Program Lead, Ebola Response
Overview
The Program Lead, Ebola Response is responsible for the overall leadership in the design, implementation, and management of Ebola Response programs to address client needs and priorities.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the operationalization of the Ebola Response strategy and engage in strategic planning.
- Analyze the outbreak and ensure strategy responsiveness.
- Ensure project design reflects quality standards and best practices.
- Lead efforts for sustainable program growth and secure multi-year funding.
- Provide leadership and strategic support for funding applications.
- Guide program choices based on needs assessments, analysis, community input, context, best practices, and operational viability.
- Formulate integrated program initiatives promoting protection principles and gender-responsive approaches.
- Provide overall leadership of the Ebola Response program portfolio, ensuring coherence, growth, and compliance.
- Build the capacity of program team members.
- Develop and adapt detailed, realistic, and feasible implementation plans.
- Uphold management, compliance, and performance standards.
- Support staff in capturing, documenting, and disseminating lessons learned.
- Develop robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans.
- Review M&E and accountability data to identify and address gaps.
- Champion the "partner first" approach and build relationships with local organizations.
- Ensure high-quality, accountable, and collaborative partnership management.
- Provide strategic leadership in developing and executing a comprehensive funding strategy.
- Oversee internal and external reporting.
- Ensure routine monitoring visits to implementation sites.
- Maintain sound budget management, expense control, and timely contractual documentation.
- Support grant opening, monitoring, and closing meetings.
- Review Budget vs. Actual reports and lead monthly grant review meetings.
- Mitigate financial risk by ensuring staff understand financial and administrative processes.
- Integrate partnership considerations into program design and funding decisions.
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of IRC's programming to represent IRC credibly.
- Support donor relationship cultivation and advocacy development.
- Build and sustain strong partnerships with implementing organizations.
- Serve as the focal point for program-related communication between regional and global country programs.
- Identify and track funding opportunities.
- Guide programmatic input into advocacy and communications efforts.
- Supervise Program Coordinators and program staff, setting expectations and providing support.
- Foster an inclusive team culture.
- Apply IRC's performance management system consistently.
- Strengthen programming staff's project management skills.
- Lead recruitment, hiring, and development of high-performing staff.
- Ensure successful rollout and adherence to IRC's Global People and Culture Operating Policies and Procedures.
- Hold regular, high-quality 1:1s with direct reports.
- Model and reinforce healthy work-life balance practices.
Required Experience
Minimum eight years of leadership experience in emergency, conflict and epidemic outbreak settings, including at least five years managing NGO programs. Prior experience in an Ebola outbreak would be an advantage. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and prioritize under pressure, with a track record of rapid, sound analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translating strategic priorities into actionable operational plans. Proven experience managing protection, WASH, cash, and primary health programs, along with experience partnering with local organizations. Track record of delivering programs successfully in rapidly changing, complex security environments. Demonstrated experience with mobile program models and remote management. Demonstrated success developing winning proposals for public and private-sector donors. Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural teams, with strong mentoring, coaching, motivational, and team-building skills. Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and fair treatment of staff, and ability to identify and address barriers to inclusion for marginalized groups in emergency response. Prior experience managing programs funded by government agencies, FCDO, ECHO, foundations, and private donors required; experience in competitive funding environments a plus. Demonstrated ability to deliver projects on time, within budget, and to expected results. Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively while maintaining high-quality outcomes. Experience working in DRC is an advantage.
