Regional Project Director, Ahlan Simsim (This is open to current IRC employees only)

Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. 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. IRC reaches over a million children annually with education and child protection programs in 25 countries around the world.

Years of war in Syria have pushed millions from their homes and into poverty, and millions more have become refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and further afield. Equally complex is the emergency in Iraq, where waves of fighting and displacement have overwhelmed infrastructure and services and pushed communities to the brink. The COVID-19 pandemic deepened these crises, bringing new health, economic, and social challenges throughout the Middle East, as well as interrupting access to all types of services and support. The effects of these crises have changed the entire region. In the Middle East (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen) IRC responds to displaced people’s acute and longer-term needs with integrated programs that improve health and safety, prioritize children’s education, foster economic wellbeing, and empower communities to regain control over their lives.

After winning the inaugural MacArthur Foundation 100&Change competition for a $100 million grant to make measurable progress toward solving a significant problem from 2018-2023, the IRC and Sesame Workshop are continuing into the next phase of the Ahlan Simsim project. In the next phase of the project Ahlan Simsim will expand and deepen its interventions to bring vital early learning and nurturing care to more than nine million children and families affected by crisis and conflict in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, while also starting work in new parts of the Middle East. The program seeks to reach children and families where they are with effective, scalable, and sustainable interventions to support child development, including NGO and government-delivered early education for children and support and training for caregivers using engaging multimedia content. Ahlan Simsim has developed and will continue to co-design and support partner-led interventions with key public and private stakeholders working across the many sectors that serve children and families, including health, protection, and livelihoods. For more information, please visit: https://www.rescue.org/ahlansimsim.

Reporting to the Regional Vice President, the Regional Project Director for Ahlan Simsim is responsible for the overall vision and direction of the Ahlan Simsim project for the IRC. In coordination and collaboration with regional, TU and Sesame workshop counterparts as well as partners across the region, the RPD ensures the project moves forward in alignment with a strategic vision, ensures team cohesion and positive culture and leads on growth strategy. During the final 6 months of the year fundraising, growth and program visioning will be key for the future of Ahlan Simsim.

Specifically, the Regional Project Director is Responsible for the following key objectives:

•  Provide strategic oversight, management, and leadership to the Ahlan Simsim team across the MENA region and serve as an ambassador of the program internally with IRC leadership.  
• Oversee the strategy for Ahlan Simsim Fundraising and Growth in current and expanded Geographies.
• Ensure the Ahlan Simsim program and learnings are well-understood and visible internally and externally and that positive networks and relationships are cultivated in service to strategic goals.
• Serve as an ambassador of the program with Sesame Workshop executives and other partners. 

Responsibilities include:

Strategic Oversight, Management, and Leadership

• Drive the strategic vision of the Ahlan Simsim program goals for children and caregivers in MENA
• Provide strategic leadership and direction, drive performance and efficiencies, enable effective program innovation, design, and delivery.
• Support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect and empowers staff to take responsibility.

Fundraising and Growth

•  Provide leadership and direction for the Ahlan Simsim fundraising and growth strategy;
• Hold ownership over the KPIs and Growth strategy metrics for accountability
• Chair the quarterly Executive Oversight committee with Senior Leadership to report on Growth strategy progress and raise strategic challenges for discussions
• Support the DPD and other staff with the execution of the growth strategy

Learning, Visibility and External Collaboration

•  Serve as program ambassador for learning promoting a learning culture across the team and, in collaboration with the RMEL lead, DPD and Senior Project Specialist ensure project learnings are shared with internal and external actors in the most appropriate format
• With support from the Senior Project Specialist and in coordination with the ECD Advocacy Advisor, oversee external relations and communications by representing Ahlan Simsim and IRC in public venues and events in the region and by overseeing the distribution of information about program achievements and lesson learned
• Promote program growth through strategic engagement with donors, governments, and the private sector

Staff Management and Human Resources

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, establishing a supportive environment while emphasizing accountability, providing regular and timely constructive performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct”.
• Maintain open communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.

Key Working Relationships

•  Position Reports to:  Regional Vice President, Middle East Region
• Matrixed Reporting to: N/A
• Position supervises: Deputy Project Director, Regional Technical Lead, RMEL Lead, Senior Project Specialist – HQ, Digital Projects Coordinator  

Working Relationships: (Internal)Country Directors and Deputy Directors of Programs; Regional staff such as M&E, Comms and Advocacy. Headquarters staff such as Senior Director of Education and Technical Advisors, Senior Leadership at Sesame Workshop. (External) Host Government officials, coordination bodies, UN counterparts, humanitarian organizations, etc.