Senior People & Culture Manager

Position description

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

In 2007, the IRC began providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable and crisis-affected people in Jordan in response to an influx of Iraqi refugees and the strain on host communities. Following the eruption of the Syrian war in 2011, hundreds of thousands of refugees crossed into Jordan. The ongoing insecurity in Syria and the growing needs of refugees have strained Jordan’s resources and infrastructure and exacerbated pre-existing issues like water scarcity and high unemployment.

As resources become more limited, refugees and host communities have fewer economic opportunities and become more vulnerable. The IRC’s strategy for Jordan shows our commitment to improving the safety, health, education, and economic well-being of people affected by conflict, in camp-based refugees and urban-based refugees as well as vulnerable Jordanian host community, in coordination with the humanitarian community and the Government of Jordan. Simultaneously, IRC in Jordan is pivoting to a more long-term resilience/development programming responding to the context in Jordan and the worsening vulnerabilities faced by refugees and vulnerable Jordanians.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Senior People & Culture Manager leads the day-to-day operations and implementation of the People & Culture function for the Jordan Country Program, ensuring the talent, systems, and resources are in place to achieve country objectives and effectively serve clients, in line with the P&C strategic direction. The role oversees core People & Culture operations, including recruitment, employee relations, compensation and benefits administration, onboarding and offboarding, compliance, and volunteer management, ensuring these services are delivered efficiently and to a high standard. The Senior People & Culture Manager also drives organizational performance by strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of people-related operations across the country program. The Senior People & Culture Manager is also a member of the Jordan Senior Management Team (SMT).

The position holder operates within the scope of IRC management in partnership model and reports directly to both, Jordan Country Director, and the Regional P&C Director.

Strategic P&C Management

• Lead the implementation of People & Culture policies, processes, and initiatives that support the attraction, development, and retention of a skilled and engaged workforce in alignment with organizational policies and standards.
• Provide People and Culture guidance to the Country Director and SMT on employee relations, workforce planning, organizational policies, and other people-related matters., ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission and leadership continuity.
• Promote Gender Equality, Duty of Care, and Safeguarding priorities within the Senior Management Team (SMT) and role model safe, inclusive, and caring leadership standards. Collaborate closely with regional and country counterparts to prioritize and support these efforts effectively, enhancing staff engagement, promoting their wellbeing, and raising awareness across the Country Program.
• Foster a healthy organizational culture that is free of unequal power dynamics, discrimination, bias, harassment, bullying, and abuse of power. This includes partnering with CRRD GEDI team to facilitate in-depth discussions on GEDI topics, ensuring these conversations extend beyond compliance to genuinely enhance practices, particularly in recruitment and selection processes, and inclusive team leadership.
• Promote inclusive practices as part of the GEDI initiative, organizing cultural exchanges and culture-building activities to enrich team cohesion. Ensure the incorporation of GEDI best practices into the employee lifecycle and day-to-day operations.
• Actively participate in proposal design and grants opening and review meetings specifically advising on organizational structure, position scoping, demographic/staffing analysis and other inputs critical to ensure strong P&C foundation to support program quality.
• Analyze monthly HR data, including turnover rates, time to fill, and workforce composition, to identify priorities and assess the effectiveness of HR programs.

P&C Operations/ Foundational

• Lead the creation and implementation of P&C objectives at the Country Office, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Coordinate and monitor the implementation of the organization's performance management process, ensuring timely completion of performance objectives, reviews, and development plans.
• Prepare and analyze People and Culture data and reports including monthly HR metrics, turnover, recruitment, and workforce data, to support operational decision-making and compliance with reporting requirements.
• Oversee the payroll process ensuring accurate and timely salary payments and resolve payroll-related issues in coordination with Finance.
• Ensure effective implementation of high-quality, context-specific P&C policies and practices across employee lifecycle including recruitment, onboarding and offboarding, compensation and benefits, employee relations, performance management, learning and development, contract administration, leave management, wellbeing, HR Information Systems, and compliance with organizational and legal requirements.
• In alignment with our PEERS framework, we promote mutual learning and capacity sharing on P&C standards with our local partners and ensure their ways of working are healthy and in compliance with IRC’s standards.
• Escalate employee relations and code of conduct concerns promptly and lead or co-lead investigations in collaboration with the Global Employee Relations unit and when needed Ethics and Compliance unit (ECU). Ensure that issues are thoroughly resolved, and appropriate follow-up actions are implemented to maintain integrity and compliance within the organization.
• Lead by example in supervising and mentoring direct-report staff, setting performance objectives, providing feedback, and conducting performance reviews.
• Offer guidance on career paths and professional development for the P&C team members and support broader staff learning initiatives.

P&C GEDI

• Work with the CRRD GEDI team and regional P&C to implement GEDI strategies and initiatives within the Country Program to advance the GEDI priorities. Coordinate the implementation of GEDI action plans within the Country Program, ensuring effective execution and measurable outcomes.
• Serve as the Country Program focal point for Resource Groups (RGs), supporting their activities and promoting employee engagement and participation.
• Coordinate the implementation of GEDI action plans within the Country Program, ensuring effective execution and measurable outcomes.
• Foster a healthy organizational culture free of unequal power dynamics, discrimination, bias, harassment, bullying, and abuse of power, partnering with the CRRD GEDI team on GEDI topics that strengthen practices in recruitment, selection, and inclusive team leadership.
• Coordinate employee engagement, awareness, and culture-building activities that promote inclusion, belonging, and cross-cultural understanding, while supporting the integration of GEDI principles into day-to-day People & Culture practices.

P&C Safeguarding

• Promote best practice through the integration of safeguarding considerations in hiring, recruitment and onboarding practices (e.g., ensure delivery on Safeguarding Minimum Standard 1).
• Ensure that all IRC employees receive orientation to IRC's Safeguarding Policy and behavioral expectations, collaborating with the Safeguarding Manager function where it exists and/or Regional Safeguarding Advisor.
• Partner with IRC global investigations teams and the Country Director to ensure that recommendations from safeguarding investigations, particularly those involving disciplinary actions, are implemented in a timely manner.

P&C Duty of Care

• With the support of the global Duty of Care team, the locally identified DoC Focal Point, and RPCD, provide guidance and support for all staff-related duty of care support and initiatives, ensuring adherence to organizational standards for health, safety, and wellbeing
• Responsible for country staff’s well-being following critical incidents, ensuring that best practices are followed in aftercare responses to critical incidents. Prioritize the recovery and ongoing support of affected staff, with advisory support and guidance provided by the DoC team. Support DOC, GREWS, GEDI, and SG teams to promote safe, healthy, and inclusive workplaces through global and local initiatives.

Communications

• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – IRC Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the country program.
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest, and productive communication among IRC staff by delivering an employee engagement and communication strategy.
• Provide support and advice to the Country Director and Senior Management Team on staff communications to ensure clarity, consistency and transparency in communications.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Country Director and Regional P&C Director (Management in Partnership)
Position directly supervises: People & Culture team (currently 1)

Key Internal Stakeholders:

• Country: Senior Programs Coordinator; Supply Chain Lead; Finance Lead; Head of Departments, and all staff within Jordan.
• Regional: Regional P&C Business Partner, Regional Talent Acquisition Coordinator, Regional Safeguarding Advisor, Global GEDI & DoC Advisors
• HQ: HR units, Employee Relations, Ethics & Compliance Unit, GEDI, Safeguarding and Duty of Care
• Key External Stakeholders: The Jordan INGO forum’s HR Working Group; INGO and UN HR staff; Legal counsel; Social Security, Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Labor.

Qualifications

• University certificate in HR management, International Relations or Development, Business Administration, Law or related field.
• 6+ years of progressive P&C experience, including recruitment, performance management, employee relations, compensation, and HR administration. Minimum 2 years staff management experience in a fast-paced environment.
• INGO experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in supporting key senior management and building strong, trusted relationships.
• Proven track-record of excellent management and leadership skills including capacity-building, coaching, mentoring, performance management and delivering individual and group training.
• High degree of comfort and successful track record supervising in matrixed environments.
• High levels of integrity and empathy, with the ability to understand, engage, and inspire others.
• Skilled in collaborating with operational and technical focal points to ensure organizational best practices are represented in work.
• Broad knowledge and experience across the broad spectrum of People & Culture competencies including Diversity and Inclusion
• Strong collaborator with effective interpersonal and analytical skills who can work seamlessly across countries, cultures, and organizational units required.
• Demonstrated ability to work, manage, and meet competing deadlines in a fast-paced, high-volume environment and on deadlines; aptitude for problem solving and decision making needed.
• Excellent inter-personal, written, and verbal communication skills required.
• Must possess a highly collaborative, inclusive, consultative, and resourceful workstyle that balances required compliance/policy enforcement with a steadfast commitment to client service and support.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills including detailed work planning and superior time management skills.
• Proficient in people analytics and data management and interpretation, with an aptitude for translating datasets into actionable people insights.

Language/Travel:

• English and Arabic language is required.
• Travel: Occasional International travel for regional conferences, workshops, and trainings.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs.

Application instructions

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