International Rescue Committee

Program Brief

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading agencies working in post-conflict and development contexts, supporting communities in over 40 fragile, failed and developing states. In this capacity, we work to restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted, struggling to endure and wishing to advance on a path of development.

The IRC has been present in Bangladesh since 2017 and obtained registration with the NGOAB in March 2018. Since the IRC obtained registration in March 2018, it has moved quickly to expand its integrated emergency health and protection response through both direct and partner-based programming focused on primary healthcare, women’s protection and empowerment, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence and child protection. Recently IRC has also introduced two new programs: Protection Rule of Law (PROL) and Education. IRC will continue working in both the camps and host community, while meeting the significant needs in both refugee and host populations, as already existing vulnerabilities are compounded with cyclical monsoon and cyclone seasons that impose additional threats to the lives and protection of those refugees as well as vulnerable host populations. IRC will grow over time its geographic coverage within Cox’S Bazar and to other parts of the country, thus expand its’ networks and partnerships around emergency preparedness and response work, reach beyond the Rohingya refugees, also targeting the vulnerable host groups in Cox’s Bazar and other parts of Bangladesh. IRC Bangladesh currently have close to 400 staff (95% Bangladeshi) and recruitment of some 125 staff is underway.

Purpose of the Role

The Country HR Lead role exists to work with department directors/ managers and their teams in an “end-to-end” manner, to ensure that all people policies, programs, and systems are aligned with IRC SAP 100 strategies (including the People & Culture Strategy), effectively implemented, and are delivered to “best practice” standard. This individual will work closely with Country Director, Country Senior Management Team and Regional HR team to drive the delivery of key HR strategies, services, and infrastructure nationally for efficient and effective services at multiple levels. They will drive the implementation and adaptation of HR global initiatives and practices. The HR Lead serves as strategic partner, advisor, and coach to ensure a safe and welcoming culture for all people, organizational performance, and efficiency and effectiveness of work processes.

Highlights of Key Responsibilities

HR Strategic Leadership and Management

• Advises CD and SMT on succession planning.
• Thought partner to SMT on strategic HR and culture/values.
• Manages/oversees all HR direct reports.
• Overall accountable for quality of services and success of HR progress against goals
• Responsible for other mandates beyond HR Fundamentals (e.g., leads talent dialogues, suggests development opportunities, coaches on high quality conversations in performance reviews
• In partnership with specialized regional support functions in each area and country-based functional counterparts, facilitate and support the implementation and execution of Gender Equality, Duty of Care & Safeguarding efforts to champion gender equality, diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding being an advocate at SMT level and across IRC Bangladesh.
• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion in IRC Bangladesh.
• Foster ongoing learning, honest discussion and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.
• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on career paths and professional development for HR team and IRC staff; establish a culture of continuous learning opportunities.
• Advise supervisors in determining appropriate disciplinary plans of action in a judicious manner. Follow-up disciplinary measures and related employment law matters.
• Act as impartial mediator in disciplinary procedures and ensure it is administered in an equitable and fair manner and that it meets all legal and labor regulations and requirements.
• Manage any lay-offs or reductions in workforce in partnership with senior management and carry out due diligence in compliance with legal frameworks and IRC country and global polices, risk reduction techniques, communications, and staff care.
• 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 a strong HR foundation to support program quality.
• Support the management, coaching and development of national staff to build a team of skilled, committed, and motivated staff.
• Lead in organizing periodic IRC WAY and other needed orientation and awareness sessions and trainings for all staff.

HR Operations/ Foundational

• Responsible for creating and tracking HR goals at country level.
• Accountable for effective and efficient payroll management for all national staff.
• Participate in budget preparation and provide strategic compensation analysis to attract high-quality talent. Define and review the salary structure; coordinate the annual compensation review process and compensation adjustments.
• Supervise from start to finish, the recruitment of all national and local staff under the IRC recruitment procedures as well as the internal mobility strategies for internally hired staff.
• Lead exit management procedure to ensure seamless and positive transition for departing employees and analyze turnover and exit interviews to make real-time, continuous improvement utilizing learnings to formulate retention strategies.
• Oversee HR-related administrative duties and ensure compliance with existing legal and governmental reporting requirements. Ensuring all legal obligations are fulfilled.
• Ensure high quality and efficient context-specific strategies and develop best practices
• around recruitment, comp & ben, employee relations, on-boarding, off-boarding, contracts management, learning and development, performance management, leave management, code of conduct compliance, legal compliance, HR Information Systems, coordination of policy development and implementation, etc.
• Together with CD and SMT, develop, update and implement contextualized professional work ethics and code of conduct in line with local norms and culture.

Deliverables

• Successful and consistent achievement of HR related Ops score card
• Staff structure that is agile enough and meet the organization needs in best possible manner ensuring quality, quantity, diversity and affordability 
• Adherence of timely and quality performance management cycle / system 
• IRC is considered as an employer that is competitive not just based on financial remuneration but also based on staff wellbeing, friendly / enabling work culture for both female and male and diversity 
• Minimum number of breaches of IRC way and safeguarding policy
• Visible improvement based on the feedback received in employee engagement survey

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: Dual reporting line to Country Director and Regional HR Director
• Direct Reports: 10+ HR professionals

Key Internal Relationships:

• Country CD, SMT, CMT and country staff
• Relevant Global and Regional HR team

Key External Relationships: INGO counterparts; legal counsel; HR associations and networks