Deputy Team Leader

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.

BACKGROUND

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 (INGOs), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities, helping people survive, reclaim control of their futures, 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, join us in positively impacting the lives of millions worldwide toward a better future.

The IRC was present in Sudan from 1981 to 2009. In November 2019, the IRC re-registered in Sudan and opened a main office in Khartoum, with programming beginning in 2020. The IRC expanded into non-SAF-controlled regions of Darfur and South Kordofan in 2024. It is currently operational in Al Jazeera, White Nile, Gedaref, River Nile, Blue Nile, South Kordofan, West Darfur, Central Darfur, and North Darfur states, including a satellite office in Tunaydbah (Gedaref). The IRC’s impact groups are vulnerable individuals impacted by conflict and crisis, including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, refugees, mixed populations, and host communities.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country has spiraled into relentless violence, institutional collapse, and mass displacement. Despite multiple ceasefire announcements, violence has continued for nearly two and a half years, displacing over 12 million people across all 18 states. Sudan is facing one of the most complex and devastating humanitarian crises in the world today.

More than 30 million people now require humanitarian assistance, and around 25 million people face acute food insecurity, including 770,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Damage to infrastructure, supply shortages, and restricted humanitarian access continue to severely hinder the humanitarian response. In response to increasing needs, the IRC has scaled up its humanitarian efforts despite immense challenges. The IRC supports Sudanese communities, within the country and across national borders.

The project is expected to run from October 2026 for 2.5 years.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Deputy Team Leader (Technical) holds primary responsibility for overseeing, supporting, and mentoring of programme sector technical leads to achieve the programme’s stated goals. The postholder ensures technical coherence across all programme components and that interventions align with HELP-S outcomes and cross-cutting principles including gender-transformative approaches, disability inclusion, conflict sensitivity, and climate adaptation. The Deputy Team Leader facilitates cross-learning between programme components and resolves technical challenges arising during implementation. The successful candidate will bring exceptional experience, expertise, and commitment to humanitarian response in Sudan. Strong skills in ensuring effective and efficient delivery of integrated services are essential. So also is an understanding of how to build the capacity and organizational strength of Sudanese partner organizations and a proven ability to put local partners and communities at the centre of humanitarian action, building a locally led, demand-driven and sustainable response.

The Deputy Team Leader acts on behalf of the Team Leader in their absence and represents the programme in all coordination forums.

The Deputy Team Lead (DTL) will support the Team Lead in project management, management of staff, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement. They will coordinate the development, implementation, and reporting on detailed management plans that may include implementation plans and deliverables tracking in assigned areas of responsibility. The DTL will also manage implementing partners and oversee programmatic excellence supported by and in coordination with the relevant IRC Sudanand implementing partner teams. This senior position requires outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and organizational, team-building and presentational skills.

Major Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of the program’s framework in coordination with partners and cross-sectoral advisors to drive toward the program’s objectives.
• Ability to perform at a senior management level, including managing staff in a matrixed system focused on adaptive management.
• Oversee all programme technical contributions, specifically context-driven and evidence-based approaches to improving inclusive access to Health, Nutrition, WASH, Food Securoity and Livelihoods and Protection , strengthening the quality of humanitarian assistance, across the sectors and enabling system-level actors to bolster support for and investment in education to achieve programme outcomes.
• Lead the program team in making data-driven course-correction and programmatic improvements that enable achievement of programme outcomes, applying collaborative, flexible, and practical thinking.
• Identify issues and risks related to program implementation in a timely manner and ensure appropriate program adjustments.
• Support the development of the monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan jointly with key education system actors and ensure linkages between evidence generation, global dialogue, and country actions while supporting global leadership.
• Technical Oversight of partner programing ensuring alignment with IRC technical standards and donor requirements
• Budget management ensuring programing targets are achieved within budget limits
• Oversee and review technical writing products and deliverables.
• Oversee ongoing quality assurance and quality improvement for technical activities.

Qualifications

• An advanced degree (or equivalent experience) in Health, Nutrition or WASH, or a related field with at least 8 years of work experience in international development.
• At least 8 years’ experience in a senior management role of large and complex donor-funded programs, managing a diverse team of professionals and consortium partners. Experience with delivery at a national scale will be an advantage.
• Extensive experience working in East Africa or North Africa, ideally in Sudan.
• Experience and ability to provide leadership and direction in harnessing the multi-disciplinary skills of the technical personnel and consortium partner within complex and high-risk environments.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and writing skills and the ability to articulate arguments and positions backed with evidence to promote causes and ideas.
• The Deputy Team Leader will be expected to align to and ensure adherence to IRC’s internal policies, guidelines, ethics, and FCDO’s code of conduct and compliance requirements.
• Fluency in English and Arabic required.

Recruitment for this role is contingent upon the successful award of the project, and the final applicant's selection is subject to FCDO approval.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.