The Airbel Impact Lab is the IRC’s “R&D” unit, working to maximize the impact of every humanitarian aid dollar through rigorous testing, innovative new solutions, and evidence-based scaling. We have led the field in impact measurement and cost analysis, and we drive breakthrough innovations that achieve 10x scale potential, 2x greater impact, and 20% more cost-effectiveness than existing solutions. Our Strategy & Delivery team enables this work by building and delivering the systems, processes, and other infrastructure that help ensure the department is efficient, high-performing, and high-impact. 

Job Overview:  

We are hiring a Manager, Planning & Performance to own and run the departmental infrastructure that keeps Airbel strategically on track. This role is responsible for the systems, processes, and routines that enable the department to set goals, manage performance, share knowledge, and learn from results. It is a role for someone who combines strategic thinking with operational follow-through — someone who can design an OKR framework and also build the tracking dashboard, run the data collection, and present findings to leadership. 

The Manager, Planning & Performance will own Airbel’s annual planning cycle, knowledge management architecture, and key people operations processes. They will work closely with portfolio teams, the finance and operations team, and the Director of Strategy & Delivery to ensure departmental systems are clear, efficient, and continuously improving. The role also coordinates critical people operations cycles (performance reviews, promotions, recruitment support) ensuring these processes run smoothly for staff and leadership alike. 

This Manager will use AI tools to make the systems they build and maintain more efficient — for example, automating reporting workflows, improving the discoverability of knowledge management resources, or streamlining data collection. Candidates should bring demonstrated experience using AI tools professionally and a drive to find new ways to reduce manual overhead through smart automation. 

The ideal candidate thrives in entrepreneurial and adaptive environments and meets shifting needs and priorities with agility, curiosity, and a strong service orientation. Some quarters will emphasize building or piloting new tools and processes; others will focus on maintenance, refinement, and reporting cycles. This is a broad-scope role with wide latitude and real ownership — you will shape how an entire globally recognized R&D lab sets direction, tracks progress, and learns from its work. Success requires someone who can prioritize ruthlessly, build systems that scale, and bring clarity to complexity. 

Major Responsibilities: 

Strategic Planning & Performance 

• Own Airbel’s annual planning cycle: translate strategic direction into departmental and sub-departmental OKRs, working with portfolio leads to set measurable goals aligned to the Delivery Letter. 

• Design and maintain data collection processes, indicators, and reporting mechanisms — leveraging AI-enabled tools where possible — that give leadership clear, timely visibility into progress. 

• Synthesize and present periodic progress reports to leadership, surfacing trends, risks, and opportunities to inform decision-making. 

• Coordinate efforts to advance the department’s GEDI objectives within the annual planning and monitoring cycle. 

Knowledge Management & Learning 

• Own the architecture for how Airbel gathers, stores, organizes, and shares information across a distributed, multi-disciplinary team. 

• Maintain intuitive, reliable systems and routines — from centralized repositories and documentation standards to synchronous learning sessions — exploring AI and smart automation to reduce manual upkeep and improve discoverability. 

• Build lightweight, sustainable processes for capturing project-level lessons and making them accessible across teams. 

• Ensure critical documentation and file management is current, well-organized, and easy to navigate. 

Departmental Meetings & Knowledge Sharing 

• Plan and facilitate departmental meetings with effective agenda development, facilitation, and follow-up that inform, inspire, and enhance learning. 

• Identify and create opportunities for cross-team knowledge sharing, ensuring meetings and convenings surface insights and lessons that strengthen Airbel’s collective work. 

• Foster a culture of transparency and collaboration through regular communication routines and engagement initiatives. 

People Operations Coordination 

• Facilitate and project-manage the department’s annual performance evaluation and promotion cycles, ensuring timelines, communications, and deliverables run smoothly. 

• Maintain a clear, current organizational chart for the department. 

• Manage Airbel’s annual Pulse survey end-to-end, from design and execution to data analysis and presentation of findings to leadership. 

• Troubleshoot backlogs and bottlenecks in recruitment support from HR counterparts, escalating and problem-solving as needed to keep hiring on track. 

Job Requirements:

• 6–8 years of experience in strategic planning, operations, or a similar role in a complex, global organization — ideally in a humanitarian, development, or research context. 

• Demonstrated ability to design, build, and improve organizational systems and processes (e.g., goal-setting frameworks, knowledge management infrastructure, reporting dashboards, governance routines). 

• Strong experience with OKR or similar performance management frameworks, including the ability to facilitate goal-setting processes with diverse stakeholders. 

• Proven facilitation skills with experience leading meetings, workshops, and cross-functional convenings that drive alignment and action. 

• Strong technical skills with productivity and project management tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, Power Automate, Excel scripting) and demonstrated ability to build AI-enabled workflows for reporting, knowledge management, and process automation. 

• Excellent organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and a proven ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. 

• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills (written and verbal) to engage diverse global stakeholders, gather feedback, and drive adoption of new processes and tools. 

Compensation: (US: $94,000 - $110,000/ UK: £58,736 -  £68,526)Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements. 

Working Environment: Hybrid or fully in-office are both options.

UK Candidates: Candidates must have the right to work in the UK.