Senior Manager, Strategy

About the role

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.

Job Overview

The Strategy & Delivery Unit is a high-profile team that partners with the IRC’s Executive Board and senior leaders to translate IRC’s mission into actionable priorities. We lead strategic planning, advise on organizational transformation, and ensure effective delivery of critical initiatives. Our work spans global operations and influences decisions at the highest levels of the organization.

As Senior Strategy Manager, you will play an important role in delivering IRC’s most critical strategic priorities. You will lead complex, cross-functional projects, support senior leaders in decision-making, and manage others in the SDU as needed to deliver high-quality, evidence-based solutions that drive organizational performance and impact. This position requires strong problem-solving skills, excellent interpersonal skills, a high level of personal initiative, and the ability to work well in a highly multicultural, dynamic environment.

The role sits within the Strategy & Delivery Unit. The formal reporting line is to the Head of Strategy & Delivery, but day-to-day reporting will depend on the assigned project.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery & Problem-Solving

• Manage and oversee large, complex projects, taking ownership for timely, high-quality delivery; scope the work, drive to solutions, and surface and quickly resolve roadblocks as they arise
• Generate actionable insights and evidence-based user-centric solutions, informed by best practices, analysis and extensive consultation with IRC staff
• Apply structure to ambiguous, complex problems and facilitate structured problem-solving sessions with Strategy Unit members and IRC stakeholders
• Validate findings and recommendations with senior stakeholders, facilitating decision making and consensus building meetings on challenging topics

Stakeholder Engagement & Team Leadership

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders across the organization and advise senior decision-makers as needed
• Lead project teams, comprised of Strategy Unit members and often IRC subject matter experts; assign responsibilities, review work for quality, and sharpen the thinking
• Promote a positive, collaborative, efficient team working environment where team members enjoy working with each other, feel able to do impactful work and grow professionally over time, including through regular developmental feedback

Job Requirements

Work / Educational Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Approximately 5–7 years of relevant experience, including at least 2 years in a strategy, consulting, or project management role, with a track record of high performance and increasing responsibility

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies

• Experience in executing strategic change and organizational change management
• Experience in managing large-scale, cross-functional projects in a fast-paced environment
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to deliver on time and make progress against multiple simultaneous demands
• Strong analytical skills and natural ability to structure and creatively solve complex problems
• Experience working effectively with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as an overall ability to be clear and concise in all communications
• Strong ability to influence and build credibility with senior stakeholders; confident communicating findings and recommendations to executive audiences
• Strong meeting facilitation and presentation skills
• Highly collaborative and able to work independently, in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure
• Experience managing project teams and coaching more junior team members
• Ability to respond enthusiastically and positively to ambiguity, be resilient to shifting priorities and setbacks, and be comfortable with imperfect analysis and solutions
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office suite

Preferred experience & skills

• Experience in a strategy role at either a strategy consulting firm, or in the strategy development function of a global organization
• An MBA or a Master’s degree in international development, human rights or another field related to the IRC’s work
• Experience in a humanitarian or development organization, or similar
• Knowledge of French, Arabic or Spanish

Working Environment

• Standard office working environment
• Some international travel
• This role may require working remotely full or part time and part time remote employees may be required to share workspace

Compensation

(Pay Rate: $106,000 - $120,000). 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.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation.

IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Benefits

IRC offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package.

Highlights include 10 paid sick leave, 10 U.S. holidays, 20-25 generous paid time off based on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163/month, dental starting at $6.50/month, and vision starting at $5/month, flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, and commuter), a 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match (immediate vesting) along with a non-elective employer contribution based on age and years of service (3-year vesting), disability and life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families.