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 more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers 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 IRC began planning to reopen an oPt country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health, protection, food security, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities.

The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term oPt country program in parallel. This effort is being jointly managed by the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a view to eventually transition the country program fully under the MENA region.

Position overview

The HR Officer is responsible for ensuring that the day-to-day HR and administration activities are performed in accordance with IRC policies, procedures, and HR best practices for the main office in Ramallah and the Field Office in Gaza. The HR officer is responsible for escalating to the HR Coordinator on a timely basis all matters related to employee management in the assigned location. The position reports to the HR Coordinator and works closely with the operations leadership to ensure effective and efficient HR and admin services are provided to support program activities.

Major Responsibilities

Recruitment and orientation :

• Under the guidance of the HR Coordinator, participate in the recruitment process for local recruitments as required and ensure HR recruitment policies and procedures are consistently followed.

• Coordinate with the HR Coordinator and the lead administrator to facilitate the onboarding processes to ensure new and transferred staff receive the required information for their onboarding

• Ensure all new staff receive IRC Way orientation and related documentation.

Compensation & Benefits :

• Process local payroll

• Prepare payroll in the local HR System

• Prepare files for payment of temporary personnel and external consultants

• Prepare benefit payrolls

• Prepare benefit payrolls

• Processing and administrating all local benefits

• Enrollment and deregistration from the benefits

• Support staff as a focal point contact to receive staff concerns about their compensation and benefits

• Ensure Compliance with IRC Policies & local labor law

• Prepare IRC documentation to process the payment

Time & Attendance:

• Track and process Employee Timesheets

• Process all Time off Requests

• Process Staff Overtime

• Update Time & Attendance Tracker

• Support staff and managers as a focal point contact for Time & Attendance queries

Personnel Administration:

• Prepare and process employee documentation related to hiring, promotion, transfer, and termination of employees

• Maintain and update employee files electronically and physically

• Assist in the preparation of employment contracts and addendum and confidentiality agreements

• Update HR Payroll system

• Process HR Forms

• Update Workday

• Ensure staff information is updated & shared with HR Coordinator on a regular basis

• Ensure that personnel documentation meets the requirements of our internal policies (safeguarding, IRC WAY, Child Protection, Respect in the workplace).

Learning & Development:

• Maintain updated records of employee training in virtual and physical personnel files

Employee Relations:

• Facilitate and guide for resolving minor employee relations issues in the field office

• Ensure the HR Coordinator is immediately informed about any employee relation issues occurring in the field.

• Facilitate relationships between labor/social services and IRC staff.

Reporting:

• Prepare HR Analytics Reports

• Update HR Dashboards

• Submit regularly, as required, information to HR Coordinator for HR Metrics preparation

• Regularly submit payroll information to the HR Coordinator

• Update and submit regularly staff leave tracking

• Submit weekly and monthly recruitment reports

• Ensures coordination and monitoring of shared activities between HR and administration.

• Prepare supporting documentation for Finance

• Maintain proper records for all correspondence

• Ensure administrative policies and procedures comply with IRC standards and local laws and regulations.

• Perform other relevant duties as assigned (of a similar nature or related and in the interest of the organization)

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resource, Administration, or social sciences.

• Professional certification is highly desirable and an advantage

• 2 years of relevant professional experience in administration / human resources and in a similar position.

• Knowledge of local labor laws

• Prior experience in preparing/disseminating payroll in Palestine

• Previous experience working with an international NGO in a cross-cultural setting, preferably in the HR or Administration sector.

Functional knowledge, skills, and ability:

• Relates and works well with people of different cultures, gender, and backgrounds.

• Remains productive when under pressure. Works collaboratively with team members to achieve results.

• Flexibility to continuously re-prioritize

• Ability to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for all staff members.

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Able to respond rapidly to changing environments yet remain productive and focused.

• Strong and fast computer skills (primarily Word, Excel, and Outlook)

Languages:

• Professional fluency in spoken and written Arabic is required.

• English: Intermediate/Advanced

Recruitment is opened for nationals of Palestine.

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.