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.

IRC’s presence in Europe has significantly expanded in the past decade and plays a key role in advancing our mission. As of early 2024, we have more than 1000 staff based in our European offices. Our colleagues work to deliver policy change through effective advocacy in Europe, and to increase European donor and private funding to the IRC. They support clients directly or through partners in 11 European countries (inside and outside of EU) via multiple programs. There are also many colleagues in global roles, supporting programs and operations all over the world.

Job Overview

It is an exciting time to join IRC’s new People & Culture Organization, as we are in the process of integrating the work of our Human Resources, Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) and Safeguarding teams under one organisational mandate to collaboratively drive our People & Culture Delivery Strategy and create a positive and inspiring workplace culture.

In addition to the P&C integration, we are also moving forward in identifying how P&C can best strengthen its collective support and ensure a One IRC approach in offering an effective, efficient, and equitable experience for all IRC staff in Europe, regardless of location or team. The Director will lead this effort to create a One Europe way of working as practicable, identifying areas for integration and simplification across the continent.

The Director, People & Culture - Europe will lead and co-lead a team of P&C professionals as part of the effort to strengthen collaboration and service levels across Europe. They will partner with business and P&C leaders to ensure the organisation has the structure, systems, culture, and talent needed to deliver global program goals and effectively serve its clients.

The Director is a core member of the Europe senior leadership team and the extended global P&C leadership team, and serves as strategic partner, advisor, and coach with a particular focus on ensuring a safe and welcoming culture for all people, organisational performance, and efficiency and effectiveness of work processes.

This role will be critical in directly or through matrixed structures for the coordinating, overseeing, harnessing and ensuring IRC’s global People & Culture resources, services and solutions are effectively and successfully delivered across IRC’s European workforce.

Major Responsibilities

Lead People & Culture for Europe in support of achieving IRC’s ambitions, driving the collaborative development and implementation of strategic plans in the areas of succession and workforce planning, organizational design and development, talent acquisition, learning & development, employee relations, compensation & benefits, employee engagement, people analytics, and efficient delivery of P&C operations in a blend of local, regional and shared solutions models, all fully infused with a deep commitment to employee well-being, safeguarding, and equitable and inclusive practices.
Ensure that key progress, barriers, and enablers for commitments related to Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (GEDI), Safeguarding (SG) and Duty of Care (DoC) are part of regular regional leadership dialogue and action.
Evaluate, build, and facilitate People & Culture functional capacity and service for Europe in collaboration with the Europe P&C and leadership teams, global P&C technical experts, and relevant P&C Partners for the global HQ, Resettlement, Asylum & Integration (RAI) and Crisis Response, Recovery and Development (CRRD) teams.
Lead large, complex change management efforts stemming from structural and organizational changes, internal and/or external events or other operating factors, including the design and updating of IRC’s cross-Europe P&C service models.
Lead, empower and mentor direct reports, including communicating clear expectations, co-creating performance objectives, providing regular and timely constructive performance feedback, and supporting their overall well-being and professional aspirations.
Advise, counsel and/or lead, where appropriate, large or complex Employee Relations matters in partnership with IRC’s Global Employee Relations and its Ethics & Compliance Unit.
Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and measurement of impact in the region, supported by people analytics and data driven decision making by regional, department, and country leadership.
Travel as needed to provide in-person leadership, support, technical training and/or management of special projects.
We are an organisation that is continually growing and changing, and the responsibilities of this role will reflect these shifts over time.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: SVP, Europe and SVP, People & Culture

Direct Reports: 6 P&C professionals; entire P&C team in Europe of about 25+ employees

Key Internal Relationships:

Deep alignment and support to Europe senior leadership team, country leadership teams, global HQ and program leaders
Very strong collaborative, aligned partnership with Global P&C functional team; Resettlement, Asylum & Integration (RAI), Crisis Response, Recovery & Development (CRRD) and Global HQ P&C Partners, all of whom have teams located throughout Europe
Engaged and productive relationships with employee groups including but not limited to unions, works councils, and employee resource groups

Key External Relationships: INGO counterparts; legal counsel; P&C associations and networks

Desired Qualifications

Extensive and progressive professional P&C-related experience, preferably within the humanitarian sector, including substantial experience at a regional level where extensive demands, complexity, and delivery were core to the role.
A consistent role model for the IRC culture we seek to provide for all colleagues: respectful, encouraging, empathetic, and inclusive; genuine commitment to fostering equity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace, with experience in establishing a supportive environment for under-represented groups and accelerating their professional development.
Experience supporting groups of 700+ employees at multiple organisational levels, cultures, and locations within a regional or global environment required.
Broad knowledge and experience across the spectrum of People & Culture proficiencies e.g. organisational change, GEDI, SG, talent management, employee experience, workforce planning, people analytics, employee relations, etc.
Deep understanding of European labour law complexities and proven experience working with employee representative groups
Demonstrated success in supporting key senior management and building strong, trusted relationships.
Excellent management and leadership skills including coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
High degree of comfort and successful track record supervising in matrixed environments.
Ability to work, manage, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment; exceptional problem solving and decision-making skills needed.
Superb inter-personal, written, and verbal communication skills with ability to collaborate across countries, cultures, and departments required.
Must possess a highly collaborative, inclusive, consultative, and resourceful workstyle that balances required compliance/policy enforcement with a steadfast commitment to client service and support.
Fluency in German is advantageous.
Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, occasionally on short notice.

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to UK-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

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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.

International Rescue Committee jobs

Senior Director, People & Culture - Europe