Program Lead, Ebola Response

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is supporting containment of the outbreak in Ituri and North Kivu. The IRC's primary focus is to support existing primary health care (PHC) facilities to ensure safe continuity of services, strengthen infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and infrastructure, raise community awareness of behaviors that limit further spread, and reinforce the protective environment, including through MHPSS support.

The position of Program Lead, Ebola Response (PL) is a member of the Ebola Response Senior Management Team and is integral to the successful implementation of IRC's programs in the affected provinces. Working under the direction of the Ebola Response Director, the PL will be responsible for overall leadership in the design, implementation, and management of the Ebola Response’s programs to address clients’ needs and priorities.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Strategy, Design and Fundraising

• Lead the operationalization of IRC's current Ebola Response strategy and actively engage in strategic planning processes to shape the response's longer-term direction.
• Perform regular analysis of the outbreak and ensure IRC's strategy and operational presence is responsive to those needs and highly mobile program models.
• Work closely with Coordinators and HQ-based Emergency Unit and Technical Unit staff to ensure that project design reflects IRC's program quality standards and adheres to industry best practices.
• Lead efforts to achieve sustainable program growth, proactively identifying opportunities for new programming initiatives and placing particular emphasis on securing multi-year funding to sustain them.
• Provide leadership and strategic support to program and grants teams as they develop competitive, evidence-based, and cost-effective funding applications.

Program Management , Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Provide overall leadership of IRC's Ebola Response program portfolio, ensuring strategic coherence, well-managed growth, and full compliance with IRC and donor regulations.
• Build the capacity of program team members, both individually and as a team.
• Work with Program Coordinators and the Operations team to develop and adapt detailed, realistic, and feasible implementation plans.
• Collaborate with the Senior Management Team to uphold management, compliance, and performance standards, and to maintain effective systems for budget, knowledge, and risk management.

Grants Management

• Provide strategic leadership in developing and executing a comprehensive funding strategy: expanding and strengthening the donor base, driving excellence in grants management and compliance, strengthening program and grants information systems, and contributing to high-quality proposals and reporting.
• Oversee internal and external reporting in coordination with the Ebola Response Director across programs and finance, ensuring reports are well-written, timely, and meet donor, IRC, and partner requirements.

External Representation and Advocacy

• Maintain a strong working knowledge of IRC's programming in the epicenter zones to represent IRC credibly in coordination forums and with implementing partners, authorities, and donors.
• Support the Ebola Response Director in cultivating donor relationships, including donor visits and the development of targeted advocacy.

Staff Management and Development

• Supervise Program Coordinators and program staff, setting clear expectations and objectives, providing proactive wellbeing support, and delivering timely, constructive feedback.
• Foster an inclusive team culture centered on achieving individual and team results, grounded in mutual respect, inclusion, trust, active listening, ownership, learning, accountability, and openness.

Requirements

• Minimum eight years of leadership experience in emergency, conflict and epidemic outbreak settings, including at least five years managing NGO programs.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and prioritize under pressure, with a track record of rapid, sound analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translating strategic priorities into actionable operational plans.
• Proven experience managing protection, WASH, cash, and primary health programs, along with experience partnering with local organizations.