Team Leader, ReSET Programme

Job Summary

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations, responding to the worst humanitarian crises and helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities.

IRC Uganda is seeking a dynamic Team Leader for an anticipated FCDO-funded 5-year Refugee Support, Empowerment And Transformation (ReSET) programme, which aims to make Uganda's refugee response more sustainable and locally owned.

The Team Leader will provide strategic leadership and overall management for the programme, serving as the primary point of accountability to FCDO, ensuring high-quality programme results, and overseeing a complex consortium of implementing partners.

This role will lead efforts to deliver lifesaving assistance and support self-reliance and resilience for refugees and host communities in Uganda through two pillars: Pillar 1 - Lifesaving Assistance meeting core needs via multisectoral assistance and cash-first principles, and Pillar 2 - Self-Reliance and Resilience using evidence-based graduation or lump-sum cash interventions.

Major Responsibilities

Strategic and Operational Leadership: Define and drive the programme's strategic direction, developing annual work plans aligned with FCDO's results framework and IRC's organizational standards. Ensure programme delivery is coherent, high-quality, and compliant with IRC policies, FCDO requirements, and applicable legal frameworks.

Technical Oversight: Provide strategic guidance on multisectoral assistance and protection for the most vulnerable refugees, including multipurpose cash delivery and protection referral systems (Pillar 1). Lead technical direction on evidence-based graduation models and livelihoods programming designed to replace aid dependency with sustainable self-reliance (Pillar 2). Champion protection primacy, gender equality, and social inclusion across all programme activities.

Consortium and Partnership Management: Manage relationships with consortium partner organizations, ensuring shared understanding of programme objectives, roles, and compliance requirements. Support the Deputy Team Leader in partner financial and operational oversight, ensuring resources are optimized and reports are submitted on time. Foster a culture of collaborative, locally-led implementation consistent with IRC Uganda's localization ambitions.

Donor Relations and Representation: Serve as the primary interlocutor with FCDO, providing regular strategic updates, formal reports, and proactive communication of risks and progress. Represent ReSET and the IRC at national, regional, and international fora, including technical conferences, policy briefings, and coordination platforms. Maintain active and cooperative relationships with Government of Uganda officials, UN agencies, NGO partners, and other key stakeholders.

Financial and Administrative Oversight: Oversee management of the programme's complex multi-partner budget, ensuring sound financial tracking, effective resource utilization, and timely donor reporting. Manage project procurement in line with IRC and FCDO standards. Lead and support a high-performing, diverse programme team, fostering a work environment built on teamwork, trust, and mutual respect.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: Oversee programme M&E systems to track progress against the results framework and generate high-quality evidence for adaptive management. Ensure timely submission of semi-annual and annual reports to FCDO, incorporating lessons learned and programme adaptations. Promote a culture of reflection, learning, and continuous improvement across the consortium.

Qualifications and Requirements

Education: Master's degree in international development, humanitarian affairs, social sciences, public policy, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience may be considered.

Professional Experience: Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian and/or development programme management, with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles. Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, multi-year, multi-partner programmes funded by major institutional donors such as FCDO, USAID, or EU/ECHO. Proven experience in refugee response programming, ideally encompassing protection, multipurpose cash assistance, and livelihoods/self-reliance programming. Proven experience managing complex multi-partner consortia, including negotiating partnership agreements, managing sub-grants, and building productive relationships with diverse partners. Strong financial management experience with demonstrable skills in budget forecasting, variance analysis, and donor financial compliance. Experience working in refugee response contexts, preferably in East or Central Africa, with strong knowledge of protection standards, UNHCR frameworks, and durable solutions approaches. Track record of high-quality reporting, including the ability to translate complex programme data and narratives into compelling donor reports. Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa; Uganda country experience strongly preferred.

Technical Skills and Knowledge: Strong understanding of cash-based programming and market-based approaches in humanitarian and development contexts. Familiarity with graduation models and evidence-based approaches to building refugee self-reliance. Solid knowledge of protection principles, gender mainstreaming, and accountability to affected persons. Demonstrated financial management competence, including oversight of multi-million-dollar budgets. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; proficiency in additional languages relevant to the Uganda context is an asset.

Core Competencies: Strategic leadership, partnership building, adaptive management, accountability to affected populations, gender and social inclusion, and people management.

Working Environment

Current security level is yellow across all IRC operating areas in Uganda, with the exception of Karamoja region which is orange. The security situation across the country is generally calm with main concerns related to petty crime.

The position is based in Kampala, with expected travel to all field locations. The project is anticipated to begin in August/September 2026, and recruitment is contingent upon successful award of the project.

Standards of Professional Conduct

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Code of Conduct: Integrity, Service, and Accountability. 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.

IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions and offers generous benefits including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances. Qualified female professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.

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