Deputy Director of Operations - DDO

Country: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Organization: International Rescue Committee Closing date: 6 Sep 2026 BACKGROUND The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in almost 40 countries and several U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home. As the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues, the risk of hyperinflation and mobility restrictions severely constrain access to basic goods and services. To date, around 8 million Venezuelans have left the country. IRC has responded to the crisis by supporting Venezuelans within Venezuela and across the larger diaspora, providing health, nutrition, WASH, economic recovery, protection, and education services. This response became even more urgent on June 24, 2026, when a pair of major earthquakes (magnitude 7.2 and 7.5) struck Venezuela’s densely populated northern coast near Caracas and La Guaira, collapsing buildings, killing and injuring thousands, and severely damaging health facilities and power and water systems. IRC has scaled up an emergency response alongside its existing programming to meet the acute needs created by the earthquakes, adding significant operational demands to an already complex humanitarian context. Simultaneously, escalating violence and armed conflict have created severe protection risks in Colombia and Ecuador. This escalation of violence compounds existing pressures in both countries from hosting 2.8M and 441,000 Venezuelan migrants, respectively. Across the region, the escalation in violence and conflict is now driving new waves of internal displacement or confinement, directly disrupting access to services, deteriorating health and protective systems, and increasing gaps in care provision. In this context, IRC works, together with local organizations, to support conflict-affected communities in Colombia and Ecuador, and earthquake- and crisis-affected communities in Venezuela, to access basic goods and services including education, health and protection. This position is open to national candidates only, or candidates with current residency in the country. SCOPE OF WORK The Deputy Director of Operations (DDO) will play a key role in the overall leadership of operations and coordination of support to programs across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and accountability across a complex, multi-country operating environment. The day-to-day portfolio will include direct supervision of the operations teams including Administration, IT, and Supply Chain, as well as supervision of Field-level management, working closely with the Finance department and the Country Director (CD) on overall financial management. The DDO will also work closely with HR to ensure that staff safety, wellbeing and duty of care are embedded across all three country operations. The DDO together with other members of the SMT will ensure the missions workplans are executed in a timely manner and within budget. Given the scale and volatility of the operating environment — including the ongoing earthquake emergency response in Venezuela and heightened insecurity in Colombia — this role requires an individual capable of operating with a high degree of autonomy, exercising sound judgment under pressure, and adapting quickly to rapidly evolving and dynamic situations, often with limited connectivity or access to senior leadership for real-time guidance. Success in this position requires an individual with proven leadership skills in setting up emergency operations in a complex security environment, while supporting rapid and speedy delivery of humanitarian supplies to clients in partnership with government and partner organizations. Individuals must have strong communications and interpersonal skills working in a multicultural environment. Given the operating environment, the DDO will need to understand situation awareness and incorporate risk management into their planning. Reporting to the Country Director and serving as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Deputy Director is expected to contribute to strategic thinking on operations, security and overall coordination efforts across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. This position maintains close working relationships with the Deputy Director of Programs, Sector Coordinators, the Senior Coordinator for Finance, the Safety and Security Coordinator(s), and the partnership staff, as well as other program and region-based staff. The DDO will be based in either Caracas, Venezuela or Bogotá, Colombia, with frequent travel to the other two countries as needed and as security conditions allow. The position will have a dotted supervisory line up to the Regional Supply Chain Director (RSCD). RESPONSIBILITIES Administration & Supply Chain • Supervision of the Supply Chain Coordinator(s) across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. • Verify that Administration & Supply Chain policies and procedures are documented, disseminated and consistently applied across all three country programs. • Oversee external financial commitments including procurement contracts and lease agreements for offices, guesthouses and warehouses across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. • Ensure that compliance monitoring processes are developed and effectively implemented, with particular attention to procurement integrity risks in high-risk and access-constrained environments. • Assist the Administration & Supply Chain staff in developing and managing appropriate coordination mechanisms to ensure that all operational units are interacting well with each other, as well as with the Regional Unit, Global Supply Chain (GSC), the Country Office, across different field sites, and other IRC support entities. • Assist supply chain staff in partnering effectively and cooperatively with other units to improve planning and resource utilization. Work with program staff to ensure procurement planning and identification of operational support needs, including the fast-moving needs of the Venezuela earthquake emergency response. • In collaboration with the RSCD, Finance, and the Deputy Director Programs, ensure systems are streamlined between Supply Chain and Finance to support program implementation through timely procurement plans, spending plans and activity plans • Provide input including operational risk analysis and recommendations to the Country Director and Finance Controller related to operations spending and effectiveness of in-country reporting and planning systems. • Ensure full proactive involvement of key processes with the finance department including budget versus actual report input and necessary information for operational budget accuracy. • Provide support to all field and program teams to ensure all field offices — in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador — function efficiently and transparently and in compliance with IRC procurement guidelines, adapting procurement modalities as needed in insecure or access-constrained areas. Information Technology • Manage the Information Technology (IT) Officer(s) across the region. • Verify that information technology policies and procedures are documented, disseminated and consistently applied across all three country programs. • Ensure that all staff and offices across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador meet IRC’s IT compliance standards, and ensure continuous monitoring of risks with the Regional IT Director and HQ IT staff, taking mitigation measures as needed — including for offices operating in the earthquake-affected areas of Venezuela. • Support the IT staff to provide top-tier and effective IT services and support to the Country Office and across all field sites, including contingency planning for connectivity disruptions in insecure or disaster-affected areas. Safety & Security • Work closely with the Safety and Security Coordinator(s) and the Regional Safety & Security Director assessing the operating context and conditions impacting program implementation. • Support crisis management response for security incidents and natural disasters, coordinating closely with the Country Director, the Regional team and HQ as needed. • Ensure all staff receive appropriate security briefings, training and equipment, and that duty-of-care obligations are met across all three countries. • In coordination with the Safety and Security Coordinator, monitor the security and operational environment on an ongoing basis, exercising independent judgment to adjust movement, programming or staffing decisions in real time when conditions change rapidly. Field Staff Management • Manage the Field Coordinators and Managers in all three countries. • Ensure strong working relationships between the Field Offices, Country Operations and Program teams across all three countries. Programs Support, Strategy and Business Development • Work with the CD to identify opportunities for program expansion, including in the context of the Venezuela earthquake response, and support Field Office operations set-up where applicable. • Support the Finance team in the development and updating of the country operating budgets across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, in coordination with the CD. • Work with the CD on the Country Program Strategic Planning process across the three countries. • Provide added support to program coordinators as required, particularly during emergency scale-up periods. • Support Operations Coordinator(s) in accompaniment of programs in the development of detailed procurement and distribution plans at the start of each new project. Coordination & Representation • Serve as an active member of the country program’s Senior Management Team and occasionally deputize for the Country Director when they are out of the country or on leave. • Provide senior-level representation on safety and security matters in inter-agency, donor and government coordination forums across Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. • Ensure proactive communication within the Regional Unit, HQ Support Departments and NY offices as appropriate, including timely escalation of emerging operational and security risks. • Support, where necessary, IRC partners’ assessment and improve/support their operational capacity, including partners engaged in the Venezuela earthquake response. Key Working Relationships • Position Reports to: Country Director and management in partnerships (MiP) with Regional Supply Chain Director (RSCD) Position directly supervises: Supply Chain Staff, IT staff; Admin and operations Staff • Internal: Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) grants lead, P&C Lead, Finance Lead, Regional and HQ Support Departments, regional leads and Emu counterparts. • External: Country counterparts, Government bodies, community stakeholders PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS • At least five years of progressively responsible international work experience, including at least three years in a leadership role at the Deputy Director level of multi-site, multi-sectoral operations in a complex, insecure operating environment • Experience working on emergency operations office start-up, including natural disaster or rapid-onset emergency response • Demonstrated successful leadership and management experience with a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting, including active mentoring and coaching • Proven experience delivering appropriate levels oversight of a portfolio consisting of a variety of complex, high-value donor-funded projects • Substantial experience managing security in a fluid, high-risk environment; • Demonstrated ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy and sound judgment in dynamic, fast-changing and access-constrained contexts; • Ability to work, live and thrive in a complex, insecure environment; • Skilled at building trusting effective relationships and coordinating operations within a large, geographically dispersed team • Strong budget and fiscal oversight capacities • Established capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations • Ability to respond to multiple, simultaneous priorities across different country contexts in a timely manner, producing high-quality outcomes • Previous experience working in region and/or with IRC preferred • Fluency in Spanish and English required. • Excellent leadership, people management, interpersonal and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to develop harmonious teams in a cross-cultural, multi-country context. • Strong negotiation skills with contractors and vendors. • Experience in IT is strongly preferred. • Regional experience is preferred. Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, 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. Working Environment: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. How to apply https://theirc.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/External_Careers/job/Caracas-Venezuela/Deputy-director-of-operations---DDO_JR00004443