Program Associate at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Job Description

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The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid, relief and development nongovernmental organization.

Scope of work: 

The Program Associate position is a unique opportunity to take part in a two-year professional development program with the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit. The program consists of; 1) on-the-job experience providing support to EHAU staff, combined with, 2) required and personalized training & mentorship components, 3) special project work, and 4)frontline deployments (remote or field-based) in a variety of contexts. The Program Associate will gain in-depth knowledge of the IRC and how emergency responses work. By gradually taking on more responsibilities and participating in all elements of the program, the Program Associate will gain exposure and skills related to international humanitarian and development work within the context of the IRC. The Program Associate will also have the opportunity to gain technical insight and experience in areas of particular interest to them whenever possible.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Administrative/Travel

Support travel and lodging arrangements for EHAU staff. Visa application support including preparing visa letters, embassy runs etc. for EHAU staff Provide support to all EHAU staff attending HEAT training including liaising with the Training Center to sign up staff and handle logistics/travel to and from the training.

Procurement and Payments

Provide support to field teams with INTEGRA, the IRCs ERP platform. Carry out procurement of supplies and services on the INTEGRA platform and any other portals approved by our Global procurement team. Process vendor invoices, travel reimbursements, contract payments, wire transfers, and donations to partner organizations for emergency unit operations using INTEGRA Manage several corporate credit cards, record transactions, and properly file the receipts Procure, track, and distribute assets to EHAU staff (laptops, mobile phones, satellite phones, etc.) Manage monthly subscription services (phone plans, travel services, etc) and maintain an updated database at all times (add/delete staff as needed in a timely manner) Collect and input into INTEGRA all bank and payment information for all new staff, vendors, consultants and subgrantees.

Events Management

Assist in planning EHAU annual conference Provide scheduling and note-taking support to Senior Management Team meetings when requested Assist in organizing speakers, logistics, technical support, and agenda for all Weekly calls Occasionally manage calendars and high-level meetings for other Senior Management Team

HR & Orientation

Process HR, IT, and Finance paperwork related to on-boarding of new EHAU staff Schedule orientation sessions for new Emergency Unit and External Emergency Roster staff and related logistics Perform administrative tasks related to staff recruitment Track and report on annual leave and sick leave balances for all Emergency Unit staff

General Tasks

Field general queries from deployed teams, aiming for rapid problem resolution and escalating issues as appropriate Act as liaison between deployed field staff and HQ financial, administrative and operations departments

As part of the career development program, the PA must be willing to undertake the following:

Complete trainings (consisting of both mandatory and elective courses) either online or in person Mentorship and coaching by a designated Mentor Short term deployments to support emergency response activities overseas or remotely, either to launch new responses or support existing ones. Complete work on special project(s) of interest with a team in the EHAU Participate in regular performance evaluations, and receive/provide feedback on status/progress towards personal career advancement. Presentations to select audiences of projects and reflections on their progress within the program

Key Working Relationships 

Position Reports to: People and Operations Coordinator, EHAU Works closely with: VP; Senior Director, People & Operations; Deployment Managers; Senior Director, Fundraising & Finance; Finance Officer, Unit & Events Officer. Actively Supports: 80+ Emergency Unit staff (largely remotely)

Requirements

Strong interest in humanitarian aid and a desire to gain hands-on experience and exposure to the field Attention to detail and ability to handle multiple, competing deadlines and priorities in a dynamic environment Familiarity with basic budgeting and accounting helpful Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment, within and across departments/functions and develop positive relationships with local and remote staff Ability to work in high stress environment with multiple and competing demands Ability to work independently as needed. Ability to exercise good judgment and maintain confidential information Customer service orientation with desire to find creative and timely solutions for field teams Strong comfort level in standard PC office software such as Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint preferred Excellent oral and written communications skills (English) required Multi-lingual skills advantageous – with priority placed or French, Spanish, and Arabic