Sr. Advisor, Change Management and Strategic Initiatives at International Rescue Committee

Requisition ID: req25425

Job Overview/Job Summary

The Senior Advisor will build and continually optimize lean governance systems to facilitate strategic and transparent decision-making. You will play a central role in supporting a positive team culture and learning environment, and communicating about our work internally. You will also serve as a strategic thought partner to Airbel leadership, leading the coordination and communication of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work, and agile change management initiatives.

Governance and Knowledge Management

Build and improve lean and efficient governance systems and processes to facilitate streamlined strategic decision-making, risk mitigation, and implementation of quality projects; ensure clear transparency around decision-making; centralize and organize departmental information

• Manage, continually optimize, and streamline team governance and quality assurance processes
• Lead on establishing departmental indicators, data collection processes, and reporting
• Establish and track return on investment of our portfolio
• Foster strong knowledge flows within the department by streamlining information collection, capture, and sharing

Team culture and learning

Co-lead creation, implementation, and evolution of Airbel’s strategy to support a positive team culture and foster learning

• Support a diverse and distributed team to ensure a shared sense of mission and community, and to uphold quality standards
• Build distributed/remote team working norms and infrastructure
• Strengthen opportunities for remote team building
• Lead structure and content for sharing events/moments, including team retreats, learning series and/or one-off sessions; help colleagues connect to one another
• Create efficient systems for soliciting team feedback and monitoring engagement

Internal Communications

Support internal communications to ensure team members have clear and coherent mental models about how initiatives fit together and enhance Airbel’s profile across the IRC

• Create team communications materials such as FAQs, talking points, decks, and email drafts to align leadership messaging and ensure effective team communication
• Develop IRC communications content to clarify links with IRC’s Strategy100, enhance Airbel’s profile, and share key lessons learned and foster knowledge sharing
• Engage strategically in opportunities for knowledge sharing with the broader IRC
• Own and foster the relationship with IRC’s internal communications team

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Lead coordination and communication of Airbel’s work to enhance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

• Cultivate an environment of sharing lessons learned, active feedback loops with clients and partners, non-retaliation, and commitment to continually improving
• Oversee monitoring of Airbel’s DEI action plan
• Convene and facilitate Airbel leadership integrating DEI commitments into their regular business processes
• Work with relevant stakeholders to generate communications and knowledge management standards that facilitate DEI

Strategic initiatives / Change Management

Support change management for ad hoc strategic projects at the direction of the Associate Director of Planning and Chief Research and Innovation Officer

• Develop and lead the execution of roadmaps for change management
• Work with senior management at the outset of change programs to pressure test, challenge proposed requests for change to ensure minimum team burden and maximum positive impact for Airbel’s clients
• Create lean change management plans for Airbel leadership and work with them to implement in their dispersed teams
• Set metrics and analyze progress to better understand the success of efforts, and make shifts to overall change management strategies, as needed

Requirements

• 6-8 years of progressive experience in internal communications, governance, and/or agile change management
• Exceptional communication and strategic thinking skills to engage with leadership
• Experience conveying technical information in easily digestible formats for broader audiences
• Experience managing organizational change initiatives, and large-scale, cross-functional projects
• Experience addressing complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively delivering products of the highest possible value; experience with agile management
• Dedication to and knowledge of best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion work
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships remotely
• Experience working in an international organization with a dispersed workforce
• Experience capturing and sharing knowledge with a diverse and distributed workforce
• Excellent writing, presentation and meeting facilitation skills
• High level of proficiency with MS Office, documents management solutions and project management tools
• Fluency in another IRC working language a plus
• Quantitative data analysis skills a plus

Reporting To

• Associate Director of Planning

Direct Reports

• NA

Key Internal Contacts

• Jeannie Annan, Chief Research & Innovation Officer
• Airbel Leadership Team
• Internal Communications colleagues