, etc.) preferred; • Ability in ‘big picture’ thinking and planning, but comfortable delving into micro issues as well. • Demonstrated leadership, management, organizational skills, including systems and policy development. • Ability to travel 25% of the time. • French language skills preferred.
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