Director, Strategy & Planning

International Rescue Committee•New York, NY

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a Director, Strategy & Planning to drive its ambitious new strategy, which aims to double private revenue in the next eight years. This role is crucial for enabling the IRC to reach 40 million clients by 2033. The Director will be a key thought partner to the IRC COO and leadership across External Relations (ER), responsible for clarifying the vision, developing the process and analysis methods, and owning the final outputs of the strategy process. The position requires a solutions-driven individual who can persuade, influence, build, and innovate, using structured thinking and evidence to solve complex problems. The Director will focus on the highest priority initiatives of the ER team, building relationships across departments to deliver high-quality results at a pace comparable to leading private sector organizations. This is a high-visibility role where success will be measured by the lasting benefit brought to the IRC. The Strategy & Planning team supports ER in advancing its global strategy, driving impact and strategic change by defining strategic goals, monitoring progress, and leading strategic projects. The ER department encompasses private fundraising, marketing & communications, and advocacy, with the goal of mobilizing external audiences to raise funds, deliver programs, influence policy, and grow the global brand. This role has authority over project pipelines and the direction of projects, and is responsible for the budget of the Strategy & Planning team while aligning with the entire ER budget.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Considerable relevant work experience, at least three of which in a strategy or business transformation role, with gradually increasing responsibilities, people management responsibilities and a track record of high performance.
Experience developing multi-year growth strategies, preferably for revenue-generating teams
Repeated experience in executing strategic change and organizational change management
Repeated experience in project managing large-scale, cross-functional projects and project portfolios
Good knowledge of private fundraising in humanitarian or development settings
Experience in implementing or adapting project methodologies, templates, tools and processes
Capability to manage multiple demands and to adapt to new challenges and shifting priorities
Capability to handle and make progress against multiple simultaneous demands in short time frames, and to adapt to new challenges in a dynamic context with shifting priorities
Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as, an overall ability to be clear and concise in all communications
Strong meeting facilitation skills
Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time
Strong analytic problem solving skills
Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure
Highly proficient in Microsoft Office suite
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels
Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner
Candidates must have the right to work in the UK or the US.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a strategy or business transformation role at either a top tier strategy consulting firm, or in the strategy development function of a global organization
String knowledge of private fundraising, communication and advocacy in humanitarian or development context
An MBA or a Master’s degree in international development, human rights or another field related to the IRC’s work
Experience leading teams to success
Experience in a humanitarian or development organization, or similar
Knowledge of French or Arabic

Responsibilities

Lead the development and implementation of ER multi-year strategy by conceptualizing the approach, managing required consultations and analysis, and building the business cases to underpin the growth of private revenue.
Provide support and oversight to key strategic initiatives in ER, such as facilitating decision making on entering new fundraising markets, building an operating model for collaborative fundraising, and improving processes for donor experience and financial accounting.
Collaborate closely with and provide advisory support to global senior leaders, meeting regularly with External Relations Vice Presidents to identify strategic challenges and resolve or mitigate them.
Build cross-departmental coordination and collaborate effectively to ensure representation of External Relations in IRC-wide projects and enhance the overall impact and quality of IRC-wide strategic initiatives.
Lead the annual strategy and financial planning process across ER in close collaboration with the Director of Financial Management and Planning.
Oversee planning, monitoring, and delivery of the multi-year ER business transformation and ER Theory of Change, partnering with ER VPs and senior-level staff to provide problem-solving support and facilitate decision-making.
Develop and manage quarterly strategy and risk reviews, identifying metrics to measure progress towards goals and facilitating leadership discussions on KPI results.
Act as part of the COO’s core team, supporting weekly updates and risk tracking, and ensuring engagement from the COO in critical strategic ER matters.
Develop vision for the Strategy & Planning team and manage the pipeline of projects to maximize the impact of strategy resources to grow net revenue and long-term sustainability of the IRC.
Effectively and independently scope, build, and manage complex projects, making progress with pace, and surfacing and quickly resolving risks and roadblocks.
Direct line management of 4 strategy professionals, developing their capabilities in structured analysis, critical thinking, facilitation, and collaborative problem-solving.
Support the team to drive actionable insights, recommendations, and evidence-based solutions.
Play a leadership role in the Business Operations & Analytics Leadership Team, the External Relations Department leadership team, and the IRC Senior Leaders Group, driving an inclusive and collaborative culture.
Promote a positive, collaborative, efficient team working environment where team members enjoy working together and feel able to do impactful work and grow professionally.
Take personal responsibility for the success of the team’s work, promoting successes and transparently acknowledging and acting on areas for improvement.
Adopt and demonstrate an ownership mentality.

Benefits

10 sick days
10 US holidays
20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure
medical insurance starting at $163 per month
dental starting at $6.50 per month
vision starting at $5 per month
FSA for healthcare and commuter costs
a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching
disability & life insurance
an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.
flexible hours (when possible)
enhanced maternity/adoption leave and pay
gender-sensitive security protocols.