The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. 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. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
BACKGROUND
Since 2012 the IRC has been undertaking cross-border operations from several offices in southeastern Turkey to provide humanitarian assistance and services in northwestern Syria. The IRC provides assistance to Syrian IDPs, Syrian host communities and Syrian refugees in Turkey across multiple sectors: education, health, women's protection and empowerment, child protection, livelihoods, water and environmental health, and core relief items – both directly and through partner organizations. IRC Turkey’s annual budget currently exceeds $45M and continues to grow.
SCOPE OF WORK
The IRC Country Director for Turkey is responsible for overall leadership and supervisory management of IRC offices in the country, including stewardship of resources, staff safety and security, program quality and accountability, and performance management. The Country Director is the IRC’s principal representative to the Turkish government, mdonors, international organizations, and other NGOs. The Country Director is expected to respond effectively to a constantly changing environment in Syria with the most effective humanitarian prorgams via direct implementation and through a growing network of current and potential national partner organizations. The Country Director will develop a clear vision for the country program, bringing the staff team together to deliver high-quality programs and advocacy.
Success in this position requires an individual with demonstrated team leadership abilities; representational (including media relations), communications and risk management skills; and a facility for developing networks to build partnerships and diversify program resources. S/he will be directly responsible for the overall coordination and strategic direction of the country program; providing supervision and coaching for directly supervised senior managers; leading country programs teams to identify, design and deliver responsive, high-quality programs; ensuring efficient management of public grants and private funds for compliance, risk management and high-quality, timely reporting; and oversight of financial management systems.
Based in Antakya, the Country Director oversees all IRC operations in Turkey and northern Syria. Reporting to the Regional Director, this position works closely with the Syria Response Director and receives support from regional and headquarters staff in the areas of program quality, new business development, safety and security management, finance, operations management, and external affairs. The Country Director is additionally required to actively participate in defining the IRC’s public advocacy positions. The Country Director directly supervises six positions in a country program of approximately 220 staff and more than 500 stipend workers. This position is fully accompanied and requires frequent travel.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
- Leadership and Representation
- 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.
- Develop and carry out strategies that result in strong representation with: Turkish Government authorities at various levels; donors including DFID, OFDA and ECHO; UN and other international organizations; international and local NGOs; and networks such as the NGO Forum.
- Ensure that the IRC remains a partner of choice for major international donors.
- Develop and maintain a high level of understanding of donor priorities and planned funding.
- Initiate and sustain strong, mutually beneficial and authentic partnerships with Syrian organizations.
- Seek out and pursue opportunities to raise the profile of the work of the IRC and its partners in Turkey and northern Syria, as well as the lives and the needs of the people the IRC seeks to serve.
- Play a leadership role in efforts to improve humanitarian response coordination in northern Syria.
- Lead country program collaboration with colleagues in the IRC’s Syria Regional Response (SRR) to deliver regional programming and advocacy.
- Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth
- Set the strategic vision and direction of the country program to serve more people with the most responsive and highest quality programming possible, and secure the resources necessary for realization.
- Align programming to the IRC’s mission and strategy, sectoral expertise and technical standards.
- Ensure program quality through consistent use throughout the country program of: rigorous assessment, design, and proposal development and review processes; comprehensive monitoring & evaluation, accountability and learning systems; staff development investments; and partner organization capacity strengthening.
- Remain current on national and regional issues impacting the country program and partners, and develop responsive strategies to ensure the IRC mission can be carried out appropriately in rapidly-changing contexts.
- Ensure country program alignment with and involvement in meeting regional objectives.
- Identify opportunities for appropriate expansion and growth of programs, supported by the acquisition and investment of human resources.
- Ensure timely submission of competitive, responsive and high-quality proposals, and support colleagues in negotiations with donors.
- Safety and Security Management
- Take primary responsibility for overall management of safety and security for the country program.
- Oversee the management of all security issues, including appropriate response to emergency situations as they arise.
- Create and maintain a culture of safety and security throughout the country program, including trainings and briefings that prepare all country program staff for security incident prevention and response.
- Keep security, evacuation and contingency plans current and accessible to country program staff.
- Maintain close coordination and communication with the Regional Safety and Security Advisor on safety and security concerns and evolving issues that could adversely affect IRC staff or operations.
- Staff Performance Management and Development
- Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.
- Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development for IRC staff.
- Oversee the management, coaching and development of national and international staff to build a cadre of skilled, committed and motivated personnel.
- 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.
- Offer leadership support for successful adherence by all staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
- Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
- Undertake regular reviews of labor and salary markets in Turkey, for the purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of the IRC’s overall compensation package for national staff.
- 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 Turkey country program’s financial position.
- Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds.
- Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.
- Demonstrate effective use of remote management strategies.
- Communications
- Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the Turkey 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 communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.
- Professional Standards
- The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global 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.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
- Graduate degree in a relevant field
- At least ten 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 of building personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organisation
- Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching
- Proven experience delivering appropriate levels oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects
- Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US and international donors
- Experience of managing security in a complex and rapidly changing security context
- Proven ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations. Experience with organizational capacity strengthening and partnership building helpful
- Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities
- 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
- Arabic language skills a definite advantage
- Ability to work and live in a sometimes insecure environment while maintaining a positive attitude
This position is fully accompanied, and travel to some sites involves overnight accommodations in shared housing. Travel to Syria may be required as the security situation allows. This position is based in Hatay, with an estimated 35% of the Country Director’s time spent in other locations including Gazientep, Sanilurfa and, less frequently, Ankara. |
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.
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