Senior Director, People & Culture - Europe

at  International Rescue Committee

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.

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.

• 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.