We are seeking an experienced professional to fill this position, offering a comprehensive overview of responsibilities and requirements designed to ensure optimal performance in the role. This opportunity necessitates a candidate who meets specific qualifications, including relevant experience, technical skills, and educational background, to fulfill key duties effectively. The ideal applicant will demonstrate a strong track record in the specified areas, coupled with the ability to meet the outlined expectations and contribute meaningfully to the team’s objectives.
This executive-level position focuses on advancing applied AI to drive meaningful humanitarian outcomes, requiring visionary technical leadership. The role entails spearheading a cross-functional team of engineers and AI experts to develop and deploy AI-driven solutions tailored for programmatic use—with a particular emphasis on agentic systems, predictive analytics, and diagnostic AI in underserved and high-pressure environments.
You will own three things:
You will define the technical strategy and direction for IRC’s AI portfolio, collaborating closely with program teams to turn its AI vision into a structured, actionable roadmap. This role requires making critical build-versus-buy-versus-partner decisions and establishing the architectural framework for systems designed to perform reliably in extreme conditions—such as offline AI solutions on low-cost smartphones, high-safety agentic systems, and diagnostic models trained on underrepresented populations excluded from mainstream datasets.
You’ll lead and develop a high-performing engineering team comprising engineers, applied AI specialists, and QA professionals, setting new standards for engineering excellence while fostering a culture that draws exceptional technical talent to purpose-driven projects.
You will forge deep collaborations with program leaders and strategic partners, serving as a trusted advisor to IRC’s specialists in health, education, protection, resettlement, and emergency response. Rather than merely receiving directives, you will co-create solutions alongside them, driving innovation through shared expertise. Additionally, you will leverage our flagship partnerships with Anthropic, OpenAI, and other cutting-edge AI labs to extract maximum value, gaining direct access to advanced models, early-stage features, and the researchers pioneering these developments.
Oversee and execute a comprehensive range of critical duties to ensure operational excellence and organizational success. Drive strategic initiatives, manage cross-functional teams, and foster collaboration to achieve key performance indicators. Develop and implement policies, procedures, and best practices to optimize efficiency, mitigate risks, and enhance productivity. Analyze performance metrics, identify trends, and recommend data-driven solutions to address challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Serve as a liaison between senior leadership and departmental teams to align objectives, streamline communication, and drive cohesive decision-making. Ensure compliance with regulatory standards, industry guidelines, and internal policies while maintaining a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Driving strategic vision and innovation, this role focuses on advancing artificial intelligence initiatives to align with overarching business objectives. The position requires a proven track record in AI leadership, with expertise in developing and executing AI strategies, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and championing transformative technologies. Key responsibilities include defining long-term AI roadmaps, identifying high-impact opportunities, and ensuring seamless integration of AI solutions across departments. Additionally, the role involves mentoring teams, advocating for ethical AI practices, and staying ahead of industry trends to maintain a competitive edge. Candidates must possess strong leadership acumen, a deep understanding of AI technologies, and the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable strategies.
Translate IRC’s AI strategy and program priorities into a prioritized technical roadmap, collaborating closely with program leaders, the Senior Vice President overseeing Research, Innovation, AI, and People & Culture, and the T4P demand pipeline.
Join us at the forefront of AI/ML innovation, with a focus on agentic systems, multimodal models, and edge/on-device inference, and apply cutting-edge methodologies to IRC’s initiatives.
As a key contributor to IRC’s AI leadership team, collaborate closely with the SVP of Research, Innovation, AI, and People & Culture, as well as other senior executives, to help define and drive the organization’s strategic vision.
Champion the responsible, human-centered deployment of AI in some of the world’s most sensitive humanitarian contexts, upholding the rigorous safety standards those environments require.
Represent the International Rescue Committee in technical dialogues with collaborators, comparable organizations, donors, and stakeholders across the humanitarian and artificial intelligence fields.
Experienced professionals are sought to oversee and guide teams, fostering collaboration and maximizing productivity through strategic planning and effective communication. Candidates must demonstrate strong leadership abilities, exceptional organizational skills, and a proven track record in managing diverse teams to achieve organizational goals. Responsibilities include mentoring team members, setting clear objectives, monitoring performance, and resolving conflicts to maintain a cohesive and high-performing work environment. Proficiency in project management tools and a commitment to professional development are essential for driving continuous improvement and innovation within the team.
Oversee and mentor a team of engineers, applied AI engineers, and QA specialists, fostering an environment where excellence is the standard. Recruit top-tier talent, elevate performance expectations, and cultivate a workplace culture that attracts and retains high-caliber technical professionals.
Develop and implement engineering quality benchmarks, refine development methodologies, and formalize documentation guidelines to ensure consistency and excellence across projects.
Develop and oversee a prioritized backlog of program innovations while ensuring the team’s capacity aligns with the projected demand.
Elevate the team’s AI development and DevOps capabilities while fostering widespread stakeholder engagement and alignment throughout the organization.
Explore avenues to obtain funding allocations that advance key innovation initiatives.
We collaborate closely with various teams across the organization to drive shared objectives and enhance operational efficiency. This role requires active engagement with stakeholders from diverse departments, including engineering, marketing, and product development, to ensure cohesive project execution and alignment with strategic goals. You will facilitate communication, resolve cross-departmental challenges, and contribute to the seamless integration of initiatives to support overall business success. Strong interpersonal and coordination skills are essential to foster productive relationships and achieve collective outcomes.
Serve as an authentic thought partner to program leaders, offering AI expertise to address their challenges while maintaining a grounded perspective of the field’s practicalities.
Design practical, field-tested solutions through collaborative efforts, avoiding technology-centric approaches that chase hypothetical issues.
Collaborate closely with the Enterprise Applications team to facilitate seamless transitions of validated innovations, enabling their enterprise-wide implementation and adoption.
Collaborate with the Enterprise Applications DevOps team to align on integration touchpoints, infrastructure dependencies, and shared engineering standards.
We seek to establish and nurture high-impact partnerships with leading AI organizations to accelerate innovation and drive mutual growth. The ideal candidate will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to identify strategic opportunities, negotiate mutually beneficial agreements, and ensure seamless execution of partnership initiatives. Responsibilities include cultivating relationships with key stakeholders, aligning partnership goals with organizational objectives, and monitoring performance metrics to optimize outcomes. Strong communication skills, a results-driven mindset, and experience in AI or technology partnerships are essential. Proficiency in contract negotiation, deal structuring, and stakeholder management is required, along with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
As the technical lead, you will drive IRC’s strategic alliances with pioneering AI organizations, fostering early-stage engagements into enduring, high-impact collaborations.
Assess opportunities where strategic partnerships—including access to computing resources, cutting-edge models, and specialized technical knowledge—can drive disproportionately high program outcomes.
Design and development of comprehensive solutions form the core of this role, requiring expertise in crafting technically robust architectures aligned with business objectives. Engineering responsibilities include translating complex requirements into scalable, efficient systems while ensuring adherence to industry best practices and compliance standards. The position demands proficiency in analyzing technical challenges, proposing innovative design approaches, and delivering high-performance solutions that optimize operational efficiency and user experience. Additionally, collaboration with cross-functional teams is essential to validate feasibility, mitigate risks, and align deliverables with strategic priorities.
Spearhead the conception and implementation of AI-powered and program-specific technological solutions, assuming full accountability for the entire development lifecycle, from initial requirements to final deployment.
Engage with program and business stakeholders to collect requirements, establish technical solutions, and propose approaches supported by a comprehensive grasp of program objectives.
Design and implement highly available architectures within Microsoft Azure, integrating robust redundancy, security, encryption, backup, and disaster recovery measures—particularly for sensitive humanitarian data—to ensure operational resilience and data integrity.
Investigate and propose cutting-edge technology solutions, including AI/ML innovations, to enhance procurement processes, drive development initiatives, and inform key strategic decisions.
DevOps and Engineering Operations professionals will oversee the implementation, optimization, and maintenance of infrastructure, automation tools, and CI/CD pipelines to enhance system reliability, scalability, and deployment efficiency. They will collaborate with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business objectives, ensuring seamless integration of development, testing, and production environments. Responsibilities include managing cloud resources, monitoring system performance, troubleshooting issues, and implementing security best practices. Proficiency in scripting (e.g., Python, Bash), infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation), and containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) is required, along with experience with monitoring tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana) and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP). Strong problem-solving skills, a proactive approach to continuous improvement, and the ability to mentor junior team members are essential.
Responsible for managing deployment pipelines, automating CI/CD workflows, implementing infrastructure-as-code solutions, and overseeing QA processes to guarantee seamless and dependable software releases.
Maintain continuous accessibility and optimal functionality of applications by actively monitoring performance, dynamically scaling resources, and implementing proactive operational strategies.
Monitor and enhance expenditures related to cloud services and model inference operations to ensure cost efficiency and financial sustainability.
Maintain comprehensive technical and policy documentation for every asset within the scope of the team’s oversight.
The position necessitates collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders, including cross-functional teams, senior leadership, and external partners. Strong interpersonal abilities are essential for fostering productive relationships and promoting alignment on project objectives. The role also involves regular communication with clients, vendors, and other key business contacts to ensure seamless operations and deliver value.
The position reports directly to the Chief Information Officer and collaborates closely with the Senior Vice President of Research, Innovation, AI, and People & Culture.
This role oversees the direct supervision of Engineers, Applied AI Engineers, Machine Learning Specialists, and Quality Assurance personnel within the T4P Development team.
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; as well as IT leadership across regions and headquarters serve as key internal collaborators.
Strategic collaborations span leading AI organizations, technology vendors, peers within the AI sector, members of the NGO tech community, and major foundation funders.
We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled individual to fill this position. Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and a minimum of three years of relevant experience. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and strong communication skills are essential. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to work independently and as part of a team, while also exhibiting excellent problem-solving capabilities. Responsibilities include managing projects, coordinating with stakeholders, and ensuring timely completion of tasks.
Accomplished candidates will demonstrate a significant majority—though not every single aspect—of the following qualifications:
Experts in artificial intelligence and engineering are sought, with a strong emphasis on advanced technical knowledge and practical application. Candidates should demonstrate significant expertise in AI methodologies, algorithms, and systems, along with a robust background in engineering principles. The role requires the ability to design, develop, and optimize AI-driven solutions while addressing complex engineering challenges. Proficiency in relevant programming languages, frameworks, and tools is essential, as is a track record of solving intricate problems through innovative approaches. Collaboration with cross-functional teams to integrate AI solutions into scalable systems will be a key responsibility.
Proven expertise in designing, developing, and deploying production-grade AI systems, including agentic frameworks, LLM applications, RAG systems, computer vision solutions, or end-to-end applied ML pipelines.
Demonstrates a robust full-stack expertise encompassing Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, and contemporary frameworks, equipped with the technical authority to collaborate effectively with engineers on pivotal architecture and design choices.
Proficiency in cloud architecture, with a strong preference for Azure and transferable skills from AWS or GCP, along with expertise in AI services, DevOps pipelines, and strategies for cost-efficient scaling.
Possesses a solid understanding of data security and privacy protocols applicable to sensitive or personally identifiable information.
Demonstrates strong leadership capabilities and actively fosters teamwork through effective collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders.
7+ to 10+ years of hands-on experience in software engineering or technical product development, along with a minimum of 3 years in a leadership capacity, such as an engineering manager or technical lead role.
Demonstrates a proven ability to assemble and develop high-performing engineering teams, with expertise in talent acquisition, setting and maintaining high standards, and fostering an engaging and inclusive organizational culture.
Skilled in collaborating with non-technical executives as an equal partner, adept at articulating trade-offs with clarity, demonstrating strong listening skills, and bridging communication gaps between diverse teams.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with diverse, international teams, adapting seamlessly to varying cultural norms, time zones, and operational environments.
Mindset
Equally driven by the desire to create meaningful humanitarian change, this role seeks individuals who are profoundly inspired by efforts that yield tangible societal benefits.
Leads with a humble approach, demonstrating profound respect for individuals closest to the problem, regardless of their technical expertise.
Technologically inquisitive and innovative, actively explores emerging trends through research and experimentation, consistently contributing fresh perspectives to enhance team performance.
Nice to have
Skilled in implementing AI solutions in environments with limited resources, constrained bandwidth, or offline settings.
Extensive 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
