Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, reaching 150 million people each year through more that 16M volunteers present in 197,000 local branches distributed in 191-member National Societies.

The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world”. IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with 5 regional offices and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s headquarter is organized in three main divisions: (i) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization (GRHDD); (ii) National Societies Development and Operations Coordination (NSDOC) and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services (MPSCS).

The GRHDD is organised in three Departments, each of them led by a director of which the Strategic Partnership and Resource Mobilization (SPRM) is one. SPRM is structured into 3 units and the “Private Sector and Innovative Finance Unit (PSIFU)” is being established by USG GRHDD in Jan 2022 as one of them. The Innovative Financing advisor – Insurance is a member of this unit reporting to the Private Sector and Innovation manager.

Job Purpose

Provide leadership and expertise on innovative Finance with a specific focus on IFRC-DREF insurance and other insurance mechanisms instrumental to other global platforms.

Within the above are of technical knowledge, the job holder will work in the following areas:

• Strengthening existing IFRC-DREF insurance mechanism. Manage the existing multi-stakeholder network of internal and external actors and explore opportunities to scale-up the insurance pillar of the IFRC-DREF.
• Advocacy & partnerships. Proactively generate ideas for innovative and development insurance mechanisms that are instrumental to the IFRC main global programmatic initiatives.
• Business development. Strengthen IFRC’s innovative finance portfolio by supporting the development and implementation of new insurance mechanisms for engaging new external partners.
• Coordination. Ensure an integrated approach to resource mobilisation, traditional fundraising, partnerships and innovative financing efforts with other key technical areas (flagship programmes and services) and the other SPRM units.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Strengthening existing IFRC-DREF insurance mechanism

• Coordinate the day-to-day management of the existing IFRC-DREF insurance mechanism facilitating efficient collaboration among different internal and external stakeholders actively involved in this project. This will include project and budget management via IFRC’s ERP system.
• Lead the expansion of DREF-insurance, both in terms of scope and coverage, working in close collaboration with the IFRC-DREF team, SPRM and Office of the GRHDD.
• Support the establishment of partnership agreements for new insurance mechanisms, including internal protocol navigation and process alignment working closely with legal, finance and procurement teams.

Business Development and Partnerships

• Develop ideas for insurance mechanisms suitable to IFRC’s needs and refine these ideas in collaboration with donors and the broader Innovative Finance Unit, SPRM teams and external partners.
• Contribute to organization-wide culture change around private sector engagement, capital markets and the insurance sector.
• Support effective advocacy around IFRC’s flagship programs. Guide the shaping of IFRC’s positioning in the innovative financing and insurance arenas through outreach, establishing rapport with ecosystem stakeholders, and attending high-level forums and convenings.
• Technical expertise on trends in the overall financial sector, global development finance, private sector finance and insurance and their relevance for the implementation of the global resource mobilization strategy.
• Design and advise pitch strategies and elaborate detailed supporting documentation for pitch meetings to market IFRC’s current and new innovative finance and insurance mechanisms.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Coordination

• Provide intellectual leadership for research, learning and knowledge generation related to new financing models. Help in articulating IFRC’s positioning for innovative finance and private sector development through providing technical expertise to briefs, papers and related social media on key issues in this area and driving policy level dialogues with stakeholders.
• Engage with relevant internal and external counterparts, including donors, private sector investors, MDBs and others as may be needed to build external capacity for structuring innovative financing instruments.

Education

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Law or other relevant fields, or equivalent experience on the job.
• Post graduate training and certifications in Finance, or related subjects

Experience

Required

• 7+ years or more track record in banking & finance roles. Experience of raising in money for organisations issues across international capital & financial markets, and knowledge of providing corporate finance advice and services.
• 5+ years of working in social investing /impacting investing & innovative finance
• 5+ years of experience of managing stakeholder relations within humanitarian and/or development context.

Preferred

• 5+ years of experience in managing Depts, teams and functions at a global level for an international organisation.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Knowledge and Skills

Required

• Proven ability to translate strategy into action through strong project management skills.
• Advanced level of understanding of stakeholder and prospective partners engaged in innovative finance in humanitarian and development sectors.
• Results oriented individual, strategic thinking, entrepreneurial and hands on.
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills.
• An ability to be proactive and persuasive, contributing to a client-focused culture and navigating corporate and foundation partner decision-making processes.
• Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners.
• Track record in producing high quality work within short deadlines and ability to make effective, timely decisions.
• High degree of discretion, tact, and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment.
• Fluency in Microsoft office tools Familiarity with ERP systems an asset.

Languages

Required

• Fluently spoken and written English

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for Diversity, Integrity, Professionalism, Accountability

Competencies: Communication, Collaboration and Teamwork, Judgment and Decision Making, National Society and Customer Relations, Creativity and Innovation, Building Trust