People & Culture Coordinator

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.

Qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the country indicated in the posting will be given priority. If not successful, the role may be opened more broadly to international candidates.
 

The IRC began planning to reopen an oPt country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health, protection, food security, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities. 

The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term oPt country program in parallel. This effort is being managed by the Emergencies Unit (EmU), with a view to eventually transitioning the country program fully under the Middle East and North Africa and Ukraine (MENAU) region.   

Job Overview: 
The P&C Coordinator is responsible for providing leadership for the P&C function for staff members across IRC's occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) program. The P&C Coordinator will lead a team of P&C staff to ensure high quality and efficient staff recruitment, contracts management, orientation, learning and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, code of conduct compliance, employee engagement and staff care. The position acts as a P&C advisor to the SMT. The P&C Coordinator reports to the IRC Country Director, is a part of the Senior Management Team, and has a technical reporting line to Emergency Unit P&C Director/Regional P&C Director.

The P&C Coordinator will adapt and implement Global P&C initiatives and practices and serve as an advisor to maximize staffing resources and performance, promote a positive organizational culture, minimize risk and ensure economy and efficiency of work processes.  

Major Responsibilities: 

Strategic P&C Leadership and Management

•    Devise and deliver a planned P&C approach to attracting, developing, inspiring and retaining the right people with the right skills to achieve strategic, programmatic results.

•    As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), determine workforce needs, identify human resource and competency gaps, and devise a development and workforce plan to facilitate nationalizing roles and retaining staff.

•    Actively participate in proposal design and grants opening and review meetings (GRMs, GOMs) specifically advising organizational structure, position scoping, demographic/staffing analysis and other inputs critical to ensure strong P&C foundation to support program quality.

•    Conduct monthly and quarterly strategic P&C metrics and analysis to inform Senior Management Team and Regional P&C decision-making, lead on country program inputs to global P&C scorecards.

•    In collaboration with the Recruitment Team, set strategy for recruitment; develop candidate rosters, actively network and employ innovative, creative recruiting methods to attract and hire the best talent. Proactively position IRC as an Employer Brand of Choice in the country and region.

•    Review and approve job position requests and job descriptions for all national roles, making recommendations, ensuring accuracy, consistency.

•    Participate in budget preparation and provide strategic compensation analysis to drive nationalization strategy and ability to attract high-quality talent. Define and review salary structure; coordinate annual compensation review process and compensation adjustments. 

•    Establish benefit plans and packages, and lead in the communication of updates, including conducting information campaigns for national and international staff.

•    Deliver international P&C management, including policy, process, and employee relations management, with support from regional P&C.

•    Oversee P&C -related administrative duties and ensure compliance with existing legal and governmental reporting requirements. Ensure all legal obligations are fulfilled.

•    Lead the performance management process with guidance from regional and HQ P&C. Create a plan to manage annual and mid-year reviews, conduct training on goal setting, utilize budgets to organize development activities and work one-on-one with managers and employees to create country-wide development plans. Through P&C initiatives and actions, support a culture of continuous feedback.
    Devise staff care action plans that elevate morale and support the social, physical, and psychological well-being of staff; create emergency staff care interventions – both in collaboration with the  Staff Care Specialist.

•    Lead all employee relations with professional grace with the aim of empowering employees and supervisors to have the tools and resources necessary to resolve conflicts with mutual respect. 

•    Escalate code of conduct issues, lead or co-lead investigations and ensure issues are resolved and appropriate follow-up is carried out, in partnership with Ethics and Compliance Unit (ECU).

•    Advise supervisors in determining appropriate disciplinary plans of action in a judicious manner. Follow-up disciplinary measures and related employment law matters.

•    Act as impartial mediator in disciplinary procedures and ensure it is administered in an equitable and fair manner and meets all legal and labor regulations and requirements.

•    Manage any lay-offs or reductions in force in partnership with senior management and regional P&C to ensure compliance, due diligence, communications, and staff care.

•    Oversee and delegate the management of visa procedures for national staff procurement of international visas, residency requirement for international staff and visitors and other documentation issues as needed.

Staff Performance Management and Development

•    Serve as a model of supervisory excellence; 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 career paths and professional development for P&C team and IRC staff.

•    Support the management, coaching and development of national and international staff to build a cadre of skilled, committed and motivated staff.

•    Support senior staff to continue to pursue nationalization of senior and management positions.

•    Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. 

Communications

•    Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the "IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct" throughout the country program.

•    Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff by delivering an employee engagement and communication strategy.

•    Maintain and leverage open communications and partnership on projects and shared goals with other P&C Leads at the country level, regional P&C and P&C HQ levels. 

•    Provide direct support and advise the CD and SMT on staff communications to ensure clarity, consistency and transparency in communications.

•    Represent IRC in NGO P&C working groups and with external parties including for P&C -related matters. Directly liaise with local legal counsel on P&C -related matters.

P&C GEDI

•    Lead the implementation of GEDI action plans within the Country Program, ensuring effective execution and measurable outcomes. 

•    Coordinate and facilitate the implementation of GEDI strategies and strategic initiatives across the Country Program, ensuring alignment with the P&C mandate. Facilitate in-depth discussions on GEDI topics, ensuring these conversations extend beyond compliance to genuinely enhance practices, particularly in recruitment and selection processes.

•    Foster a healthy organizational culture that is free of unequal power dynamics, discrimination, bias, harassment, bullying, and abuse of power. Oversee the integration of feminist, decolonial, and anti-racist values throughout the employee lifecycle, providing guidance and direction in collaboration with Regional P&C Director to ensure these values are embedded in all P&C practices, including regular reporting, and measuring progress on the S100 LDG and GEDI goals. 

•    Champion inclusive practices as part of the GEDI initiative, organizing cultural exchanges and culture-building activities to enrich team cohesion. Ensure the incorporation of GEDI best practices into the employee lifecycle and day-to-day operations, maintaining accountability for the continual improvement of diversity and inclusion within the organization.

P&C Safeguarding

•    Promote best practice through the integration of safeguarding considerations in hiring, recruitment and onboarding practices (e.g., ensure delivery on Safeguarding Minimum Standard 1). 

•    Ensure that all IRC employees receive orientation to IRC's Safeguarding Policy and behavioral expectations, collaborating with the Safeguarding Manager function where it exists and/or Regional Safeguarding Advisor.

•    Ensure that the IRC Way and information on reporting channels are sign-posted in all IRC office locations (in all relevant local languages).

•    Collaborate with country and regional specialized safeguarding staff and Country SMT members to convene functional stakeholders within the country and promote adoption and progress of the Safeguarding Minimum Standards.

•    Partner with IRC global investigations teams and the Country Director to ensure that recommendations from safeguarding investigations, particularly those involving disciplinary actions, are implemented within two weeks. 

P&C Duty of Care

•    Provide guidance and support for all staff-related duty of care initiatives, ensuring adherence to organizational standards.

•    Partner with Global Duty of Care and S&S teams to ensure best practice aftercare response to critical incidents.

•    Support DOC, GEDI, and SG teams to promote safe, healthy, and inclusive workplaces through global and local initiatives.

•    Ensure strong connectivity and communication among P&C staff to foster a cohesive team environment.

•    Develop country program action plans aimed at enhancing morale and supporting the social, physical, and psychological well-being of staff. 

•    Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that promotes open, honest, and productive communication.

•    Implement an employee engagement and communication strategy tailored to suit remote management contexts, ensuring it supports effective interaction and staff integration across all levels of the organization.

Key Working Relationships: 

Position directly supervises: Local P&C team 

Key Internal Stakeholders: 

•    Country: Country Director; Deputy Director for Programs; Deputy Director for Operations; Finance Controller; Head of Departments and all staff within the country program. 

•    HQ: Compensation & Benefits, Talent Management and P&C IS Directors, General Counsel Office, Ethics & Compliance Unit (ECU).

Key External Stakeholders: The INGO P&C forum; INGO and UN P&C staff; Legal counsel; Ministry of Labor and its extensions.

Job Requirements: 

Education: 

•    Bachelor's required. Master's university degree in P&C management, MBA, Law, International Relations, or related field is a plus. 
Work Experience: 

•    5+ years of progressive experience as a P&C generalist, including recruitment, performance management, compensation, training and development and P&C Administration.

•    Minimum 3 years staff management experience in a fast-paced environment. 

•    At least 3 years of experience with an international organization or international experience.

•    Remote management experience a plus; INGO experience strongly preferred.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

•    A commitment to IRC's mission and vision

•    Strategic leadership experience managing a P&C function for large budget programs in the INGO sector is strongly preferred.

•    Strategic experience with managing staff, global workforce planning, and development of P&C processes during a start-up phase is a plus. 

•    Top-tier written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development in English and Arabic.

•    Proven sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to manage complex P&C situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.

•    Excellent management, interpersonal and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.

•    Proven ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional grace.

•    Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other stakeholders to maximize cooperation and productivity.

•    Strong proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint is required.

•    Curiosity, a desire to continually learn and develop and a sense of humor is a must.

•    Working knowledge of local labor law is required; International P&C experience is an asset.

Language Skills: 

•    Fluency in English required; fluency in Arabic a plus; knowledge of oPt and/or Middle East is desirable.

•    Travel: Approximately 20% of travel time to different field offices may be required. 
 

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.

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