Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. 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.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

Background to the position

In virtually all countries, people increasingly rely on and expect a diverse range of digital services (e.g., through their mobile devices) to interact with local government, companies, and community organizations and services. This disruption is already happening to humanitarian assistance. Yet, the Digital Divide remains a persistent and significant challenge at both national and local levels.

The need for a successful and large-scale digital transformation is urgent. And Digitally Transforming the IFRC and its 192 members is a complex process which requires collaborative action and support across the membership. Therefore, the IFRC recently developed a Digital Transformation Strategy which was approved by the IFRC Governing Board in May 2021.

The Digital Transformation Department (DTD) has full leadership responsibility for the implementation of the digital transformation strategy and the positive impact it will have on the 192 National Society members of the IFRC. The DTD provides strategic leadership and guides the IFRC Secretariat as well as the members network to adapt and innovate humanitarian services, drawing on digital services, data-enabled decision-making, and other opportunities for digital transformation in support of the IFRC’s Strategy 2030. In addition, the DTD is responsible for the development and implementation of business transformation, information technology and digitalization services throughout the IFRC Secretariat, thereby supporting the same transformation in 192 national societies, setting the vision, and drawing stakeholders together on this digital journey.

The position holder works within the Digital Products & Services Unit (Digital unit) and will cooperate and collaborate closely with the colleagues of the other three Units: Enterprise Architecture, Strategy & Planning; Data Management and Service delivery.

The responsibilities of the Digital unit includes IFRCs digital strategy development and implementation, leading and overseeing the development and management of digital products and services, for both the IFRC Secretariat’s business operations and digital products and services.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this role is to provide human-centered design leadership and strengthen design thinking and processes across the IFRC-network. The position holder plans, designs, and ensures design deliverables that transform businesses by focusing on digital architecture and usability. The goal is to ensure that digital products and services developed or coordinated by the Secretariat are feasible, viable, and desired, reinforcing accountability to end-users and people served.

The position holder will provide design leadership across the IFRC network, deliver high-quality design services, and contribute to building an effective, fit-for-purpose Digital Transformation Department.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide Design leadership across the IFRC-network,

• Collaborate with National Societies, human centred design experts within and outside the IFRC network to strengthen design thinking and processes across the IFRC network.
• Co-create design processes, tools and design principles and unified design language.
• Facilitate training sessions on human-centered design to socialize the approach and its benefits. Lead the development of a practice to analyze user insights from various disciplines and create a database of humanitarian design insights for future projects.
• Promote design thinking and enhance design capabilities within the IFRC-membership network.
• Develop procedures to ensure design experts are available on-call for time-bound support to National Societies and the Secretariat.

2. Deliver design services

• Support product development teams in planning and integrating design work within their workplans, budgets, and performance metrics.
• Plan and lead workshops to gather requirements using techniques to break down barriers, communicate better and generate new ideas.
• Coordinate user research using methodologies such as user tests, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and surveys.
• Identify key stakeholders, end-users, application focal points, including their motivations, working conditions, preferences to gather sufficient and relevant input for an efficient design.
• Facilitate brainstorming sessions with cross-disciplinary teams to convert research findings into vision and design strategies.
• Ensure projects are reviewed to ensure design requirements are implemented, and that design reviews are part of the end-user acceptance test.
• Support and coach teams in design methodologies to make their products and services more user centric
• Increase end-user and management satisfaction and acceptance of solutions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

3. Contribute to the building of an effective, high-quality, fit-for-purpose Digital Transformation Department

• Grow human centered design practice and lead, manage members of growing team; this may include periodic or longer-term, directly or indirectly assigned staff from National Societies teams or external partners to work on digital products within the portfolio.
• Managing consultants or suppliers attracted to deliver on above responsibilities.
• Collaborate effectively with Secretariat’s Divisions’, DTD colleagues and IFRC-membership experts to fulfill key responsibilities, and to produce key deliverables successfully to ensure the effective delivery of objectives pertaining to the IFRC DT strategy, Agenda for Renewal and Strategy2030.
• Act as the lead expert on human centred design within the IFRC-membership.
• Partner with other colleagues with digital-related roles across the Secretariat.
• Consult and advise stakeholders, including regional and divisional staff members; share expertise and knowledge freely as and where required. Provide training, documentation, etc., when required.
• Be accountable to the Manager Digital Unit on progress made and delivery, providing data for reporting from the department.
• Be a pro-active advisor and dynamic team member, supporting operational content areas and/or organizational change.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including peer organizations, participate in communities of practice and professional associations. Develop networking and exchange initiatives in order to keep abreast of emerging trends and integrate good design
• IFRC (quality) standards and operating procedures: Ensures ITIL and IFRC quality standards are applied across all responsibility areas as relevant and performs duties in standard IFRC tools. Ensures availability and development of standard operating procedures and/or guidelines and required documentation is delivered and where relevant available into the Service Management Tool.

Duties applicable to all staff.

• Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager
• Do whatever it takes, with a positive can-do attitude to ensure success of the DT strategy, goals and objectives.

Education

• University degree (or equivalent) in design (e.g. Industrial Design, Strategic Product Design, Human Centred Design, User Experience Design). Required.
• Track record showing the capacity to use design to understand user needs and provide insights to project- and development teams in a easy to understand way to improve humanitarian products & processes, operations and decision-making and to scale Product adoption from local to global. Required.
• Track record in working with cross-functional and development teams to integrate design into digital products. Required.
• Design thinking or User Experience professional certification. Preferred.

Experience

• A minimum of six years of relevant postgraduate design experience and at least 2 years of experience with managing people and teams. Required.
• Experience within the RC RC Movement and/ or international humanitarian or development organisations. Preferred.
• Experienced leader in design strategy, execution and tools with an ability to understand and articulate the desirability, viability and feasibility of solutions. Required.
• Experience in researching, designing and proposing digital product and services, with mobile layouts in mind. Required.
• Experience in formulation of digital product vision, impact and business value models. Required.
• Experience in working in cross-functional teams. Required.
• Experience in leading, coordinating and overseeing work by others, such as consultants or vendors. Required.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Strong coordination and collaboration abilities. Required.
• Proficiency using contemporary design tools to solve complex problems and communicate in visually stunning detail. Required.
• Ability to effectively articulate technical and non-technical information to multiple audiences and levels. Required.
• Strong skills in generating and modelling ideas. Required.
• Strong visualisation skills. Required.
• Excellent communication, story telling, collaboration and influencing skills. Required.
• Ability to drive results, and create culture that fosters proactive action, actively prioritize, set high standards. Required.
• Developing others: Push autonomy and empowerment, view people development as imperative, create culture of accountability. Preferred.
• Up-to-date technology knowledge, including of disruptive technologies, and digital product development, to ensure that the organization’s digital portfolio is innovative, relevant, and engaging. Preferred.
• Propensity for embracing change and ambiguity: anticipate emerging conditions and demands, embrace widespread organizational change, navigate complex dynamics, view uncertainty and disruption as an opportunity. Preferred.
• Able to network effectively and influence and inspire others including peers, the membership and other stakeholders. Required.
• Proven training, knowledge transfer and coaching skills. Required.
• Proven teamwork and trust-building skills, including development of effective and efficient networks and partnerships within and outside of the organization. Required.
• Ability to identify and understand complex problems and effectively and pro-actively drive resolution. Required.
• Fluently spoken and written English. Required.
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic). Preferred.

Competencies, Values and Comments

• Core Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others
• Managerial competencies: Managing staff performance; Managing staff development