Innovation Strategy Lead

International Rescue Committee•New York, NY

1d•$80,000 - $95,000

About The Position

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. The Innovation Strategy Lead will work across the innovation portfolio to translate promising ideas into clear, actionable strategies and product roadmaps. The role partners closely with technical experts, country teams, and leadership to clarify vision, prioritize pathways, manage risk, and enable rapid, disciplined execution. This role is designed for a strategist who is comfortable operating in ambiguity and complexity—bringing structure, sequencing, and momentum to work that spans multiple stakeholders and uncertain pathways to scale. This role is an ideal fit for a strategist who wants to drive on-the-ground implementation of breakthrough innovations with cross-functional teams of experts.

Requirements

Significant experience (typically 6-8 years) in strategy, program design, innovation delivery, or related roles within global development, humanitarian action, consulting, or adjacent sectors.
Demonstrated ability to translate complex, ambiguous ideas into clear strategies and execution plans.
Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills, with experience working across diverse technical and operational teams.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including comfort with sequencing, prioritization, and risk assessment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize and present complex information clearly.
Comfort operating in fast-moving, evolving environments where pathways are not fully defined.

Responsibilities

Vision to Strategy: Partner with innovation leads to clarify the long-term vision for new and emerging innovations, and translate that vision into concrete strategies with defined outcomes and success criteria.
Product Roadmapping: Lead the development of product roadmaps that sequence work from concept through deployment and scale, with clear milestones, dependencies, and decision points, accountabilities, and budgets. Drive towards clear decisions that enable teams to execute.
Cross-Functional Alignment: Work very closely with multiple stakeholders - technical experts, country program teams, policy experts, etc - to ensure strategies are grounded in delivery realities and system constraints.
Risk & Opportunity Assessment: Develop plans that address possible risks and opportunities, and adjust in real-time as landscape shifts. Enable teams to balance agility with planned execution towards vision.
Progress Tracking & Adaptation: Drive accountability across all roadmaps - develop the materials to document progress and roadblocks; support regular review cycles both internally and with external partners.

Benefits

10 sick days
10 US holidays
20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure
medical insurance starting at $163 per month
dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month
FSA for healthcare and commuter costs
a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching
disability & life insurance
an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles

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