We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join our team as a [Job Title], responsible for [key responsibility 1], ensuring [key responsibility 2], and contributing to [key responsibility 3]. The ideal candidate will possess [required skill/qualification 1], demonstrate proficiency in [required skill/qualification 2], and exhibit strong [required soft skill]. This role requires a minimum of [X years] of experience in [relevant field/industry], along with expertise in [specific tool/software/methodology]. Key duties include [detailed responsibility 1], [detailed responsibility 2], and [detailed responsibility 3], with additional accountability for [specific task or project]. The position offers opportunities to [growth/learning outcome] and collaborate with [team/department/partners].
As a senior technical leader, you will spearhead innovative applied AI initiatives with a focus on delivering humanitarian impact. Leading a cross-functional team of engineers and AI experts, you will architect and deploy AI-driven solutions tailored for programmatic use—including autonomous agent systems, predictive analytics, and diagnostic AI tools—specifically designed to operate in resource-constrained and high-stakes environments.
You will be responsible for three primary areas:
You will shape the technical strategy and direction for IRC’s AI portfolio, guiding programs through informed decisions on build, buy, or partner approaches while establishing architectural frameworks tailored to high-stakes environments. This role involves translating IRC’s AI vision into a precise technical roadmap and designing systems capable of operating reliably in extreme conditions—from offline AI solutions on low-cost smartphones to agentic systems held to rigorous safety standards, and diagnostic models trained on underrepresented populations excluded from mainstream datasets.
You’ll lead a top-tier engineering team, overseeing engineers, applied AI engineers, and QA specialists while elevating engineering standards and fostering a culture that draws exceptional technical talent to purpose-driven initiatives.
As a collaborative thought leader, you will forge deep partnerships with program leaders and strategic allies. Your role involves engaging as a trusted advisor to IRC’s program specialists across health, education, protection, resettlement, and emergency response, co-creating solutions alongside them rather than merely responding to directives. Additionally, you will drive maximum value from our key collaborations with Anthropic, OpenAI, and other pioneering research institutions, leveraging direct access to cutting-edge models, early-stage features, and the researchers who shape them.
We are seeking a highly skilled professional to oversee a diverse range of critical tasks. This role will involve managing key projects, ensuring operational efficiency, and fostering collaboration across departments. Responsibilities will include analyzing performance metrics, implementing process improvements, and maintaining compliance with industry standards. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, exceptional problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to drive innovation within the organization.
AI Strategic Leadership is responsible for charting the organization’s long-term vision for artificial intelligence, ensuring its seamless integration with broader business objectives. This role oversees the development and execution of AI strategies, aligning them with technological advancements and market trends to drive innovation and competitive advantage. Key responsibilities include fostering cross-functional collaboration, identifying high-impact AI opportunities, and mitigating associated risks to maximize return on investment. Additionally, the position champions ethical AI practices, promotes data-driven decision-making, and cultivates a culture of continuous learning and adaptability within the team. Candidates must possess a strong background in AI and machine learning, coupled with leadership experience, strategic thinking, and exceptional communication skills to effectively guide stakeholders and inspire teams toward achieving AI-driven transformation.
Translate the AI strategy and program priorities of IRC into a structured, prioritized technical roadmap, collaborating closely with program leaders, the Senior Vice President of Research, Innovation, AI, and People & Culture, as well as the T4P demand pipeline.
Play a pivotal role in advancing IRC’s initiatives by staying ahead of cutting-edge developments in AI/ML, with a strong focus on agentic systems, multimodal models, and edge/on-device inference, and then translate these innovations into impactful applications for our programs.
As a key contributor to IRC’s AI leadership team, you will collaborate with the Senior Vice President for Research, Innovation, AI, and People & Culture, along with other senior executives, to help define and drive the organization’s strategic direction.
Champion the deployment of responsible, human-centered AI in some of the world’s most sensitive humanitarian contexts, ensuring adherence to the stringent safety standards required by these environments.
Represent the International Rescue Committee in technical exchanges with collaborators, affiliated entities, donors, and stakeholders across the humanitarian and artificial intelligence communities.
Demonstrates strong leadership in guiding and overseeing team dynamics, ensuring efficient collaboration and optimal performance across all assigned responsibilities.
Lead, mentor, and expand a high-performing team comprising engineers, applied AI specialists, and QA professionals. Recruit top-tier talent, elevate performance standards, and foster an environment where exceptional technical professionals are motivated to thrive and contribute.
Develop and implement engineering quality benchmarks, best practices for development, and standardized documentation procedures.
Oversee a prioritized backlog of program innovations while aligning team capacity with demand to ensure efficient execution.
Elevate the team’s AI development and DevOps practices to an advanced level while fostering widespread stakeholder engagement throughout the organization.
Explore avenues to obtain funding allocations that align with strategic innovation initiatives.
Foster collaborative alliances across diverse organizational departments by aligning strategic objectives with cross-functional teams, ensuring cohesive project execution and integrated deliverables.
Act as a trusted collaborator for program leaders, offering AI expertise to address their challenges while maintaining a grounded perspective on the field’s practicalities.
Develop collaborative solutions that address real-world challenges, avoiding technology-centric approaches that prioritize solutions before identifying actual problems.
Collaborate closely with the Enterprise Applications team to facilitate seamless transitions of validated innovations for widespread organizational deployment.
Collaborate closely with the Enterprise Applications DevOps team to align on integration touchpoints, infrastructure dependencies, and shared engineering standards.
As part of our strategic initiatives, we are seeking to establish and nurture high-impact partnerships with leading AI organizations. This role will focus on identifying, negotiating, and managing collaborations that drive innovation, expand market reach, and enhance our technological capabilities. Key responsibilities include cultivating relationships with key stakeholders, aligning partnership objectives with corporate goals, and ensuring seamless execution of joint initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of the AI landscape, exceptional negotiation skills, and a proven track record in partnership development. A background in business development, technology, or related fields is required, along with strong communication and project management abilities.
As the technical lead, you will spearhead IRC’s strategic partnerships with pioneering AI organizations, driving the progression from initial engagements to enduring, high-impact collaborations.
Evaluate opportunities to leverage partnership access—including compute resources, cutting-edge models, and specialized technical expertise—to achieve disproportionately high program impact.
Solution Design and Engineering involves crafting tailored technical solutions to address complex business challenges, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and industry best practices. This role requires expertise in system architecture, data modeling, and integration methodologies to develop scalable and efficient solutions. Responsibilities include collaborating with stakeholders to define requirements, designing innovative architectures, and overseeing implementation to enhance operational efficiency and performance. Proficiency in relevant technologies, strong analytical skills, and a proactive problem-solving approach are essential for success in this position.
Spearhead the design and implementation of AI-powered and program-specific technological solutions, overseeing the entire development lifecycle—from initial requirements gathering to final delivery and handoff.
Collaborate with program and business stakeholders to collect requirements, establish technical solutions, and propose approaches based on a comprehensive grasp of program objectives.
Design and implement resilient, highly available architectures within Microsoft Azure, integrating robust redundancy, advanced security measures, backup solutions, and comprehensive recovery protocols—particularly for handling sensitive humanitarian data.
Investigate and propose innovative technology solutions, with a specific emphasis on AI/ML, to facilitate procurement processes, drive development initiatives, and inform key strategic decisions.
We are seeking a skilled professional to oversee DevOps and Engineering Operations, ensuring seamless integration of development, testing, and deployment processes. The ideal candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance system reliability, optimize performance, and implement scalable solutions. Responsibilities include managing infrastructure, automating workflows, monitoring system health, and resolving operational issues promptly. Experience with cloud platforms, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code tools is essential, along with strong troubleshooting and scripting skills. Proficiency in configuration management and a deep understanding of DevOps best practices are required. The role demands a proactive approach to continuous improvement and a commitment to fostering collaboration across departments.
Responsibilities include managing deployment pipelines, automating CI/CD processes, implementing infrastructure-as-code solutions, and overseeing QA procedures to uphold efficient and dependable software delivery.
Continuously maintain application availability and optimal performance by conducting diligent monitoring, dynamically scaling resources, and implementing proactive operational strategies.
Monitor and refine expenditures related to cloud services and model inference operations to enhance cost efficiency.
Maintain comprehensive technical and policy documentation for all assets within the scope of the team’s oversight.
Key Working Relationships
Reports to the Chief Information Officer while collaborating closely with the Senior Vice President of Research, Innovation, AI, and People & Culture.
The role provides direct oversight to a team of Engineers, Applied AI Engineers, Machine Learning Specialists, and Quality Assurance personnel within the T4P Development division.
Program leaders from CRRD, RAI, R&I, and Signpost; the Enterprise Applications and DevOps teams; the AI governance and policy team; AI@Scale (I’S) leadership; and regional and HQ IT leadership serve as key internal collaborators for this role.
Strategic partnerships extend to prominent AI organizations, key technology vendors, industry peers in the AI sector, members of the NGO tech community, and significant foundation funders.
Job Requirements
Prospective applicants should ideally meet the majority of the following criteria, though it is understood that no single candidate may satisfy every requirement.
AI and engineering depth
We seek a professional with robust expertise in artificial intelligence and comprehensive engineering skills to drive innovation and technical excellence. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in developing AI models, implementing machine learning algorithms, and leveraging advanced engineering principles to solve complex problems. Responsibilities include designing scalable AI solutions, optimizing system performance, and ensuring robust integration with existing infrastructure. Additionally, the role demands proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C++, or Java, alongside familiarity with AI frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch. Strong analytical abilities, problem-solving acumen, and a commitment to continuous learning are essential for success in this position.
Proven expertise in designing, developing, and deploying production-grade AI solutions, including agentic frameworks, LLM applications, RAG systems, computer vision, or applied ML pipelines.
Demonstrates a robust full-stack proficiency encompassing Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, and contemporary frameworks, backed by the technical authority to collaborate effectively with engineering teams on pivotal architectural and design choices.
Proficiency in cloud architecture design, with a preference for Azure and transferable skills from AWS or GCP, encompassing AI services implementation, DevOps pipeline management, and scalable, cost-efficient solutions.
Proficiency in data security principles and privacy measures for handling sensitive, or personally identifiable information is required.
Demonstrates exceptional ability to guide teams and foster collaborative efforts.
7+ years of experience in software engineering or technical product development, complemented by at least 3 years in a leadership role such as engineering management or technical leadership.
Demonstrated success in assembling and scaling high-performing engineering teams through targeted hiring, establishing elevated performance standards, and fostering an engaging and inclusive organizational culture that attracts top talent.
Skilled at collaborating with non-technical leadership as an equal partner, adept at articulating trade-offs with clarity, fostering active listening, and bridging communication gaps between diverse professional domains.
Proficient in collaborating effectively with international teams, adapting seamlessly to diverse time zones and varying cultural contexts.
Mindset
Driven by a profound commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others, this role seeks an individual who thrives on humanitarian impact.
Guides with humility while demonstrating profound respect for individuals closest to the challenge, irrespective of their technical expertise.
Driven by a strong technical curiosity and a forward-thinking mindset, this individual consistently explores new concepts, conducts experiments, and introduces innovative ideas to propel the team forward.
Nice to have
Proficiency in deploying artificial intelligence solutions within environments characterized by limited resources, constrained bandwidth, or complete offline availability is essential.
Relevant experience collaborating with humanitarian, development, or global health organizations is required.
Proficiency in either French or Arabic is required.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND
Experience Required
7 - 10 years
