Senior Manager, Strategy

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.

Cookies: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/cookiesettings

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. 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.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

#li-1

Why Choose the IRC?

Work that has meaning: Every day at the IRC is a chance to make a difference through a purpose-driven career. Whether you're working directly with communities or providing support behind the scenes, you will be part of a dynamic team that is always innovating, scaling, and testing new and better solutions to ensure the best possible outcomes for the people we serve.

Global scale, dynamic workplace: At the IRC, we believe that the dynamic, global make-up of our team is our strength. When you join us, you're not just starting a job—you will be part of a global organization positively impacting millions of lives in over 40 get to work with colleagues from all around the world—working across time zones and regularly exchanging different ideas, perspectives and insights. You’ll join a team that is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.  

Challenging work, innovative solutions: We’re committed to excellence and innovation, and pride ourselves in setting industry-leading standards while practicing evidence and data-lead strategies. Come challenge norms, shatter conventions, and pioneer change while working on real, nuanced and complex issues we face in the world today.  

Community centered: We’re an empathetic community that truly cares for one another. Our comprehensive safety and security initiatives ensure a safe work environment, while our continuous learning and development programs provide ongoing opportunities for personal and career advancement.

Read More

Our Typical Recruitment Process

The interview process typically includes three rounds, though the number may vary depending on the role and level of seniority. It usually begins with a conversation with our recruiting team to learn more about you and your goals. This is followed by an interview with a hiring manager or business stakeholder to explore your background and provide more insight into the role. The final round focuses on assessing your role-specific expertise and may be conducted as a panel interview to evaluate your cross-functional strengths. Before extending an offer, we generally conduct reference checks, and after an offer is made, a standard background check is completed. While we strive for consistency, the process may differ based on the role, business unit, location, job type, legal requirements, and other factors.

Read More