Deputy Team Leader

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.

The IRC has been working in Uganda since 1998 supporting refugees, vulnerable host communities, and various institutions in the country notably the government, community-based organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Currently, the IRC in Uganda has a presence across five sub-regions and six refugee settlements, implementing programming in the sectors of Health, Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL), Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Economic Recovery and Development (ERD), and Education. IRC Uganda also implements cross-cutting programming focused on systems strengthening and accountability to affected persons. IRC Uganda has a head office in Kampala, field offices in Lamwo, Kiryandongo, and West Nile. 

PROGRAMME CONTEXT

The Refugee Support, Empowerment and Transformation (ReSET) programme is an anticipated FCDO-funded initiative designed to make Uganda’s refugee response more sustainable and locally owned. ReSET will be delivered across two pillars:

• Pillar 1 – Lifesaving Assistance: Meeting core needs through multisectoral assistance and protection for new arrivals and the most vulnerable, applying a cash-first principle.
• Pillar 2 – Self-Reliance & Resilience: Improving the self-reliance and resilience of refugees and host communities through evidence-based graduation or lump-sum cash interventions.

ReSET will be implemented across refugee settlements in Uganda in close coordination with OPM, UN agencies, INGOs, national NGOs, and consortium partners.

Scope of Work

The Deputy Team Leader / Technical Director provides strategic technical leadership and operational oversight for the ReSET programme. Reporting to the Team Leader, this role ensures the technical quality, and coherence of programme delivery across all sectors and pillars. The Deputy Team Lead builds  partner capacity strengthening within IRC’s localisation framework, leads value-for-money integration, and ensures effective coordination with key stakeholders. The post-holder will deputise for the Team Leader as required and serve as a senior relationship manager with FCDO, consortium partners, and government counterparts.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.  Technical Leadership and Programme Quality

• Provide overarching technical direction across ReSET’s multi-sector portfolio, ensuring alignment with FCDO requirements, Sphere Standards, and IRC quality standards.
• Lead the development and harmonisation of programme technical frameworks, including cash-first delivery models, protection mainstreaming, and graduation approaches.
• Oversee context-adaptive implementation, ensuring evidence-based adjustments across both pillars.
• Champion accountability to affected populations (AAP) and ensure gender-sensitive, inclusive programme design and delivery.
• Lead consortium partner technical support and capacity-strengthening efforts within IRC’s localization framework.
• Support national and local NGO partners to progressively assume greater implementation and leadership responsibilities.
• Facilitate partnership governance mechanisms, including joint planning, learning, and review processes.
• Lead development and use of VfM metrics and frameworks to demonstrate ReSET’s cost-effectiveness to FCDO.
• Work closely with the Finance Director and consortium partners to monitor burn rates, flag underspends or overspends, and initiate timely budget revisions and realignments where required.
• Ensure all procurement, sub-grant management, and operational processes adhere to IRC and FCDO compliance standards, including anti-fraud, anti-corruption, and conflict-of-interest policies.
• Coordinate with internal audit and compliance teams to ensure appropriate risk management and audit readiness throughout the programme cycle..
• Represent IRC and ReSET in high-level coordination fora, including the Uganda Refugee Response coordination architecture (UCRRP), Protection Cluster, Cash Working Group, and OPM-led platforms.
• Maintain strategic relationships with FCDO’s programme team, UN agencies (UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, OCHA), OPM, and consortium partners to ensure programmatic coherence and shared accountability.
• Support the Team Leader in preparing for FCDO programme reviews, Annual Review processes, and any mid-term or end-of-programme evaluations, including development of required documentation and evidence packages.
• Identify and document emerging evidence, learning, and policy-relevant findings from ReSET for strategic communication and influence with FCDO and the broader humanitarian and development sector.
• Oversee the production of high-quality programme reports  including quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports, ensuring findings are evidence-based, reflect programme learning, and demonstrate progress against logframe milestones.
• Champion a culture of learning and adaptive management across the consortium, facilitating after-action reviews, lessons-learned exercises, and pause-and-reflect sessions.
• Ensure documentation and dissemination of programme learning, best practices, and innovations for internal use and external policy influence.
• Lead inter-agency and consortium coordination, ensuring effective collaboration, avoiding duplication, and maximising complementarity across all implementing partners.
• Engage proactively with OPM, district local government, and settlement authorities to ensure ReSET activities are aligned with national refugee policies and locally-owned response frameworks.
• Represent IRC in relevant technical working groups, cluster meetings, and inter-agency coordination platforms relevant to ReSET’s scope.
• Line-manage senior technical leads and provide mentoring and performance support.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement within the ReSET team.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive experience in complex humanitarian and/or development programming, with at least 5 years in a senior technical or management role.
• Master’s degree in international development, humanitarian affairs, social sciences, public policy, or  a related field. Equivalent professional experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, multi-sector FCDO-funded programmes (or equivalent bilateral donors).
• Proven expertise in two or more of the following sectors: protection, cash and voucher assistance (CVA), economic recovery, health, or education.
• Substantial experience in refugee response, displacement contexts, and working with OPM or equivalent government counterparts.
• Track record of leading consortium partnerships and supporting localisation agendas.
• Experience applying value-for-money frameworks in programme management and donor reporting.
• Strong understanding of cash-first programming, multi-purpose cash transfers (MPCT), and graduation approaches.
  • Familiarity with FCDO’s programming standards, logframe design, and results-based management.
  • Knowledge of MEAL systems, adaptive management, and evidence-based programme adjustment.
  • Understanding of protection principles, AAP, and gender transformative programming.

• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and representation skills.
• Ability to lead diverse, multi-cultural teams and manage complex stakeholder relationships.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a strategic mindset.

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, 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.

GENDER EQUALITY & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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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Our Typical Recruitment Process

The interview process typically includes three rounds, though the number may vary depending on the role and level of seniority. It usually begins with a conversation with our recruiting team to learn more about you and your goals. This is followed by an interview with a hiring manager or business stakeholder to explore your background and provide more insight into the role. The final round focuses on assessing your role-specific expertise and may be conducted as a panel interview to evaluate your cross-functional strengths. Before extending an offer, we generally conduct reference checks, and after an offer is made, a standard background check is completed. While we strive for consistency, the process may differ based on the role, business unit, location, job type, legal requirements, and other factors.

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