Program Lead, Ebola Response

Formation / Diplômes

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.

BACKGROUND:

Responding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises in a great variety of roles, the International Rescue Committee’s staff is a force for humanity and hope. If you’re skilled and passionate, we would like to add your energy to ours. Through its Emergency Unit (EmU), the IRC is one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, leading rapid emergency responses that provide life-saving assistance, early recovery, and stabilization support to people affected by conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and complex emergencies across multiple contexts worldwide. We are committed to innovation, agility, and strong partnerships to deliver timely and effective humanitarian action. Active in public health, education in emergencies, cash and basic needs and protection and promotion of rights, we assist people from harm to The IRC recognizes that people affected by crisis and the actors closest to them are best placed, have the right, and should have the power and resources to respond and drive lasting change. We commit to increasing the share of funding channeled to local actors in emergencies, ask ‘Why not partner?’ whenever we plan programming, and partner as equals.

CONTEXT:

The Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) in Ituri Province. On May 17, 2026, WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and it has since become the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in DRC and the fastest-expanding on record. The outbreak is unfolding in a highly complex humanitarian and security context marked by chronic insecurity, armed group activity, repeated population displacement, and high levels of cross-border movement, particularly with Uganda and South Sudan.

Autres informations

The IRC is supporting containment of the outbreak in Ituri and North Kivu. IRC’s primary focus is to support existing primary health care (PHC) facilities to ensure safe continuity of services, strengthen infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and infrastructure, raise community awareness of behaviors that limit further spread, and reinforce the protective environment, including through MHPSS support.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The position of  Program Lead, Ebola Response  (PL) is a member of the Ebola Response Senior Management Team and is integral to the successful implementation of IRC’s programs in the affected provinces. Working under the direction of the Ebola Response Director, the PL will be responsible for overall leadership in the design, implementation, and management of the Ebola Response’s programs to address clients’ needs and priorities. She/he will be responsible for providing strategic direction of programs, conceptualizing and promoting innovations, and continuing to deepen the impact of IRC’s programs on the ground. The PL assists the Ebola Response Director in the integrated planning and implementation of activities crucial to the success of local programs. This includes internal and external coordination and stakeholder engagement, including with donors, government and non-government partners, and IRC technical and regional support teams; overseeing multi-sector project design and implementation; managing sector teams to propose, coordinate, and deliver quality programs aligned with strategic priorities and beneficiary needs; and managing strategic funding opportunity tracking, partnering and pre-positioning decisions.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Strategy, Design and Fundraising Lead the operationalization of IRC’s current Ebola Response strategy and actively engage in strategic planning processes to shape the response’s longer-term direction. Perform regular analysis of the outbreak and ensure IRC’s strategy and operational presence is responsive to those needs and highly mobile program models. Work closely with Coordinators and HQ-based Emergency Unit and Technical Unit staff to ensure that project design reflects IRC’s program quality standards and adheres to industry best practices. Lead efforts to achieve sustainable program growth, proactively identifying opportunities for new programming initiatives and placing particular emphasis on securing multi-year funding to sustain them. Provide leadership and strategic support to program and grants teams as they develop competitive, evidence-based, and cost-effective funding applications. Provide guidance, strategies, and tools to ensure that program choices are grounded in the findings of needs assessments (drawing on both primary and secondary data), rigorous analysis, meaningful input from affected communities, a thorough understanding of context, technical best practices, and operational viability. Formulate integrated program initiatives that allow technical sectors to complement one another, while promoting the mainstreaming of protection principles and gender-responsive approaches throughout programming. Program Management — Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Provide overall leadership of IRC’s Ebola Response program portfolio, ensuring strategic coherence, well-managed growth, and full compliance with IRC and donor regulations. Build the capacity of program team members, both individually and as a team. Work with Program Coordinators and the Operations team to develop and adapt detailed, realistic, and feasible implementation plans. Collaborate with the Senior Management Team to uphold management, compliance, and performance standards, and to maintain effective systems for budget, knowledge, and risk management. Support program staff in capturing, documenting, and disseminating lessons learned and best practices, feeding them into future project design. Work with program staff to develop robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans, including methodologies and tools that strengthen data collection, analysis, and reporting quality. Review M&E and accountability data with program staff to identify and address gaps in operational performance. Champion IRC’s “partner first” approach, building strategic, respectful, and empowering relationships with local organizations, and ensuring partners are actively engaged in decision-making, program design, and service delivery, positioning IRC as a partner of choice. Ensure partnership management is high-quality, accountable, and collaborative, including oversight of partner-led delivery, adaptive technical support, and consistent application of IRC’s partnership framework and principles. Grants Management Provide strategic leadership in developing and executing a comprehensive funding strategy: expanding and strengthening the donor base, driving excellence in grants management and compliance, strengthening program and grants information systems, and contributing to high-quality proposals and reporting.

Oversee internal and external reporting in coordination with the Ebola Response Director across programs and finance, ensuring reports are well-written, timely, and meet donor, IRC, and partner requirements; conduct thorough review of all external reports compiled by the Grants Coordinator. Ensure Program Coordinators conduct routine monitoring visits to implementation sites to verify donor compliance and program quality. Work with Program Coordinators and the Grants and Finance teams to maintain sound budget management, expense control, and timely contractual documentation. Support the Grants Coordinator in leading Grant Opening, Monitoring and Closing Meetings with relevant departments, ensuring these occur on schedule, and that programming staff are well equipped to manage project budgets. Ensure Program Coordinators review Budget vs. Actual reports regularly, and provide the leadership needed for effective monthly grant review meetings. Mitigate financial risk by working with the Finance Department to ensure programming staff fully understand the financial and administrative processes involved across project budget cycles. Integrate partnership considerations into program design and Go/No-Go funding decisions, engaging partners proactively throughout program and project development.

Présentation du poste

External Representation and Advocacy Maintain a strong working knowledge of IRC’s programming in the epicenter zones to represent IRC credibly in coordination forums and with implementing partners, authorities, and donors. Support the Ebola Response Director in cultivating donor relationships, including donor visits and the development of targeted advocacy. Build and sustain strong partnerships with implementing organizations through regular communication, cooperation, and joint decision-making where appropriate. Serve as the focal point for program-related communication between IRC’s regional and global country programs. Identify and track funding opportunities in collaboration with technical teams. Guide programmatic input into advocacy and communications efforts, both in-country and globally. Staff Management and Development Supervise Program Coordinators and program staff, setting clear expectations and objectives, providing proactive wellbeing support, and delivering timely, constructive feedback. Foster an inclusive team culture centered on achieving individual and team results, grounded in mutual respect, inclusion, trust, active listening, ownership, learning, accountability, and openness. Apply IRC’s performance management system consistently, providing regular, thoughtful coaching, feedback, and professional development to direct reports, and ensuring they do the same for their own teams.

Strengthen programming staff’s project management skills and ensure new capabilities are applied on the job. Lead recruitment, hiring, and development of high-performing staff, preparing them for greater responsibility. Provide leadership to ensure successful rollout of and adherence to IRC’s Global People and Culture Operating Policies and Procedures. Hold regular, high-quality 1:1s with each direct report (at least biweekly) balancing interpersonal connection with work priorities. Model and reinforce healthy work-life balance practices to support staff well-being.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position Reports to:  Ebola Response Director Position directly supervises:  Ebola Response Program Coordinators (5) Internal:  Ebola Response Senior Management Team members, Emergency Unit, Regional RPAS team, Finance department, Comms & ER, Regional and HQ Support Departments. Close collaboration with P&C on People matters. The Program Lead will work in close coordination with the DRC Country Program leadership and technical teams to ensure alignment between Ebola response interventions and the broader country strategy, facilitate knowledge sharing, leverage operational and technical synergies, resource mobilization, and plan for the transition to the national program at the appropriate time, if the context permits External:  Other humanitarian organizations operating in Ebola-impacted areas, authorities, UN agencies, community stakeholders and donors

REQUIREMENTS

Expérience

Minimum eight years of leadership experience in emergency, conflict and epidemic outbreak settings, including at least five years managing NGO programs. Prior experience in an Ebola outbreak would be an advantage. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and prioritize under pressure, with a track record of rapid, sound analysis of complex issues, strong decision-making, and translating strategic priorities into actionable operational plans. Proven experience managing protection, WASH, cash, and primary health programs, along with experience partnering with local organizations. Track record of delivering programs successfully in rapidly changing, complex security environments. Demonstrated experience with mobile program models and remote management. Demonstrated success developing winning proposals for public and private-sector donors. Proven leadership of multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural teams, with strong mentoring, coaching, motivational, and team-building skills. Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and fair treatment of staff, and ability to identify and address barriers to inclusion for marginalized groups in emergency response. Prior experience managing programs funded by government agencies, FCDO, ECHO, foundations, and private donors required; experience in competitive funding environments a plus. Demonstrated ability to deliver projects on time, within budget, and to expected results. Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively while maintaining high-quality outcomes. Experience working in DRC is an advantage. Fluency in English and French required. (Version Francaise)

CONTEXTE :

Répondant aux pires crises humanitaires du monde, le personnel de l’International Rescue Committee est une force pour l’humanité et l’espoir. Si vous êtes compétent(e) et passionné(e), nous aimerions ajouter votre énergie à la nôtre. Par le biais de son Unité d’urgence (EmU), l’IRC est l’une des plus grandes agences humanitaires au monde, menant des interventions d’urgence rapides qui apportent une assistance vitale, un rétablissement précoce et un soutien à la stabilisation aux personnes touchées par les conflits, les déplacements, les catastrophes naturelles et les urgences complexes dans de multiples contextes à travers le monde. Nous nous engageons à innover, à faire preuve d’agilité et à établir des partenariats solides pour mener une action humanitaire opportune et efficace. Actifs dans les domaines de la santé publique, de l’éducation en situation d’urgence, de l’aide en espèces et des besoins de base, ainsi que de la protection et de la promotion des droits, nous accompagnons les personnes du danger vers un foyer. L’IRC reconnaît que les personnes touchées par une crise, et les acteurs qui leur sont le plus proches, sont les mieux placés, ont le droit, et devraient avoir le pouvoir et les ressources nécessaires pour répondre à la crise et impulser un changement durable. Nous nous engageons à augmenter la part du financement acheminée vers les acteurs locaux dans les situations d’urgence, à nous demander « Pourquoi ne pas établir un partenariat ? » chaque fois que nous planifions des programmes, et à nous associer en tant que partenaires égaux.

CONTEXTE DE LA MISSION :

Le ministère de la Santé publique de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) a déclaré la 17e épidémie d’Ebola du pays le 15 mai 2026, suite à la confirmation en laboratoire de la maladie à virus Bundibugyo (BVD) dans la province de l’Ituri. Le 17 mai 2026, l’OMS a déclaré l’épidémie Urgence de santé publique de portée internationale (USPPI), et celle-ci est depuis devenue la plus grande épidémie d’Ebola jamais signalée en RDC, ainsi que la plus rapide en termes d’expansion jamais enregistrée. L’épidémie se déroule dans un contexte humanitaire et sécuritaire très complexe, marqué par une insécurité chronique, l’activité de groupes armés, des déplacements répétés de population et des niveaux élevés de mouvements transfrontaliers, en particulier avec l’Ouganda et le Soudan du Sud. L’IRC soutient l’effort de confinement de l’épidémie dans l’Ituri et le Nord-Kivu. L’objectif principal de l’IRC est de soutenir les structures de soins de santé primaires (SSP) existantes afin d’assurer la continuité sécurisée des services, de renforcer les pratiques et infrastructures de prévention et de contrôle des infections (PCI), de sensibiliser les communautés aux comportements qui limitent la propagation de la maladie, et de renforcer l’environnement protecteur, notamment par un soutien en santé mentale et soutien psychosocial (MHPSS).

APERÇU DU POSTE :

Le poste de Responsable de programme, Réponse Ebola (PL) est membre de l’Équipe de direction senior de la Réponse Ebola et joue un rôle essentiel dans la mise en œuvre réussie des programmes de l’IRC dans les provinces touchées. Sous la direction du/de la Directeur/Directrice de la Réponse Ebola, le/la PL sera responsable de la direction générale de la conception, de la mise en œuvre et de la gestion des programmes de la Réponse Ebola afin de répondre aux besoins et priorités des clients. Il/elle sera chargé(e) de fournir une orientation stratégique aux programmes, de conceptualiser et de promouvoir des innovations, et de continuer à approfondir l’impact des programmes de l’IRC sur le terrain. Le/la PL assiste le/la Directeur/Directrice de la Réponse Ebola dans la planification intégrée et la mise en œuvre des activités essentielles au succès des programmes locaux. Cela comprend la coordination interne et externe et l’engagement des parties prenantes, y compris avec les donateurs, les partenaires gouvernementaux et non gouvernementaux, ainsi que les équipes techniques et régionales de soutien de l’IRC ; la supervision de la conception et de la mise en œuvre de projets multisectoriels ; la gestion des équipes sectorielles afin de proposer, coordonner et mettre en œuvre des programmes de qualité alignés sur les priorités stratégiques et les besoins des bénéficiaires ; et la gestion du suivi des opportunités de financement stratégiques, du partenariat et des décisions de pré-positionnement.

Responsabilités

Stratégie de programme, conception et collecte de fonds Diriger l’opérationnalisation de la stratégie actuelle de la Réponse Ebola de l’IRC et participer activement aux processus de planification stratégique afin de façonner l’orientation à long terme de la réponse. Effectuer une analyse régulière de l’épidémie et veiller à ce que la stratégie et la présence opérationnelle de l’IRC répondent à ces besoins ainsi qu’à des modèles de programmes hautement mobiles. Travailler en étroite collaboration avec les Coordinateurs et le personnel de l’Unité d’urgence et de l’Unité technique basé au siège afin de garantir que la conception des projets reflète les normes de qualité des programmes de l’IRC et respecte les meilleures pratiques du secteur.

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