Deputy Director of Programs

Background/IRC Summary: The International Rescue Committee 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, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity, and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 7.6 million people are internally displaced and 12.2 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 4.8 million in hard-to-reach areas. There are 3.8 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis with an annual budget in excess of $140 million, supported by more than 1,250 staff in the region. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, education, women’s protection and empowerment, cash assistance, water and sanitation, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

The IRC/Turkey team is currently implementing health, economic recovery and development, protection, education and water and sanitation programming in Syria as well as protection and education programming in Turkey. The Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) will oversee the country’s programmatic portfolio of over $40million USD inside Syria and $2million USD inside Turkey.  

Job Overview/Summary: Based in Antakya, t he Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) provides overall leadership to the development, management, implementation and growth of the IRC’s programming portfolio in / cross border from Turkey, with particular emphasis on responsiveness to needs, program quality, and evidence of impact. In coordination with the Country Director, the DDP builds and sustains strong donor relationships. Reporting to the Country Director and a member of the Senior Management Team, the DDP directly supervises eight senior staff responsible for proposal development and quality program implementation. This position has close working relationships with the Deputy Director of Operations and field-based staff to ensure that programs are driven by needs, based on evidence, monitored closely and resourced appropriately.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership and Representation

• Provide leadership to the country program as a key member of the Senior Management Team.
• Drive the quality implementation and support of programs, informed by the country program’s strategic action plan, monitoring and evaluation systems and Technical Unit support.
• Supervise senior program staff.
• Ensure program staff compliance with security, procurement, HR and financial management protocols.
• Represent the country program to donors, UN and partner NGOs, and other agencies.

Program Strategy, Design, and Grants Management

• Working in collaboration with regional staff and the Country Director, provide leadership in the implementation of the IRC/Turkey’s strategic action plan (SAP) for both northern Syria and Turkey. Work to ensure all programs are designed in line with the outcomes and evidence framework (OEF) and further the goals and objectives of the IRC’s global and country-level priorities.
• Working in collaboration with Program Coordinators and Technical Unit staff, ensure that programs are designed and carried out according to IRC and industry best practices.
• Position IRC for future donor resources by initiating assessments (including qualitative and quantitative data gathering), and by furthering IRC’s reflective thought leadership around program quality in the Syria response.
• Working in collaboration with the Country Director and Sr. Grants Coordinator, proactively identify opportunities for new programming and funding to support it.
• Lead and support program Coordinators to collaborate with the Grants and Finance teams to develop responsive, competitive, evidenced-based, and cost-efficient funding applications.
• Provide guidance to program staff regarding tools and strategies for programming that is based on input from communities, a thorough understanding of the context, and technical best practices.
• Lead the development and implementation of integrated programming initiatives so that technical sectors complement one another for greater impact.
• Promote the “mainstreaming” of protection, child protection and gender equality considerations in all programming.
• Support the development of promotional materials related to IRC’s work in Turkey.
• Participate in country program collaboration with SRR colleagues to deliver regional programming and advocacy.

Program Implementation

• Provide overall leadership and management of IRC Turkey’s programming portfolio, ensuring strategically coherent program direction, well-managed growth, and compliance with IRC and donor regulations.
• Drive close and effective management of program implementation through the development of structured work plans, spending plans and monitoring plans.
• Coordinate with other members of Senior Management Team on appropriate management, compliance and performance standards, as well as effective systems for budget management, knowledge management and risk management.
• Review M&E and accountability data with the Sr. M&E Coordinator and program staff to identify and address areas for operational improvement.
• Regularly travel to the field (in Turkey) to visit projects.
• Regularly review progress against indicators.
• Promptly communicate implementation challenges to donors.
• Work with senior program staff to ensure that protection information is used effectively for advocacy and the development of new programming.

Budget and Risk Management

• Master and support adherence to IRC programming, administrative and financial procedures and systems.
• Promote risk reduction management as a part of all staff’s responsibilities.
• Ensure that program staff are well trained to properly manage project budgets.
• Supervise program staff’s stewardship of the financial health and performance of all projects.
• Guide staff to ensure donor intent is respected and regulations followed.
• Meet with program, grants and finance staff regularly to review budget comparison reports.
• Approve release of resources for projects as per approved budgets, implementation plans, achievements, and agreements.
• Ensure program staff follow finance procedures to rapidly process payments.
• Mitigate risk by collaborating with the Finance Department to ensure that programming staff fully understand financial and administrative processes involved in project budget cycles.
• Ensure that risks limiting achievement of objectives are reported and rapidly addressed.

Staff Performance Management and Development

• Create a supervisory environment focused on the achievement of team and individual results that emphasizes the importance of learning, productivity, accountability, openness about challenges, and adjustment to new information and new realities.
• Communicate regularly with staff and promote positive conflict resolution among team members.
• Provide guidance and supervision to all Program Coordinators; discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback on performance of direct reports, including timely implementation of performance management system.
• Hold regular programming team meetings.
• Lead and model use of 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 program staff in key project management principles, tools and approaches and ensure that these new skills are utilized on the job.

• Support the Program Coordinators to recruit, hire and invest in the development of high-performing national staff to assume greater levels of responsibility and as part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition roles and responsibilities of select coordinator and senior manager positions, by end of assignment

• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct.”
• Promote constructive, collegial teamwork between program staff and operational support staff.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Graduate degree in relevant field preferred
• Must have at least six years of progressively responsible international management experience, preferably in remote management contexts, including technical staff supervision. 
• Proven ability to develop successful proposals for a variety of donors.
• Previous experience managing programs financed by US government agencies, DFID, EU, UN, foundations and private donors a must.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects to completion on time, in compliance with donor requirements, within budget, and with the anticipated results.
• Successful leadership of multi-disciplinary teams in cross-cultural settings, including active mentoring and coaching.
• Demonstrated strengths in relationship management.
• Extensive experience with monitoring and evaluation tools and systems for complex programs.
• Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
• A keen understanding of political complexities in the Middle East region.
• English fluency (spoken and written) required; Arabic and/or Turkish language skills a definite advantage.
• Proven ability to work and live in a sometimes insecure environment while maintaining a positive attitude.

Professional Standards

• All IRC staff are required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Working Environment:  The position will be based in Antakya, Turkey with frequent travel to Gaziantep. The IRC’s security phase for Antakya is currently yellow. The Deputy Director of Programs will be provided with individual housing.

Returning National Candidates:   We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national either Turkey or Syria and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the IRC Turkey country program has 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.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.          

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.  

IRC leading the way from harm to home. 

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
 IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.