TTA-Portfolio Lead, Climate Research & Innovation

The International Rescue Committee seeks a TTA-Portfolio Lead for Climate Research & Innovation, preferably located in New York, London, or West Africa, but remote work is eligible. This 6-month role involves strategy development, project coordination, and effective communication to support agricultural livelihoods and climate resilience initiatives. The candidate will collaborate with various teams and external partners to ensure successful project execution and storytelling that aligns with the organization's objectives.
Before you start, please review the Temporary Transfer Assignment Guidelines on RescueNet to make sure you qualify to apply

Title: TTA-Portfolio Lead, ClimateResearch & Innovation

Sector: Research & Innovation

Location: Flexible with preference for New York, London, or West Africa/ Remote eligible

Start Date: Jan 6, 2025

Duration: 6 months
Scope of work & objectives:

Application: To apply for this TTA, please send CV and writing sample (5 pages or less) to [redacted] using the subject line "Acting Portfolio Lead Application." While the format of the writing sample is flexible, it must demonstrate candidate's ability to clearly communicate complex ideas for a non-technical audience. Additionally, candidates are encouraged to share materials that demonstrate their capacities in strategic thinking, advocacy, and/or technical understanding of agricultural livelihoods/climate resilience.

The Portfolio Lead, Climate Research & Innovation, will drive strategy and coordination across the portfolio and lead on both internal and external communications. Our multi-disciplinary teams build, facilitate, and contribute to projects spanning the range of early-stage innovations to rigorously testing solutions to driving adoption that can transform the lives of people affected by crisis. Our solutions are co-created in partnership with colleagues, partners, and clients from the contexts where we work.

The Portfolio Lead will work closely with the Director and Advisor of the GRIP to support the development and coordination of the portfolio strategy, will oversee planning and execution of individual projects across the portfolio, and will ensure the strategy and project findings are leveraged toward effective storytelling that advances our communications, advocacy, and business development objectives. They will work closely with colleagues across the Economic Recovery and Development Technical Unit (ERD), Governance Technical Unit (GTU), Research and Innovation (R&I) teams, country program teams, as well as with external partners, ensuring the team relentlessly executes.

Major Responsibilities:

Strategy
• Lead process of reflecting on and revising GRIP strategy, focus areas, and team structure in light of Program & Learn priority decision.
• Ensure input into this process from across GRIP, Country Program, Technical Unit, and Airbel Practice/Pillar staff.
• Monitor and report (monthly, quarterly and annually) against portfolio objectives and key results (OKRs).

Coordination
• Monitor and maintain overarching GRIP project calendar, including progress and needs across projects.
• Attend GRIP finance meetings, providing oversight on spending across the portfolio and projects.
• In collaboration with Project Manager, Climate Research & Innovation, maintain communication and organizational systems for the GRIP and ensure project teams and partners have access to relevant records.
• Support Project Manager, Climate Research & Innovation, on planning and executing each project on-time, within scope, and within budget, leveraging existing templates and ways of working and supporting collaboration with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Review project final deliverables with a focus on formatting, clarity, concision, and storytelling, and provide constructive feedback.

External Relations
• Support GRIP external communications and engagement strategy through the compiling of support materials and production of new materials as needed, including but not limited to
• In coordination with all project leads, leading the development and distribution of a portfolio biannual update in March
• In coordination with GRIP Director and Research & Advocacy Consultant, identifying opportunities to leverage our work toward advocacy objectives through the development of case studies and blog posts and leading the coordination of said products.
• Support Research & Advocacy Consultant in coordinating and delivering on influence tactics developed through the Climate Advocacy Project research.
• Maintain organization, coordination, and communication with the GRIP's external advisory group, including recruiting new members, sharing biannual updates and case studies, identifying new opportunities for engagement, and supporting Project Manager, Climate Research & Innovation, in preparing for, facilitating, and reporting after meetings.
• Lead preparation of presentations and creation of documents representing GRIP portfolio and strategy.
• Support compiling, editing, and formatting of reports and proposals.

Internal Relations
• Provide inputs for all projects under the GRIP portfolio into Airbel, ERD, and IRC ongoing internal and external communication channels (briefs, website updates, various trackers).
• Collaborate with GRIP and project leads on storytelling and act as an internal advocate and voice for the Climate Resilience GRIP.

Requirements:

Work Experience:
• 5-6 years experience in strategic planning, executing on strategic plans
• Experience generating advocacy and communications products for a range of external audiences, including translating technical and research materials for non-technical audiences
• Experience working with cross functional digital teams
• Experience delivering projects (ideally technology, innovation, and/or agriculture) end-to-end, on time, on budget and to a high quality standards.
• Enjoys collaborative working, flexible structures and working with a geographically dispersed team.
• Ability to multi-task and move quickly between projects through effective prioritisation.
• Organised and with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to apply a diversity and inclusion lens and approach to work.
• Experience of financial management at project and program level.
• Preferred experience working in agriculture, livelihoods, and climate resilience
• Preferred experience working with smallholder farmers, low-literacy adults, displaced populations including refugees, and other vulnerable groups

Language Skills:
• English required
• French preferred
• Arabic preferred

Reporting Relationship:
• Reports to: Director, Climate Resilience GRIP
• Manages: Project Manager, Climate Research & Innovation, Research & Advocacy Consultant

Working Environment:
• Mix of remote and in person work. Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace they can effectively complete their work from during regularly scheduled work hours.
• Potential of some travel, coronavirus permitting.