Economic Empowerment Head of Program

The Economic Empowerment Head of Program will provide strategic leadership and technical guidance for IRC Poland’s Economic Development portfolio, focusing on program growth, quality, and impact. The role oversees expansion and implementation of economic inclusion programs aligned with refugee and host community needs, manages the EE team, and ensures effective program execution and capacity strengthening.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and expansion of IRC Poland’s Economic Empowerment programs, ensuring alignment with IRC’s global economic recovery strategy and local market conditions.
• Identify new funding opportunities and lead proposal development in collaboration with the HoGER/ Grants and Partners Team.
• Strengthen partnerships with government agencies, private sector actors, and donors to expand economic opportunities for refugees.
• Conduct assessments and market analyses to inform evidence-based programming.
• Bring strategic vision, new ideas, and innovative thinking to the design of the Economic Empowerment portfolio, strengthening forward planning and the team's ability to anticipate and respond quickly to a changing context.
• Ensure Economic Empowerment programs are high-quality, impactful, and adaptable, utilizing best practices and innovation.
• Develop and oversee monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEAL) frameworks, ensuring data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Promote integration of employment services into broader economic recovery initiatives.
• Lead the development of tools, training materials, and methodologies to enhance program delivery.
• Directly manage and mentor the EE Team, providing guidance, capacity-building, and performance support.
• Oversee Economic Empowerment program Staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Ensure the team has access to training, resources, and technical expertise to execute programs effectively.
• Promote Staff well-being, professional development, and leadership opportunities.
• Ensure the team delivers projects efficiently and to a high standard, while proactively monitoring workload to prevent overload and burnout.
• Ensure EE team well – being and duty of care, including by proactively supporting team members in planning and using their full annual leave entitlement, setting an example of healthy work-life balance and sustainable pace within the team.
• Represent IRC in coordination forums, working groups, and strategic discussions related to economic recovery and development.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with donors, partners, government entities, and private sector actors to advance Economic Empowerment programming.
• Advocate for refugee economic inclusion policies and labor market access in Poland.

Requirements

• MA in Economics, International Development, Social Sciences, Business, or a related field.
• 8–10 years in the social / humanitarian sector, at least 5 in an international NGO, including demonstrated experience leading economic empowerment, livelihoods, or economic-inclusion programs.
• Proven experience managing and developing teams — coaching, performance management, and building an engaged, collaborative team.
• Technical expertise in economic inclusion, livelihoods, employment and entrepreneurship, and/or financial inclusion; designing and delivering evidence-based, market-relevant programs.
• Experience in full project-cycle management, budget management, donor compliance, and MEAL / use of data.
• Strategic and forward planning, needs and market assessment, and the ability to adapt programming to a changing operating environment.
• Experience contributing to fundraising and proposal development in collaboration with the Head of Growth and External Relations.
• Strong communication skills and experience working with partners, donors, and government institutions.
• Fluent Polish (C2, native) and English (C1-C2).
• Desirable: Knowledge of the refugee response context in Poland / CEE, and experience with EU and Polish government funding.

Skills

• Economic Empowerment Program Management
• Livelihoods Programme Design
• Economic Inclusion
• Financial Inclusion Knowledge
• Employment Program Development
• Entrepreneurship Program Design
• Team Management
• Performance Management
• Coaching
• Project Cycle Management
• Budget Management
• Donor Compliance
• MEAL
• Data Use in Programs
• Strategic Planning
• Market Assessments
• Needs Assessment
• Fundraising
• Proposal Development
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Polish Language
• English Language

Languages

Polish, English