Director, Partnerships for Research & Innovation
- Employer
- International Rescue Committee
- Location
- New York, United States
- Salary
- Salary Not specified
- Closing date
- Feb 13, 2021
View more
- Position Type
- Programs, Other Programs
- Fields
- Other Fields
- Employment Type
- Full Time
The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from crises and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure.
The IRC's strategy centers on its dedication to continue to increase the scale and improve the effectiveness of its programs worldwide with evidence of what works best to impact people’s lives in conflict and fragile settings. The organization’s External Relations (ER) department is responsible for the global delivery of the IRC’s private sector resources - financially contributing more than US$200M per annum, as well as key partnerships and influence that support our mission - and plays a critical strategic role in the design of IRC’s brand, awareness and support for its advocacy goals. ER teams based in New York headquarters and globally deliver marketing, communications, advocacy, and private-sector funding to support this work. The private-sector income of IRC comprises of three principal departments: Mass Markets, USA Philanthropy and the International Philanthropy and Partnerships (IPP). The latter two, which comprise the High-Value fundraising teams for IRC, make up for more than 80% of the annual private-sector revenue for the Organization.
The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, IRC’s Research and Innovation Unit, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRC’s deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, rigorous research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization.
Job Overview:
The Director, Research and Innovation Partnerships will be accountable to deliver on IRC’s Research and Innovation-related growth goals with corporations, foundations and individual philanthropists. Embedded within the External Relations department with joint-reporting into Airbel, you will work closely with other IRC senior staff and leadership to effectively positioning IRC as a key global partner of choice in relation to all things Research and Innovation.
This is a highly facilitative role in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, and will require outstanding interpersonal, communications and project management skills. Working closely with the Airbel Impact Lab and the High Value Global Partnerships and Philanthropic Services team, you will:
Develop a robust new business plan of fundraising engagement to
improve and expand our financial engagement with partners in
support of the annual growth goal for research and innovation
Guide high-quality content development and financial propositions
to instill support to IRC’s research and innovation.
Drive the overall strategy of our engagement with this set of
partners and contribute to advancing initiatives that fulfill this
goal.
Major Responsibilities
Deliver on fundraising for research and innovation
Identify and deliver on an ambitious annual growth goal in support
of IRC’s research and innovation that will contribute towards the
holistic target of IPP and USA Philanthropy respectively.
Develop and execute fundraising strategies spanning institutional
philanthropy, private gifts, social finance and public funders to
support these goals.
Develop ground-breaking investment opportunities for donors;
support the development of exceptionally promising innovation
projects across the IRC.
Develop strategic engagement and solicitation strategies to
increase donor retention and upgrade donors' giving.
Secure funding to sustain the Airbel Impact Lab and grow its ~$10M
portfolio of innovation projects.
Ensure, in collaboration with GPPS and in line with global best
practice across our entire engagement with HV donors, that R&I
donors receive appropriate, consistent engagement/acknowledgment
and an accounting of the impact that their gift has on community
needs annually.
Support fundraising for innovation projects across the IRC
In collaboration with GPPS, contribute to the generation of content
and material that will drive success in fundraising.
Allocate business development and design resources to make funding
proposals more competitive.
Align fundraising activities with IRC’s innovation goals and
support the overall revenue and impact goals of the
organization.
Develop partnership and communications that build IRC’s reputation
for innovation
Support and maintain the organization’s brand, and specifically
through the effective positioning of Airbel with key influencing
audiences and partners through effective engagement strategy, web
presence and communications strategy; work with relevant ER
colleagues to elevate relevant messaging and ethos into IRC
mainline communications.
Build bridges to the private sector that welcome new ideas, new
resources and new alliances into the work of solving grand
humanitarian challenges.
Key Working Relationships:
Position reports to: Senior Director, Global Business Development
(IPP) and the Chief Research and Innovation Officer
Position directly supervises: Partnerships Lead
Indirect Reporting: N/A
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal:
● Vice President of International
Partnerships and Philanthropy (IPP) and GPPS
● Vice President of USA
Philanthropy
● IRC External Relations
leadership
● Technical Unit Directors and Team
Members
● Country and Regional
Directors
● Airbel core team and project
managers
External:
● Senior contacts at IRC
institutional donors and private sector foundations
● Select Major Donors
Qualifications
Minimum Requirements
Bachelor’s degree with 8-10 years of experience in a variety of
fundraising roles
Experience in institutional or private fundraising, major donor
relations, and proposal development
Proven track record of fundraising with foundations and/or major
donors
Outstanding interpersonal, presentation, and writing skills
Ability to communicate with colleagues on all levels in a
distributed, multicultural professional environment
Experience in the private sector and/or entrepreneurial
environments a plus
Preferred Requirements
Fluency in French and/or Arabic
Experience in humanitarian setting or development contexts
Experience/familiarity with NGO professional setting
Working Environment: Standard office work environment. Up to
30-40% travel required.
_________________________________________________
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles
outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.
These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In
accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces
policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse,
Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity,
and Anti-Retaliation.
IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.
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