Strategy Associate

Job posted by: International Rescue Committee (IRC)-USA - Mon, 6 Jul 2015

Job Details:

Organisation: International Rescue Committee (IRC)-USA

Deadline Fri, 4 Sep 2015

Job type: Temporary

Location: United States

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Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee is at a critical juncture. A leading global humanitarian organization since its inception at the request of Albert Einstein in 1933, the IRC is modernizing, with a new strategic mission and vision, and a new strategy unit that will lead the charge in turning that vision into reality.

 

As a core member of the Strategy Unit you will enable this organization of more than 12,000 staff to overcome the biggest hurdles it faces in putting its new strategy into action. Whether it is setting up a new team to innovate and find solutions to pressing problems, or ensuring that the organization has effective tools for assessing outcomes across its entire portfolio of work, your actions will spread far and wide and ultimately impact the lives of millions of people worldwide in places affected by war and disaster.

 

You will be expected to find solutions. You will persuade and influence, create and innovate, and use structured thinking and evidence to solve problems where there is no pre-defined methodology. Focusing on the highest priority initiatives of the organization and the CEO, you will build relationships across the IRC and deliver high quality results at a pace a leading private sector organization would be proud of.

 

While you will work hard, the measure of your success will not be the hours you put in or any documents you create, but the lasting change that you effect and the benefit you bring to the organization.

 

  Job Overview/Summary:

The Strategy Associate will provide strategic planning and problem-solving support to the organization. He or she will be part of a small, tight-knit team that will quickly break down problems using a hypothesis-driven approach and iterate rapidly towards evidence-based solutions, creating buy-in and building partnerships along the way. This is a challenging position which requires strong strategic problem-solving skills, excellent interpersonal skills, a high level of personal initiative and the ability to work well in a distributed, multicultural, fast-paced environment.

 

The role reports to the Director of Strategic Projects in the Strategy Unit.

 

Major Responsibilities:

  • Identify, prioritize, structure, and solve complex problems as part of a team, through the use of information, judgment, problem-solving methodologies and knowledge of the sector
  • Engage closely with staff across the IRC who are responsible for planning and implementing change, provide strategic and problem-solving support to specific priority initiatives, and facilitate decision-making and consensus-building
  • Personally drive specific components of a problem, collaboratively defining the scope and nature of the problem, identifying and completing priority analyses, generating critical insights and tailoring and delivering effective communications to drive change
  • Proactively pursue sources of data and insight and ensure pace of progress is maintained
  • Collaborate closely and regularly with the Director of Strategic Projects to align on work planning, iterate on solutions and find workarounds as needed
  • Contribute effectively to the workstreams of others on the team as required, and to solving the broader problem being solved by the team as a whole
  • Closely manage progress against objectives, highlighting roadblocks as soon as they arise and taking full personal ownership for high-quality timely delivery
  • Give and receive regular developmental feedback and contribute actively to creating a positive, focused and effective team environment

 

Job Requirements:

Minimum Requirements

  • Exceptional analytical skills, developed in a high-quality professional environment
  • A results-driven approach to work, proven personal initiative and an ability to work proactively and with a strong sense of urgency
  • Creative problem-solving skills and experience in using - or interest in learning - a hypothesis-driven approach to problem-solving
  • Repeated experience interacting and communicating effectively with all levels of an organization, and proven ability as an influential collaborator
  • Capability to manage and make progress against multiple simultaneous demands in short time frames, and to adapt to new challenges in a dynamic context with shifting priorities
  • A strong focus on growth and development, and a willingness to engage in a strong feedback culture to support professional growth
  • Resilience and an ability to anticipate and overcome barriers to success
  • Proven ability to respond proactively and positively to ambiguity
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
  • Comfort with MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint

 

Preferred Additional Requirements

  • Experience in a strategy role at either a top tier strategy consulting firm, or in the strategy development function of a global organization
  • An MBA or a Master’s degree in international development, human rights or another field related to the IRC’s work
  • Knowledge of French or Arabic

 

Working Environment:  

  • Standard office work environment
  • Some travel as needed

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=Y29yZXkuMjExMjEuNDgxMEBpcmMuYXBsaXRyYWsuY29t


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