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 (IRC) has worked in Afghanistan since 1988 and now works with thousands of villages across thirteen provinces. As Afghanistan deals with decades of conflict, natural disasters, and economic crises, the IRC helps affected communities to survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. IRC supports Afghans in remote and hard-to-reach areas with vital support, such as community-based education, essential health services, emergency response, protection interventions, environmental health, economic recovery, and extensive resilience programming. IRC has also increased it’s partners and localization strategy with a forecast of 40% of its funds and programs will be implemented through partners national and internationals

Job Overview

The People & Culture Lead role leads a highly effective People & Culture team to cultivate the desired culture within the Country program and ensure the talents and resources needed are in place to deliver on Country goals and effectively serve our clients. This role works with department Leads and their teams in an “end-to-end” manner to ensure that all people policies, programs, and systems are: 1) aligned with IRC S100 and country SAP and SAP -IP (including the People & Culture Strategy) and IRCs GEDI, Safeguarding, and Duty of Care Commitments, 2) effectively implemented, and 3) delivered to “best practice” standard. This individual is a key member of the Country Senior Management team (SMT) and serves as a strategic leader, advisor, and coach with a particular focus on ensuring a safe, inclusive, and welcoming culture for all people that prioritizes Duty of Care and the overall wellbeing of all. The P&C Lead will also focus on organizational performance, and efficiency and effectiveness of people-related operations in the country. The P&C Lead will work closely with the Country Director (CD) & Regional People & Culture Director (RPCD) to drive the delivery of key P&C strategies, services, and infrastructure nationally for efficient and effective services at multiple levels. Finally, this position will drive the implementation and adaptation of P&C global initiatives and practices within the local context and in line with GEDI, Safeguarding, and Duty of Care values and principles.

Major Responsibilities:

P&C Strategic Leadership and Management

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Country Director and Senior Management Team (SMT) in the Country Program on Succession Planning, providing key insights to facilitate future leadership transitions.

• Act as a thought partner to the SMT, offering strategic guidance on People & Culture (P&C), and organizational culture/values to align with the mission and goals.

• Supervise and be a supportive leader to all P&C staff within the Country Program, ensuring the leadership and management of direct reports are handled with excellence. Accountable for the overall quality and successful delivery of P&C services, actively monitoring progress against established goals.

• Take the lead on conducting talent dialogues, recommending development opportunities, and coaching on conducting high-quality conversations during performance reviews.

• Serve as an advocate for 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.

• Promote initiatives that enhance the employee experience, team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion within the Country Program, fostering an environment conducive to continuous learning and honest dialogue.

• Provide constructive feedback and guidance on career paths and professional development for the P&C team and IRC staff; establish a culture of continuous learning opportunities.

• Advise supervisors on appropriate disciplinary actions, serve as an impartial mediator in disciplinary proceedings, and oversee follow-up measures to ensure fairness, compliance with employment laws, and adherence to labor regulations.

• Co-lead and facilitate the workforce planning for the country program, including, managing workforce adjustments, such as staff reductions, or scale up, including organizational design work, in partnership with senior management team and the regional P&C Director, ensuring these actions comply with legal requirements and IRC’s country and Global policies while minimizing risks and supporting affected staff, including, engaging actively in proposal design and grant review meetings to provide expert advice on organizational structure, position scoping, demographic and staffing analysis to build a robust P&C foundation that supports high program quality.

• Support the management, coaching and development of national P&C staff to build a team of skilled, committed, and motivated staff, ready to advance in their career.

• Implement an employee engagement and communication strategy tailored to suit remote management contexts, ensuring it supports effective interaction and staff integration across all levels of the organization.

P&C Operations/ Foundational

• Oversee the creation and tracking of P&C objectives at the Country Office, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Actively

• Drive informed decision making by using data to support people and culture functions, ensuring all data reporting, monthly HR metrics, SG data; Leadership Diversity Goals, are accurate and timely delivery.

• Oversee the payroll process ensuring accurate and timely compensation for all staff.

• Ensure the development and implementation of high-quality, context-specific strategies and practices in areas such as recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee relations, onboarding, offboarding, employee experience and overall wellbeing, contract management, learning and development, performance management, leave management, code of conduct compliance, legal compliance, HR Information Systems, coordination of policy development and implementation, etc.

• 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 code of conduct issues 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.

P&C GEDI

• Act as the primary liaison and focal point for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), enhancing engagement and collaboration.

• Lead the implementation of GEDI action plans within the Country Program, ensuring effective execution and measurable outcomes.

• With the support of CRRD GEDI team and RPCD Coordinate and facilitate the implementation of GEDI strategies and strategic initiatives across the Country Program, ensuring alignment with the P&C mandate. This include oversee the integration of feminist, decolonial, and anti-racist values throughout the employee lifecycle, providing guidance and direction in collaboration with Regional P&C Director to ensure these values are embedded in all P&C practices, including regular reporting, and measuring progress on the S100 LDG and GEDI goals.

• 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.

• Champion 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.

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.

• Ensure that the IRC Way and information on reporting channels are sign-posted in all IRC office locations (in all relevant local languages).

• Collaborate with country and regional specialized safeguarding staff and Country SMT members to convene functional stakeholders within the country and promote adoption and progress of the Safeguarding Minimum Standards.

• Partner with IRC global investigations teams and the Country Director to ensure that recommendations from safeguarding investigations, particularly those involving disciplinary actions, are implemented within two weeks.

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 supports and initiatives, ensuring adherence to organizational standards for health, safety, and wellbeing

• Responsible for country staff’s wellbeing 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.

• Actively facilitate regular check-ins, team-building activities, and open communication channels among P&C staff to build a cohesive and supportive team environment.

• Develop country program action plans aimed at enhancing morale and supporting the social, physical, and psychological well-being of staff, seeking guidance from DoC team. Maintain a healthy and empowering office environment that promotes open, honest, and productive communication.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Country Director and Regional P&C Director – Management in Partnership (MIP)

Direct Reports: 10 staff

Key Internal Relationships:

• Country Senior Management Team

• Regional Teams and Colleagues

• Global P&C Functional Leads

Key External Relationships: INGO counterparts; legal counsel; P&C associations and networks

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s university degree in HR management, International Relations or Development, MBA, Law, or related field is preferred.

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive professional P&C experience

• Demonstrated success as a P&C leader supporting groups of 2000 employees at multiple organizational levels, cultures, and locations within a regional or global environment required.

• Demonstrated success as a P&C professional in emergency response, conflict zones and/or humanitarian aid sector 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 is a must, while Dari or Pashto is desired.

• Travel: minimum travel is required – not to exceed 30%.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen 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 IRC 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.

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**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.