Deputy Director

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.

SCOPE:

“This position has an end date of September 30, 2027”

The Deputy Director, NVPPA provides leadership to the National Virtual Program for Professional Advancement, an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) funded program implemented in FY27. The Deputy Director leads the NVPPA team and ensures sound program implementation, compliance with ORR regulations, client success, and strong staff supervision and support.

NVPPA is a cooperative agreement carried out over a single 12-month period of performance, September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2027. The Deputy Director is accountable for delivering the program on time, within budget, and in compliance with the terms of the award.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Implementation and Deliverables

• Lead program start-up so that intake, staffing, data tools, and referral protocols are in place as clients arrive, with interpretation and device support where access is a barrier.
• Set and enforce service standards across a high-volume, light-touch model, including a completed Professional Advancement Plan (PAP) and documented career navigation for every enrolled participant.
• Oversee delivery of training, job development, and placement support, and ensure related records are maintained.

Grant Compliance and Award Management

• Ensure the program is implemented in accordance with ORR policy, the terms of the cooperative agreement, applicable federal award regulations and cost principles, and IRC policies on data protection, client confidentiality, and safeguarding.
• In partnership with the Senior Director, serve as the program's primary point of contact with the ORR program officer and coordinate with ORR staff, partners, and technical assistance providers.
• Protect the integrity of program eligibility, ensuring eligibility rules are applied consistently and documentation is collected and retained for every enrolled participant.
• Own the internal control environment for direct financial assistance, including documentation before disbursement, alignment with the participant's approved PAP, vendor and training provider verification, and application of IRC Global Supply Chain protocols.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation and ensure required program and financial reports are accurate and submitted on schedule.
• Identify, escalate, and resolve compliance risks, including suspected fraud, working with IRC finance, compliance, and award management colleagues on corrective action.

Budget and Financial Oversight

• With the Finance Manager, manage the program budget, monitor spending, and ensure full and timely spend-down and closeout of the award.
• Where a shortfall is projected, provide revised projections and propose reallocation to additional eligible services or a budget revision, at ORR's direction.

Data, Performance, and Quality Assurance

• Ensure Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) is configured to program requirements and serves as the system of record, working with the data team on data quality, reporting, and staff training.
• Monitor performance against outcome targets and use data to identify barriers and adjust the service model.
• Establish and oversee a routine quality assurance cycle covering case files, PAPs, and assistance documentation, with findings tracked to resolution.

Supervision and Staffing

• Lead recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of a newly formed, fully remote team, and ensure all staff are trained on eligibility rules, eligible uses of funds, documentation standards, and the database.
• Directly supervise the NVPPA Supervisor and the Customer Service Representative, and manage performance, workload distribution, and professional development, and structure staffing so that direct service capacity can be adjusted as enrollment volume becomes known.

Coordination and Representation

• In close collaboration with the Program for Initial Resettlement (PIR), oversee guidance on appropriate co-enrollment with PIR and other ORR programs, such as Matching Grant, so that participants can meet initial self-sufficiency requirements while pursuing career goals.
• Establish referral and coordination protocols with sister resettlement agencies, IRC offices, and other service providers so that eligible clients can access the program regardless of which agency resettled them, and represent the program to IRC office leadership and external partners.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position reports to: Senior Director, Economic Empowerment

Directly supervises: NVPPA Supervisor; Customer Service Representative

Indirect supervision: Direct service team, through the NVPPA Supervisor

Key relationships: Internally, the NVPPA team, Economic Empowerment Technical Unit, IRC office leadership, and headquarters finance, compliance, and award management colleagues. Externally, ORR, PIR providers, sister resettlement agencies, training providers, and employers.

Requirements:

• University degree in Business, Public Administration, Social Work, Economics, Community Development, or a related field required; comparable work and/or lived experience may be substituted.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience with progressive responsibility in the design, development, and implementation of workforce, employment, or broader economic empowerment programming, including program monitoring and evaluation.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience managing staff, including remote or geographically distributed teams, with demonstrated ability to coach staff and manage performance directly and through supervisors.
• Demonstrated experience managing federally funded awards and their compliance and reporting requirements; ORR or other HHS award experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing client-level direct financial assistance or comparable payment processes, with a strong grasp of internal controls, required; experience with audits or funder monitoring preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to launch a program quickly and manage a budget of comparable scale through spend-down.
• Demonstrated understanding of refugee resettlement and employment services in the U.S. context; familiarity with credential evaluation and professional licensing pathways preferred.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, including a track record of reporting difficult information to funders accurately and on time.
• Microsoft Office Suite required; ETO or comparable client database experience preferred.
• Commitment to anti-racism and ongoing learning, and English fluency, required.

Working Environment

Fully remote, U.S.-based position requiring reliable high-speed internet, a private work space suitable for confidential discussions, and scheduling flexibility across U.S. time zones; occasional travel may be required.

Compensation: ($94,000 - $105,000/Annually). Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements

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.

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Benefits: IRC offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. Highlights include 10 paid sick leave, 10 U.S. holidays, 20-25 generous paid time off based on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163/month, dental starting at $6.50/month, and vision starting at $5/month, flexible spending accounts (healthcare, dependent care, and commuter), a 403(b) retirement savings plan with employer match (immediate vesting) along with a non-elective employer contribution based on age and years of service (3-year vesting), disability and life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families.

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.

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