Switzerland: Director, Information Technology Department

Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 190 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The IFRC is a membership organisation established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement). The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The IFRC is headquartered in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The IFRC is led by a Secretary General. The Geneva headquarters provides support to governance mechanisms; sets norms and standards; provides guidance to field offices; ensures consistency, coordination, and accountability for performance; facilitates knowledge sharing; promotes collaboration within and respect for the Movement; and expands engagement with partners. The headquarters is organized in three main divisions: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership; (ii) Programmes and Operations; and (iii) Management. The Management Division comprises three departments: Human Resources, Finance and Administration and Information Technology. Each is led by a Director. The Information Technology Department currently includes 3 teams, an IT Global service centre in Budapest and technical line management to teams in five regional offices. The Director serves as a member of the Management Division’s management team, and is a member of the global management team.

Job Purpose

The IT Director provides global strategic leadership and direction to the IT Department, with a view to ensuring critical, high quality, and cost effective IT infrastructure and services worldwide.
The IT Director is accountable for translating the Plan and Budget priorities into strategic multi-year plans for his/her area of responsibility, and for leading their implementation.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

First Priority area: ensuring a strong IFRC that is effective, credible and accountable:

1. To Lead the development of an IT Strategy that aligns with Strategy 2020 and the IFRC Plan and Budget 2016-2020, and that takes into account constantly changing technologies and expectations from staff, member National Societies, and partners, with the ultimate view of ensuring the set up of best-fit information technology solutions and the delivery of cost effective information technology services;

2. Manage IT processes, that are aligned to deliver and demonstrate value for money in achieving the IFRC’s business plan, and ensure that IT processes and internal control procedures, including information technology and telecommunications management, are efficient, robust, and effective in delivering the agreed organizational activities.

This includes:

• Recommends and implement the best and most appropriate technology solutions for the organization. Develops guidelines, quality standards and procedures for service desks, systems and IT project management.

• Develop and maintain IT specific metrics that track trends, benchmarks, risk and results.

• Refer cases of non-compliance and accountability failures within the IT area and any other field, to the USG Management and Office of Internal Audit and Investigation (OIAI) in a timely manner;

• Promote and facilitate staff mobility to maintain a global professional IT team and to support long-term career development for IFRC staff.

• Supervise the provision and maintenance of cost-effective office services that enhance and accompany productivity including working in partnership across the organization, providing thought leadership within IT in an effort to identify cost effective and professional IT solutions based upon appropriate policies and procedures for the IFRC, and monitoring and oversight of IT operations across the organization to ensure minimum and consistent standards are applied.

Second priority area: provide direct and indirect support to strengthen National Society capacities in information technology.

1. In collaboration with the Organizational Development team and relevant Regional Offices, provide and suggest IT expertise to support National Societies in their goal to become more accountable and sustainable organizations. Through the organizational development team and the regional offices promote a culture of Information Technology utilization and modernization to accompany and strengthen National Societies competencies within the IT area.

Third priority area: supervise the delivery of high quality and timely information technology support to the Programmes and Operations Division, the Partnership Division and Regional Offices.

1. Provide strategic information technology guidance, services and exercise due diligence within management areas in support of the USG Programmes and Operations, the USG Partnerships and Regional Directors.

2. Ensure all necessary support to the work of the Programmes and Operations division, the Partnership division and Regional Offices in a spirit of effective and efficient use of resources, ensuring necessary synergies and complementarities between and among divisions and regions, with focus on “One IT”.

Applicable to all staff:

1. Respect for Diversity - Treat all individuals and groups fairly and shows respect for all persons equally, without any distinction on the basis of nationality, race, religious beliefs, class, political opinions, or any other grounds.

2. Integrity - Work in accordance with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s Fundamental Principles and Values in a transparent and accountable manner.

3. Professionalism – Show pride in work and in achievements, demonstrates knowledge, professional competence, and technical mastery of relevant subjects. Display self-control, perseverance and resilience in the face of pressure or adversity. Promote, by personal example a culture of matrix cooperation across the organization.

4. Accountability - Honour commitments, and take responsibility for delivering high quality outcomes. Comply with IFRC policies and procedures among others the performance review process and financial management.

Education

Recognized professional qualification in general management and in the area of telecommunications, electronics, computer science or engineering or equivalent technology work.

Master in Business Administration or equivalent.

Experience

Required:

At least 10 years of relevant professional experience.
Minimum 6 years of experience in a senior management position leading a diverse IT team.
Experience in planning, budgeting and financial monitoring within the Information Technology area.
Experience in risk management within Information technology.
Management experience in a global multicultural environment.

Preferred:

Experience working with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Knowledge, skills and languages

Required:

Service minded, ability to lead, delegate and manage from a distance.
Strategic planning skills for technology, knowledge of complex information technology systems and software.
Results oriented and demand-driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in transitional, unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
Demonstrated leadership and management skills, including the ability to lead within a matrix management structure and utilise talent and experience of team members in a productive way.
Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners.
Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organisation.
Proven good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality, acting as a model of highest integrity in personal capacity and at team level.
High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment displaying strong negotiation, collaboration and influencing skills.

Fluently spoken and written English

Preferred:

Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish, Arabic or Russian). Competencies and values

Comments

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Federation is an equal opportunity employer.

Please apply on the organisation's website: http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/current-vacancies/job-description/?id=3037