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 position of Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) is a member of the Senior Management Team and is integral to the successful implementation of IRC’s programs in Mexico. Working under the direction of the Country Director (CD) and splitting the program portfolio with the Deputy Director – Crossborder, Asylum and Migration (DDX), the DDP is responsible for overall program direction and implementation within the program framework, government policies and strategies, and in compliance with donor regulations, specifically in the areas of a) grant management b) program development, quality and implementation c) day-to-day representation with donor agencies and local and international stakeholders, and d) Monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning.
The DDP will spearhead the development and execution of the Country Strategic Plan and also be responsible for supervising the Program Coordinators and Program Managers of the projects under the Program portfolio, as well as the Grants Coordinator in partnership with the DDX. This position will work closely and collaboratively with the different departments within the country program. The DDP will be based in Mexico City, with frequent travel to national sites in Mexico where IRC designs and develops programming.
Languages: Fluency in both written and spoken English & Spanish
Major responsibilities:
Program Strategy, Design and Fundraising
• Lead the operationalization of the current IRC Mexico response strategy and actively engage in strategic planning processes for the longer term.
• Ensure, with Coordinators, and HQ-based Technical Unit staff, that project design reflects IRC program quality standards and industry best practices.
• Lead efforts for sustainable program growth, proactively identifying opportunities for new programming initiatives and emphasizing multi-year funding to support them.
• Provide leadership support to the program and grants teams to develop competitive, evidence-based and cost-effective funding applications.
• Provide guidance, strategies and tools to ensure that program choices are based on needs assessment findings (primary & secondary data) and analysis, input from communities, a thorough understanding of context, technical best practices, and operational viability.
• Formulate integrated program initiatives so that technical sectors complement each other and promote mainstreaming of protection principles and gender-responsive approaches.
Program Management – Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Provide overall leadership and management of IRC Mexico program portfolio, ensuring strategically coherent program direction, well-managed growth, and compliance with IRC and donor regulations.
• Continually seek out ways to build the capacities of the program team members, individually and collectively.
• Ensure that detailed, realistic and feasible project implementation plans are developed, and modified as needed, in collaboration with the Program Coordinators and Operations team.
• Coordinate with other members of the Senior Management Team on appropriate management, compliance and performance standards, as well as effective systems for budget management, knowledge management and risk management.
• Support programming staff to collect, document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices, incorporating these into new project designs.
• With program staff, develop effective and appropriate M&E [LP1]plans, including methodologies and tools to strengthen the quality of data collection, analysis and reporting.
• Review M&E and accountability data with program staff to identify and address areas for operational improvement.
Grants Management
• Provide strategic direction in terms of development of a funding strategy, widening and strengthening donor base, ensuring quality grants management, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, ensuring quality information management related to programs/ grants, and supporting directly in all aspects of the proposal development and reporting processes.
• Supervise all internal, external and reporting with programs and finance, ensuring high-quality, well-written and timely reports meeting donor and IRC and partner requirements; conduct thorough reviews and/or revisions of all external reports compiled by the Grants Coordinator.
• Ensure that Program Coordinators and Grants Coordinator conduct routine monitoring visits to implementation sites to ensure donor compliance and quality program implementation.
• Coordinate with the Program Coordinators and Grants and Finance teams to ensure sound budget management, expense control and timely contractual documentation.
• Support the Grants Coordinator to lead Grant Opening and Grant Closing Meetings with all relevant department and units and to ensure they take place on time. Also ensure that programming staff are well trained to properly manage project budgets.
• Ensure that the program coordinators review Budget vs Actual on a regular basis; provide leadership and management support to ensure effective monthly grant review meetings.
• Mitigate any potential risk by collaborating with the Finance Department to ensure that programming staff fully understand financial and administrative processes involved in project budget cycles.
External Representation and Advocacy
• Develop a sound understanding of the IRC’s programs to be able to professionally represent the IRC to implementing partners, the government and donors;
• Assist the Country Director developing strong relationships with donors, assisting with visits and in the development of appropriate advocacy actions;
• Forge and maintain solid cooperation with partner organizations through regular communication, cooperation and, where appropriate, joint decision-making.
• Act as the focal point for program-related communication between IRC country programs in the region and worldwide offices.
• Identify funding opportunities and track them in collaboration with the technical teams.
• Oversee programmatic inputs to advocacy efforts both in-country and globally.
Staff Management and Development
• Provide guidance and supervision to the Program Coordinators, Program Staff and Grants Coordinator; to discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback on performance of direct reports, including timely implementation of performance management system.
• Create an inclusive team climate focused on the achievement of team and individual results that emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, trust, listening, ownership, learning, productivity, accountability and openness
• Adhere to IRC’s performance management system, providing regular, timely and thoughtful coaching, feedback, performance assessment, and professional development for all direct reports, while making sure that they do the same for their direct reports.
• Build capacities of programming staff in key project management principles, tools and approaches and ensure that these new skills are utilized on the job.
• Manage recruitment, hiring and development of high-performing national staff to assume greater levels of responsibility.
• Provide leadership support for the successful implementation of and adherence to the IRC Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least bi-weekly, focusing equally on interpersonal exchange, as well as work
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being, and ensure to create systems and practices where work supports life and continuously role model such practices;
Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (including Development Studies, International Relations and Social Sciences); Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum eight years of leadership experience working in a humanitarian or development setting with a minimum of five years of NGO program management experience required; experience working within the fast-paced humanitarian emergency environment desirable.
• Experience working in the fields of protection, child protection, Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) and/or cash programming, and experience working in partnership with local organizations, is strongly desired.
• Proven ability to develop winning proposals to public and private-sector donors;
• Demonstrated experience and ability to lead and supervise people, coach for performance and development and create an inclusive organizational climate;
• Previous experience managing programs financed by US government agencies, FCDO, EU, foundations and private donors a must, with previous experience in competitive environments a plus.
• Proven ability to manage projects to completion on time, within budget, and with the anticipated results.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
• Demonstrated successful leadership experience for a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching on performance and development;
• Work experience in Mexico and/or Latin America preferred.
• Proven fluency in English and Spanish is required.
**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.
How to apply
https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/job/req51803/Deputy-Director-of-Programs