Requisition ID: req51737
Job Title: Deputy Director, Programs
Sector: Program Administration
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: Yes
Location: Tunis, Tunisia
Work Arrangement: In-person
Job Description
The IRC launched an emergency health response in Libya in September 2016 as the humanitarian situation in the country was deteriorating following the 2014 civil war. Since then, the IRC has broadened its portfolio with health, protection, and governance programs, aiming to employ a holistic approach to meeting the needs of and empowering individuals and communities across western, eastern, and southern Libya. This includes integrated approaches, for example to address early childhood development and economic empowerment through existing entry points with partners, service providers, and community structures. Through the design and delivery of quality, responsive programs, IRC Libya provides life-saving assistance while improving basic services, strengthening systems, and bolstering local capacities to engage and meet the needs of crisis-affected and vulnerable populations. We design and deliver this work in consultation and close coordination with relevant line ministries, municipalities, local institutions, public service providers, private sectors, civil society, and local communities.
Scope of work
The IRC seeks a dynamic, senior professional for the position of Deputy Director, Programs (DDP) for the Libya Country Program. The DDP oversees the development, implementation, and management of, and provides strategic direction for, the overall program portfolio. Responsible for the overall programs department (including MEAL, grants, and partnerships), she/he ensures programming alignment with the IRC Libya Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and the IRC’s program quality framework. She/he works closely with operations and support departments across the program cycle and in advancing the country program’s strategic priorities aligned with clients’ needs and priorities.
The DDP reports to the Country Director, is a key member of the Libya Country Program Leadership and Senior Management Teams (SMT), and directly supervises IRC Libya’s program technical, MEAL, and Grants & Partnerships Coordinators. She/he actively participates in senior-level stakeholder engagement, internally and externally, with e.g., donors, government and non-government partners, and IRC technical and regional support teams.
Major responsibilities
Strategic planning and implementation
•Contribute to the implementation of the SAP through close monitoring of the SAP-implementation plan, strategic funding allocations, and alignment of program development with the SAP.
•With others in SMT, play a lead role in ensuring any work related to the next SAP phase is carried out per global guidelines ensuring collaboration and buy-in from within the country program.
•Identify and put into action opportunities to enhance understanding, knowledge, and skills related to strategic frameworks, tools, and standards.
•Work with other members of SMT to carry out a range of strategic planning initiatives and develop and drive forward related action plans.
•Participate in regional strategic initiatives if/as applicable.
Program Development
•Provide leadership in analyzing, making decisions related to, and pursuing program development opportunities that are aligned with and contribute to the achievement of IRC’s strategic objectives.
•Work with colleagues across departments in the country program, region, and HQ to identify funding opportunities and develop competitive, responsive proposals to maintain and/or develop new programming.
•Provide guidance on and promote accountability for ensuring program design and development is informed by data including client feedback, is adapted to context, and utilizes technical best practices.
•Ensure program design processes seek and leverage frontline workers’ and local actors’ perspectives, experience, and expertise.
•Maintain relationships with existing donors and partners and engage potential strategic donors/partners, proactively identifying opportunities for strategic programming initiatives responsive to context and clients’ needs and priorities.
•Advance the IRC Libya business development strategy.
•Contribute to/review a range of communications and advocacy initiatives and outputs, and guide teams to incorporate learning agendas and relevant policy and advocacy activities into program design and development.
Program and Partnerships Management
•Promote sound program management and effective coordination across departments in program cycle management processes.
•Work with other SMT members and department heads on timely and well-coordinated start-up of new grants/projects when applicable.
•Collaborate with the DDO to ensure that each field office has and is following detailed implementation plans, modifying as needed per identified challenges and contextual changes.
•Working with the relevant Coordinators/Department Heads, monitor grant spending, procurement, implementation plans and contextual developments impacting project and partnership management.
•Ensure that technical coordinators conduct routine monitoring visits to implementation sites to ensure adherence to planned objectives, activities, and targets; program quality; and effective collaboration with Field Coordinators.
•Support technical coordinators in coordination with MEAL to develop, adapt, and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools and systems that promote/enhance program effectiveness and quality.
•Promote and provide strategic guidance on work in partnership across the IRC Libya portfolio, ensuring that IRC’s partnership principles, skills, and approaches are consistently used by staff.
Staff Management and Development
•Maintain a working environment focused on achieving team and individual results that emphasizes the importance of learning, productivity, accountability, and openness.
•Directly oversee program department teams to promote and ensure quality programming aligned with strategic priorities; effective grants and partnerships management; adherence to MEAL systems and standards; and effective cross-departmental collaboration.
•Supervise technical, MEAL, and Grants & Partnerships Coordinators in the day-to-day management of their respective workloads and priorities as well as support strategic issues/decisions, problem-solving, and internal and external coordination efforts.
•Hold regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with direct reports and periodic team meetings among sector/department leads, while ensuring they also adhere to IRC’s people management standards and performance management system.
•Maintain open, professional, and productive working relationships with team members, promoting strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
External Representation
•Represent the IRC and its programming to implementing partners, government, and donors.
•Assist the CD in developing strong relationships with donors and developing appropriate advocacy actions.
•Strengthen/maintain cooperation with peer agencies working in Libya and Tunisia.
Key working relationships
Reports to: Country Director
Directly supervises: Health Coordinator, Integrated Protection Coordinator, Governance Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, Grants & Partnerships Coordinator.
Other Internal: SMT (CD; Deputy Directors for Operations and Finance; HR Director; and heads of Access, Safety, and Security and Policy, Advocacy, and Communications); Field Coordinators; Deputy Regional Director and regional TAs/support team.
External: Partners and peer agencies, local authorities, donors.
Job Requirements
•8-10 years of progressively responsible professional experience relevant to the position.
•Prior experience working in leadership and senior management roles, with demonstrated skills in strong team and people management skills.
•Master’s degree in international development/affairs, public administration, or other relevant field.
•Experience in managing multi-sectoral programming; experience with programs in health, protection, local governance, and/or economic recovery and development, and working with local organizations, is strongly desired.
•Experience working on, coordinating with, and/or overseeing business development, grants and partnerships management, and MEAL; firm understanding of related processes, tools, and standards.
•Demonstrated understanding of and experience with developing, implementing, and/or monitoring strategy.
•Experience working in contexts in transition from humanitarian to development and with needs across the HDP Nexus is highly desirable.
•Exceptional interpersonal, diplomatic, and coordination skills internally and with external stakeholders are essential.
•Demonstrated experience with representation and donor and strategic partner engagement.
•Superior oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders.
•Fluency in English is a must, and Arabic is plus.
•Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner.
•Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
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