Vice President, International Development

Location:Flexible location. Candidates must have the right to work and be able to retain the legal right to work in the location desired.

Reports to: Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships & Philanthropy

Directly supervises:1 Senior Director, 1 Director, team of 35 plus

Salary:Competitive

Background/IRC Summary:  

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 28 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC's Global Partnerships and Philanthropy (GPP) department is responsible for the global delivery of the International Rescue Committee’s private sector fundraising,  contributing upwards of $200 million per year, delivering key partnerships and influence that support our mission, and plays an important strategic role in the creation of IRC’s brand, awareness and support for its advocacy goals.

The IRC's 2020 strategy centers on its ambition to continue to improve the scale and effectiveness of IRC programs worldwide with evidence of what works best to impact people’s lives in conflict and fragile settings. GPP comprises colleagues and teams delivering marketing, account management, leadership gifts, board liaison, corporate partnerships, brand stewardship and communications to support this work. These colleagues are primarily located in the United States and the United Kingdom at present, but IRC plans to significantly expand its global fundraising footprint. Other colleagues within IRC are also deeply engaged with private funding & partners in particular within US Resettlement and field programs and we work in close integrated collaboration to ensure best use of resources and highest impact for IRC.

GPP is delivering a new radical and ambitious 2020 Private Sector Engagement strategy that will enhance IRC’s ability to ‘punch above its weight’ in income, partnership and awareness. At the same time believing that the root of our success lies in a high performing team and culture we need to build our internal infrastructure, build a strong global team, a dynamic culture, a forward thinking ethos, and establish 21st century analytics, reporting, operational and business management practices that will help us achieve our ambitious goals.

Job Overview/Summary

IRC already enjoys the benefits of a best-in-class International Partnerships and Philanthropy team – currently raising over $50m per annum and building partnerships who provide influence, profile, expertise, consumer & workforce access, work opportunities and resources in our service to our beneficiaries – both within USA and globally. This role will support and build on that success – ensuring our existing relationships flourish and grow, whilst also strategically broadening our international scope and ambitions beyond our extremely strong USA base. 

This position will also strategize and systemically build our international (non-USA) leadership giving and partnership philanthropy program: building sustainable relationships and communities of support at the very highest level, through a carefully planned & stewarded geographic selection process, with global philanthropists, foundations and corporations. 

This is a new team within GPP and the Vice President will lead development of strategy, build and grow our highly expert team, and will also personally lead the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of Development donors at the very highest ($5m+) levels.  It is envisaged that the International Development program will deliver an additional $25m by 2022, bringing the total portfolio to $75m+.

S/he will develop a close working relationship with the CEO and President, coordinating closely with our senior executives and representatives to ensure IRC builds outstanding international relationships at the very highest level.  The Vice President of International Development will be part of the GPP Senior Leadership team and report to the Senior Vice President Global Partnerships & Philanthropy.

Major Responsibilities

• Provide support and leadership to the IPP team – safeguarding and building on a highly successful US centred programme, whilst building strategic plans that will ensure systemic high value international expansion, including the development of high impact Corporate and Foundation relationships with European, Middle East and Asian partners.
• Lead and implement the delivery of a bold and ambitious international development strategy for IRC, initially with a strong focus on the opportunity in the Gulf region, and identifying and planning other markets/key cities for focused effort and financial growth. A further two international markets should be developed by 2020.
• Personally champion, steward, solicit and secure substantial philanthropic gifts at the very highest levels ($5m+).
• Strengthen and support high functioning collaborative relationships with IRC leaders, ensuring that the philosophy and methodology of IRC donor centred working are understood and supported, whilst ensuring that the International Development team pursues the relationships and funding streams that will make most impact for IRC and our clients.
• Systemically plan and drive income from this division to $75m+ by 2022.
• Build, grow, empower and support a high performing and dynamic International Development team, ensuring a team structure, clear methodology, structured portfolio sizes and leadership that can drive a rapidly growing and flawlessly stewarded cultivation and stewardship program.
• Manage the international development team and represent IRC with the highest levels of commitment, integrity and accountability to the “IRC Way” – the IRC Global Standards of Professional Conduct.

Qualifications and experience:

Education: Bachelor & Master’s degree or significant equivalent experience.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 10-years professional work experience in leading modern high performance Not-for Profit fundraising or philanthropic environments.
• Proven success of relationship building, personal stewardship and solicitation at the $5m+ level.
• Direct professional experience and track record of working at the highest levels of philanthropic engagement in international markets, with already established appropriate relationships and networks.
• Proven experience of building and delivering high growth strategic change including the building of high performing motivated teams in geographically diverse locations, and strong stakeholder relationships.
• Leadership experience within an international humanitarian aid context is desirable.
• Experience in organizational problem solving, operations, data driven management, and high-performance delivery in complex, but limited resource organizations.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Proven track record in leadership, successful strategic development, change management and strong knowledge of organizational development.
• Core competencies in philanthropic giving, personal stewardship of Ultra-High Net Worth donors, strategic planning, team building.
• Outstanding ability to set, deliver and measure performance and revenue targets, KPI’s, scorecards and results.
• Rigorous and critical thinker, able to ask probing clear questions.
• Strong interpersonal skills, collegial and collaborative, high energy, good humored and creative leader.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Superb presentation skills – able to speak and engage an audience of the highest caliber.

Working Environment:

A collegiate environment working collaboratively across GPP and the broader IRC; Strong sense of transparency and accountability to ensure we are doing right by our beneficiaries and donors, exemplifying the IRC Way. Significant international travel will be required.