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Project Director

London | Nairobi

  • Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
  • Location: London | Nairobi
  • Grade: Senior level - Senior
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Project and Programme Management
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date:

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 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver 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.
Background and Objectives of the FCDO Programme Empowering Survivors of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (ES-SEAH)
The ES – SEAH programme aims to enhance the reporting of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) committed by aid workers, while also strengthening survivor-centred responses. This initiative will support women’s rights organizations (WROs) in assisting survivors through SEAH case management and will engage agencies to hold perpetrators accountable and provide a survivor-centred response. Concurrently, participatory action research will be conducted to identify effective reporting mechanisms and community-based SEAH prevention strategies. The programme will be tested in three different contexts—humanitarian, development, and peacekeeping—to understand how to improve SEAH reporting and response through WROs in various settings and to inform the broader safeguarding sector.

Locations: Nairobi or London preferred. Other locations with an IRC office also possible.

Scope of Work
The Project Director will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of programme outcomes and interventions, as well as managing the programme’s daily operations. They will ensure high-quality programme implementation by providing strategic guidance to partners, supervising project team members, and overseeing fund management, financial and performance management, monitoring and evaluation, partnership management, and relationships with external stakeholders. The Project Director should possess extensive skills in complex project implementation, advocacy, and networking with international and national institutions, development agencies, and community-based organizations. Broader technical knowledge of Safeguarding/PSEAH and gender in programming is essential, and technical skills in protection are desirable.
Key Responsibilities 
•Provide overall strategic, programmatic, and administrative leadership and direction, overseeing all technical, operational, and financial aspects of the programme
•Manage the programme's performance against objectives and key performance indicators (KPI) to ensure IRC receives full payment based on the programme’s good performance
•Responsible for monitoring KPIs to ensure contract deliverables are delivered efficiently and effectively
•Lead and plan the overall advocacy effort within the project for stakeholder engagement for SEAH issues
•Oversee project risk, compliance, duty of care, and security and supervise the ES-SEAH programme staff
•Oversee the development, review, and monitoring of yearly work plans, project strategy documents, implementation measures, knowledge management, and sustainability efforts to achieve long-term and short-term goals
•Manage consortium partnerships and maintain collaborative partner relations, ensuring that all partners are aware of the project’s expectations and are actively involved in achieving the objectives while using the project management tools developed or adapted for the consortium
•Support the Research Coordinator in coordination and oversight of participatory action research at the country-level
•Provide oversight and support to country-level Safeguarding Technical Coordinators on project deliverables, including work with WROs
•Report to FCDO through both formal and informal debriefings, annual and semi-annual reports, ensuring timely submission of high-quality content
•Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions
•Represent the project and the IRC in national, regional, and international fora, including technical conferences and policy briefings, and share information about project achievements and lessons learned within the organization and wider development community.
Project Director Profile & Qualifications
  • Advanced degree in Social Work, Public Health, International Development, or similar (or equivalent experience in Safeguarding/ PSEA including in prevention and response programming in the context of development and humanitarian response. Experience working in GBV and/or Child protection in humanitarian settings is preferred
  • Experience working within or in close partnership with feminist/women’s movements and/or organisations in the Global South, preferably in leadership roles
  • Strong understanding of SEA as human rights violations and their relationship with other forms of intersectional oppression
  • Proven ability to represent an organisation at a senior level and to build strong relationships at the local, national and international levels
  • Experience managing large-scale, multi-million-dollar, complex, multi-partner projects, ideally experience leading FCDO Safeguarding programs
  • Proven ability to lead diverse staff and teams, manage performance, foster a positive working environment and manage issues sensitively and diplomatically 
  • Experience of managing large institutional donor contracts, including Payment by Results contracts
  • Experience of working in a large and complex international organisation
  • Proficiency in English is required. Working proficiency in French is preferred.
Key working relationships
 
Supervisor: Deputy director, VPRU
Positions under supervisor:  Project team (to be recruited)

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Gender Equality. 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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.
Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances.
Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Recruitment for this role is contingent upon the successful award of the project to the IRC. The final applicant's selection is subject to FCDO approval. This role is expected to start sometime in early 2025. 

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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.
We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.