Country Director, Occupied Palestinian Territory

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC launched an emergency response in Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) in 2023, responding to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Prior to October 7th, in June 2023, we conducted a scoping mission to the oPt in West Bank, and subsequently developed a strategic plan to initiate programming in West Bank. Since then, and in the context of catastrophic fighting and renewed violence, the IRC has initiated an emergency response in Gaza and developed a response plan with partners which includes Gaza and West Bank. Implementing a diverse, integrated program of health, protection, cash and scaling up in WASH and nutrition s, these programs prioritize local partnerships with both public institutions and civil society, and span emergency, humanitarian, recovery, and development modalities, while serving vulnerable Palestinians in oPt.

Job Overview

The IRC Country Director sets the vision and strategic direction for operations in oPt. The Country Director will support the set-up of a fully-fledged country program as it evolves from an emergency program to a full country program considering humanitarian, reconstruction, stabilization, and peacebuilding support in oPt. Strategies will be in alignment with relevant civil society, and in alignment with the United Nations coordination structures and IRC’s Strategy 100, our organization’s strategic plan to guide our work as we approach the 100th anniversary of IRC’s founding in 1933.

The Country Director is responsible for developing staff structure to fit for purpose and the overall leadership and supervisory management of IRC’s staff as well as all programming and operations, including program quality and accountability, stewardship of resources, staff safety and security, performance management, and external representation. The Country Director is IRC’s principal representative on behalf of the oPt country program to government officials, non-governmental actors, oPt civil society, donors, international organizations, and the media.

Success in this position requires an individual with exemplary, demonstrated leadership abilities who deploys strong communications and interpersonal skills effectively, both internally and externally. The successful candidate will enjoy contextual analytical skills with an ability to translate the impact of geopolitical events to our program and operational strategies. They will build a network of partnerships and diversify program resources. They will be directly responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of the country program; providing oversight and coaching for directly supervised senior managers; leading country program teams to identify, design and deliver responsive, high-quality programs; ensuring efficient management of public grants and private funds for results, compliance, and focused, timely reporting; and oversight of financial management and compliance systems.

Location: Jordan, but will transition to office in Ramallah.

Major Responsibilities:

Leadership and Representation

• Develop a vision and carry out strategies that result in contextualized high-quality programs that meet the identified needs of clients.

• Lead the country program by maintaining open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing guidance, oversight and resources to enable staff to perform successfully.

• Initiate and sustain strong, mutually beneficial, and authentic partnerships with oPt organizations.

• Ensure that the IRC remains a partner of choice for major international (institutional and non-institutional) donors.

• Seek out and pursue opportunities to raise the profile of the work of the IRC and its partners, as well as the lives and the needs of the people IRC seeks to serve.

• Play a leadership role in efforts to improve humanitarian response coordination in oPt.

Staff Management, Learning and Development

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, and providing regular and timely performance feedback.

• As part of a succession plan, identify, train, and develop the capability and capacity of staff to successfully transition roles and responsibilities, by end of the assignment.

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices.

Stewardship and Operational Management

• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations of the country program.

• Oversee the development, deployment and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with IRC and donor requirements.

• Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all offices, especially in the areas of HR, finance, and supply chain.

• Provide timely and effective oversight of the oPt country program’s financial position.

• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds.

Communications

• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the oPt country program.

• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest, and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations.

• Maintain open communication with regional management staff and technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Regional Vice-President – MENA

Position directly Supervises: A senior management team responsible for programs, operations, finance, HR, and security.

Key Internal Contacts:

 Country Program: All staff

 Region: Middle East and North Africa Regional Team

 HQ: Crisis Response and Recovery Department (CRRD), Ethics & Compliance, Operations and Strategy, Finance, Global Philanthropy & Partnerships, Technical Excellence and General Counsel

 EHAU: SMT

Key External Contacts:

 Partner organizations

 Host country government officials.

 Public and private donor agencies

 International and national NGOs

 UN agencies

 Foreign governments.

Job Requirements:

Education and Work Experience:

• A university degree in a relevant field and/or 12 years of progressively responsible international work experience, including leadership at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex operating environment.

• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situations.

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

• Superior communication skills, verbal and written, in English, Arabic is preferred.

• Experience in managing security in a complex and rapidly changing security context.

• Proven ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations.

• Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities.

• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US, and other international donors.

• Established capacity to handle stressful situations in a healthy, constructive manner.

• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.

• Prior work experience and a keen understanding of political complexities in the Middle East and North Africa region is preferred.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary team in cross-cultural settings, including active mentoring and coaching.

• Effective in developing high-potential staff to achieve career growth and maximum contribution.

• Proven experience in managing high-quality programming that meets the needs of clients.

• Proven experience delivering appropriate levels of oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects.

• Experience building personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organization.

• Opportunity-awareness. A successful innovative approach to unpredictable programming, operational, and funding contexts.

• Ability to dispassionately represent program context, constraints, and successes to media, government, and other senior audiences.

Languages Required/Preferred:

• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.

• Arabic language skills are a definite advantage.

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Working knowledge of file sharing protocols such as Box, SharePoint, etc., an advantage.

Ability to Travel: approximately 50% within and outside the region for operational reasons as oPT could include multiple offices in 3-4 countries, workshops, representation, and conferences.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing, and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs.

Diversity and Inclusion: at IRC MENA, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.