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.
The International Rescue Committee first began assisting Somalis in the early 1980s following the Somalia-Ethiopian conflict. Forced to halt programs due to a resurgence of violence, the IRC restarted relief efforts in 2007, working with local authorities to foster development through the creation of jobs and community participation. Now as Somalia and its neighbors struggle to recover from the effects of a catastrophic drought, the IRC is responding to Somalis’ urgent needs.
Scope of Work
The Country Director leads IRC’s overall strategy, staff, programs, and operations in Somalia, ensuring high-quality, accountable, and client-focused delivery, strong resource stewardship, and a safe work environment. As IRC’s principal representative, the role engages with government, donors, UN agencies, civil society, and media to advance IRC’s mission and influence. The position oversees a diverse humanitarian, recovery, and development portfolio—implemented directly and with partners—and ensures coherent, effective, and principled delivery of IRC’s Somalia strategy.
Success requires strong leadership, communication, and partnership-building skills, with a focus on risk management in a complex environment. The Country Director provides strategic direction, supervises and coaches senior managers, and ensures the design and delivery of responsive, high-quality programs. The role is accountable for effective grant and financial management, compliance, and timely reporting.
The role is based in Mogadishu or Nairobi, and reports to Regional Vice President East Africa Region and working closely with regional and HQ teams across program quality, business development, security, finance, operations, and external affairs. The role also contributes to IRC’s public advocacy positions.
Specific Responsibilities
1. Leadership and Representation
• Lead the country program by maintaining open and professional relations with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit and providing guidance, oversight and resources to enable staff to perform successfully.
• Develop and carry out strategies that result in strong representation with: Somalia Government authorities at various levels; donors including OFDA, DFID, ECHO, CHF, Europe Aid, UNICEF, Irish Aid, Start Fund and other international organizations; international and local NGOs; and networks such as the INGO Forum.
• Ensure that the IRC remains a partner of choice for major international donors.
• Develop and maintain a high level of understanding of donor priorities and planned funding.
• Initiate and sustain strong, mutually beneficial and authentic partnerships with Somalia organizations.
• Seek out and pursue opportunities to raise the profile of the work of the IRC and its partners in Somalia, as well as the lives and the needs of the people the IRC seeks to serve.
• Play a leadership role in efforts to improve humanitarian response coordination in Somalia.
• Lead country program collaboration with colleagues in the IRC’s HEAZ to deliver regional programming and advocacy.
2. Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth
• Set the strategic vision and direction of the country program to serve more people with the most responsive and highest quality programming possible and secure the resources necessary to do so.
• Align programming to the country program strategy action plan, sectoral expertise and technical standards.
• Ensure program quality through consistent use throughout the country program of: rigorous assessment, design, and proposal development and review processes; comprehensive monitoring and evaluation, accountability and learning systems; staff development investments; and partner organization capacity strengthening.
• Remain current on national and regional issues impacting the country program and partners and develop responsive strategies to ensure the IRC mission can be carried out appropriately in rapidly changing contexts.
• Ensure country program alignment with and involvement in meeting regional objectives.
• Identify opportunities for appropriate expansion and growth of programs, supported by the acquisition and investment of human resources.
• Ensure timely submission of competitive, responsive and high-quality proposals, and support colleagues in negotiations with donors.
3. Safety and Security Management
• Take primary responsibility for overall management of safety and security for the country program.
• Oversee the management of all security issues, including appropriate response to emergency situations as they arise.
• Create and maintain a culture of safety and security throughout the country program, including training and briefings that prepare all country program staff for security incident prevention and response.
• Keep security, evacuation and contingency plans current and accessible to country program staff.
• Maintain close coordination and communication with the Regional Safety and Security Advisor on safety and security concerns and evolving issues that could adversely affect IRC staff or operations.
4. Staff Performance Management and Development
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development for IRC staff.
• Oversee the management, coaching and development of national and international staff to build a cadre of skilled, committed and motivated personnel.
• Continue to pursue nationalization of senior management positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Offer leadership support for successful adherence by all staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
• Work with regional HR staff to identify and implement recruitment and retention strategies.
• Undertake regular reviews of labor and salary markets in Somalia for the purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of the IRC’s overall compensation package for national staff.
5. Stewardship and Operational Management
• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations of the country program.
• Oversee the development, deployment and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with IRC and donor requirements.
• Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all offices, especially in the areas of HR, finance and supply chain.
• Provide timely and effective oversight of the Somalia country program’s financial position.
• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for grant funds and discretionary funds.
• Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.
6. Communications
• Model and encourage active practice of the principles of the “IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct” throughout the Somalia country program.
• Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that encourages open, honest and productive communication among IRC staff and with partner organizations.
• Maintain open communications with regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff.
Key Working Relationships
Internal:
• Senior Management Team (Programs, Finance, P&C, Humanitarian Access & Security)
• East Africa Regional Team
• HQ departments: Technical Excellence, Safeguarding, Ethics & Compliance, External Relations, Finance, Policy & Advocacy, Legal, Global Supply Chain, and HR Centers of Excellence.
External:
• Host government ministries, commissions, and regulatory bodies.
• Donors: USG, FCDO, ECHO, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, World Bank, private foundations, and corporate donors.
• International and national NGO partners, civil society organizations, and community leaders.
• UN coordination bodies (HCT, clusters, working groups).
• Media representatives (as agreed with RVP and Regional Communications).
Safeguarding & PSEA Accountability
• Champion a culture of zero tolerance for Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH).
• Ensure strong, functional safeguarding reporting pathways for staff and clients.
• Oversee training, compliance monitoring, referral mechanisms, and survivor-centered responses.
• Ensure safeguarding risk assessments across all program areas, including high-risk contexts.
• Provide leadership oversight for Ethics & Compliance (ECU) reporting and follow-up actions.
• Ensure local partners meet safeguarding minimum standards and have mitigation plans.
Job Requirements:
You should have strong leadership abilities and interpersonal skills, and be able to deploy strong communications effectively, both internally and externally. You should enjoy developing networks to build partnerships and diversify program resources.
• Graduate degree in a relevant field.
• At least 10 years of progressive international work experience, including leadership at the Country Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex operating environment, supervising large teams.
• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict or disaster response situation.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.
Demonstrated Technical Skills:
• Experience managing security in a complex and rapidly changing security context.
• Confirmed ability to negotiate and work with partner organizations. Experience with organizational capacity strengthening and partnership building is helpful.
• Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities.
• Extensive representation and fundraising success, including prior experience with European, US, private and other international donors.
• Established capacity to handle stressful situations in a healthy, constructive manner.
• Ability to respond to multiple priorities in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Working knowledge of file sharing protocols such as Dropbox, SharePoint, etc., an advantage.
Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:
• Experience building personal networks at a senior level, resulting in securing new opportunities for the organization.
• Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with multi-disciplinary teams in cross-cultural settings, including active mentoring and coaching.
• Effective in developing high-potential staff to achieve career growth and maximum contribution.
• Confirmed experience delivering suitable levels of oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects.
• Opportunity-awareness. A successful innovative approach to unpredictable programming, operational, and funding contexts.
• Ability to dispassionately represent program context, constraints, and successes to media, government, and other senior audiences.
Core Competencies
• Visionary Leadership: Inspires and aligns teams toward a shared mission.
• Strategic Agility: Anticipates change and adapts effectively.
• Results Focus: Delivers measurable, lasting impact.
• Partnership & Influence: Builds trust and leverages networks for shared success.
• Integrity & Accountability: Upholds the highest ethical and professional standards.
Languages Required/Preferred:
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.
Computer/Other Tech Requirements:
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Working knowledge of file sharing protocols such as Dropbox, SharePoint, etc., an advantage.
• Working knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is an advantage
Ability to Travel:
Approximately 50% travel required within and outside the region for workshops, meetings, representation, and conferences & Somalia Field offices
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.
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