Head of RSC Office Bangladesh

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is among the world’s leading nonprofit humanitarian relief and development organizations. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC’s mission is to assist those whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control over their lives. The organization has been at the forefront of virtually every major humanitarian initiative for the last 80 years. At work today in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure.

The Resettlement Support Center Asia (RSC Asia), funded by the US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), assists persons throughout Asia seeking permanent resettlement in the United States. Responsible for a portfolio of 37 countries, RSC Asia: prepares refugee applications for the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) using START (a State Department–managed data system that supports the arrival and resettlement of refugees through technology); provides information to resettlement agencies about arriving refugees and offers cultural orientation training to refugees bound for the United States. RSC Asia is based in Bangkok, Thailand, with a sub-office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Job Overview/Summary

The Head of RSC Office Bangladesh is the senior leader and representative of the RSC Asia Bangladesh sub-office. The Head of RSC Office is responsible for overall leadership and supervisory management of RSC Asia staff, operations, and engagement with external actors, including the donor, government, and humanitarian sector. The position oversees program quality and accountability, stewardship of resources, and overall daily operations in Bangladesh is expected to respond effectively to the rapidly changing needs of the donor and USRAP The Head of RSC Office is a senior managerial position and a key member of the RSC Asia Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The position reports into the RSC Asia Director based at the RSC Asia regional hub in Thailand.

Major Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead RSC Asia’s Bangladesh operation by maintaining open and professional communication with colleagues, promoting a strong team spirit, and providing mentorship, oversight, and compliant financial management to enable staff to perform successfully.

• Develop and maintain a high level of understanding of PRM, USCIS, RPC and IRC rules, regulations, procedures, and guidelines to ensure high quality and compliant program delivery and operations.

• Develop and maintain a detailed knowledge of United States Refugee Admission Program overseas processing standards and policies, including the Guidelines for the Treatment of Refugee Records and PRM Program Integrity & Compliance Guidelines

• Lead the management, mentoring and development of staff to build a cadre of skilled, committed and motivated personnel.

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of staff.

Budget Management

• Provide timely, effective, and donor compliant oversight of the RSC Asia Bangladesh budget.

• Lead the development of RSC Asia’s Bangladesh budget in coordination with the RSC Asia Director.

• In close coordination with the RSC Asia Director and RSC Asia SLT ensure submission of appropriate, timely high-quality proposals, budgets, and reports, and support required donor negotiations.

• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for donor funds.

Stewardship and Operational Management

• Drive operational excellence to achieve optimal efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all functions and operations.

• Lead the utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to deliver compliance with IRC and donor requirements.

• Seek opportunities to introduce efficiencies and eliminate redundancies in existing business processes.

• Ensure that fiscal year targets for Bangladesh, including but not limited to prescreening, presentations to USCIS, and departures are met.

• Promote a team approach and positive learning environment utilizing RSC Asia regional headquarters based in Thailand and IRC headquarters program and operations staff and other partners to continually enhance the quality of refugee processing and cultural orientation delivery.

• Consult with and make recommendations to the RSC Asia Director on processing issues such as pipeline management and planning.

• Report to the RSC Asia Director in a timely and thorough way on all programmatic/staff problems, donor/government issues or any other information of concern to the RSC Asia and/or IRC.

Key Partner & Donor Relations

• Ensure that monthly programmatic, statistical, and financial information for RSC Asia’s Bangladesh operation are provided to the RSC Asia SLT for preparation and submission to IRC headquarters, PRM, USCIS, the US Embassy in Bangkok and US-based resettlement agencies.

• Maintain excellent strategic relationship with USRAP program partners in Bangladesh, including USCIS, UNHCR and IOM.

• Take the lead on visitor management activities including developing itineraries, briefing books, scheduling, and presentations.

Staff Performance Management and Development

• Lead a cohesive senior management team, with regular meetings, clear roles and authorities, and an inclusive approach.

• Oversee management of RSC Asia’s national and international staff in Bangladesh to ensure an efficient, cooperative, and quality-conscious workforce capable of meeting emerging programmatic challenges.

• Develop a positive work environment for all staff supported by a professional level human resource management function.

• Support and hold management staff accountable for providing staff development opportunities and planning.

• Review, in coordination with RSC Asia SLT, yearly work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track and aligned with donor objectives and priorities. Provide performance feedback on a timely and regular basis.

• Ensure that RSC Asia Bangladesh operation is within employee and employer compliance as required by IRC Human Resources Policies, report problems or issues immediately to RSC Asia Director.

Safety and Security Management

• Take primary responsibility for overall management of safety and security for the program.

• Create and maintain a culture of safety and security throughout the Bangladesh operation, including trainings and briefings that prepare all staff for security incident prevention and response.

• In coordination with the RSC Asia Technology and Information Security Coordinator based in Thailand, ensure that IT and Information Security processes and systems meet donor requirements.

Job Requirements

Citizenship:

• Due to donor related requirements regarding DNA collection and prescreen activity with specific high-profile caseloads, US Citizenship is required. US citizens with the lived experience of being a refugee are encouraged to apply.

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree required.

• Master’s Degree in a related field is a plus.

Work Experience

• Minimum 10 years work experience in refugee processing and/or refugee resettlement.

• Demonstrated knowledge of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

• Minimum 5 years program management experience, including experience in managing a multi-cultural staff.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Strong people management and leadership skills: ability to lead staff and promote productivity, particularly during program transitions.

• Strong expertise in strategy planning, monitoring, and budgeting.

• Strong communication skills both written and verbal; excellent presentation and report-writing skills; able to convey information effectively to colleagues and partners in a cross-cultural environment.

• Solid organizational and program implementation skills with the ability to juggle multiple tasks, set priorities, effectively manage time, and meet deadlines; strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

• You can work in a complex, dynamic environment, and are able to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure.

• Client centered with a service-oriented attitude, a great teammate who works effectively with partners at all levels.

• You have a proven sense of professional discretion, integrity, and the ability to handle situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.

• Proactive, well-organized, flexible, and able to work in a complex, multi-cultural environment.

• Can set appropriate priorities and deal effectively with numerous simultaneous requirements with flexibility and adaptability.

• Ability to carry out responsibilities independently with minimal technical support.

• Must be a patient and good communicator who can function in an organizational environment involving a diversity of cultures, languages, personal interests, and agendas.

• Good at role of facilitator and team player in solving problems.

• Solid organizational and program implementation skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks, set priorities, effectively manage time and meet deadlines.

• Able to manage complex safety and security situations appropriately.

Language and Computer Skills:

• effectively manage time and meet deadlines.

• Able to manage complex safety and security situations appropriately.

• Fluency in both written and spoken English.

• Working knowledge of a refugee language helpful.

• High level of computer literacy and proficient in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook) is required.

Others:

• Able to travel to locations within Asia

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others

All other employee terms and conditions shall be as stipulated in the Employment Contract and/or Employee Handbook.