The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from crises and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure.
The IRC's strategy centers on its dedication to continue to increase the scale and improve the effectiveness of its programs worldwide with evidence of what works best to impact peopleโs lives in conflict and fragile settings. The organizationโs External Relations (ER) department is responsible for the global delivery of the IRCโs private sector resources - financially contributing more than US$200M per annum, as well as key partnerships and influence that support our mission - and plays a critical strategic role in the design of IRCโs brand, awareness and support for its advocacy goals. ER teams based in New York headquarters and globally deliver marketing, communications, advocacy, and private-sector funding to support this work. The private-sector income of IRC comprises of three principal departments: Mass Markets, USA Philanthropy and the International Philanthropy and Partnerships (IPP). The latter two, which comprise the High-Value fundraising teams for IRC, make up for more than 80% of the annual private-sector revenue for the Organization.
The IRCโs Airbel Impact Lab designs, IRCโs Research and Innovation (R&I) Unit, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRCโs deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-cantered design, rigorous research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization.
Job Overview:
The Director, Research and Innovation Partnerships will be accountable to deliver on IRCโs Research and Innovation-related growth goals with corporations, foundations and individual philanthropists. Embedded within the ER department with joint-reporting into Airbel, you will work closely with other ER leaders and IRC senior staff and leadership to effectively positioning IRC as a key global partner of choice globally in relation to all things Research and Innovation.
This is a highly facilitative role in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, and will require outstanding interpersonal, communications and project management skills. Working closely with the Airbel Impact Lab and the High Value Global Partnerships and Philanthropic Services team, you will:
โข Develop a robust new business plan of fundraising engagement to improve and expand our financial engagement with partners in support of the annual growth goal for research and innovation
โข Guide high-quality content development and financial propositions to instill support to IRCโs R&I work.
โข Drive the overall strategy of our engagement with this set of partners and contribute to advancing initiatives that fulfill this goal.
Major Responsibilities
Deliver on fundraising for research and innovation
โข Identify and deliver on an ambitious annual growth goal in support of R&Iโs work that will contribute towards the holistic target of IPP and USA Philanthropy respectively.
โข Develop and execute fundraising strategies spanning institutional philanthropy, private gifts, social finance and public funders to support these goals.
โข Develop ground-breaking investment opportunities for donors; support the development of exceptionally promising innovation projects across the IRC.
โข Develop strategic engagement and solicitation strategies to increase donor retention and upgrade donors' giving.
โข Secure funding to sustain the Airbel Impact Lab and grow its ~$10M portfolio of innovation projects.
โข Ensure, in collaboration with GPPS and in line with global best practice across our entire engagement with HV donors, that R&I donors receive appropriate, consistent engagement/acknowledgment and an accounting of the impact that their gift has on community needs annually.
โข Support fundraising for innovation projects across the IRC
โข In collaboration with GPPS, contribute to the generation of content and material that will drive success in fundraising.
โข Allocate business development and design resources to make funding proposals more competitive.
โข Align fundraising activities with IRCโs innovation goals and support the overall revenue and impact goals of the organization.
โข Develop partnership and communications that build IRCโs reputation for innovation
โข Support and maintain the organizationโs brand, and specifically through the effective positioning of Airbel with key influencing audiences and partners through effective engagement strategy, web presence and communications strategy; work with relevant ER colleagues to elevate relevant messaging and ethos into IRC mainline communications.
โข Build bridges to the private sector that welcome new ideas, new resources and new alliances into the work of solving grand humanitarian challenges.
Key Working Relationships:
Position reports to: Senior Director, Global Business Development (IPP) and the Chief Research and Innovation Officer
Position directly supervises: Partnerships Lead
Indirect Reporting: N/A
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal:
โ Vice President of International Partnerships and Philanthropy (IPP) and GPPS
โ Vice President of USA Philanthropy
โ IRC External Relations leadership
โ Technical Unit Directors and Team Members
โ Country and Regional Directors
โ Airbel core team and project managers
External:
โ Senior contacts at IRC institutional donors and private sector foundations
โ Select Major Donors
Qualifications
Minimum Requirements
โข Bachelorโs degree with 8-10 years of experience in a variety of fundraising roles
โข Experience in institutional or private fundraising, major donor relations, and proposal development
โข Proven track record of fundraising with foundations and/or major donors
โข Outstanding interpersonal, presentation, and writing skills
โข Ability to communicate with colleagues on all levels in a distributed, multicultural professional environment
โข Experience in the private sector and/or entrepreneurial environments a plus
Preferred Requirements
โข Fluency in French and/or Arabic
โข Experience in humanitarian setting or development contexts
โข Experience/familiarity with NGO professional setting
Working Environment: Standard office work environment. Up to 10% travel required.
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. 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, and Anti-Retaliation.
IRC et les employรฉs de IRC doivent adhรฉrer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont lโIntรฉgritรฉ, le Service, et la Responsabilitรฉ. En conformitรฉ avec ces valeurs, IRC opรจre et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bรฉnรฉficiaires contre lโexploitation et les abus, la protection de lโenfant, le harcรจlement sur les lieux de travail, lโintรฉgritรฉ financiรจre, et les reprรฉsailles.