Programme Manager – Road Policing and Road Safety Projects

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is committed to reducing road crash deaths and serious injuries in low- and middle-income countries. According to the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, road traffic injuries remain a major global health and development challenge, claiming approximately 1.19 million lives annually. These deaths disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, which account for 90% of fatalities despite having fewer vehicles and less road infrastructure.

Road traffic injuries and deaths represent a manmade humanitarian crisis and GRSP/IFRC are committed to evidence-based interventions to address this crisis.

Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among children and youth aged 5–29 years, and two-thirds of fatalities occur among people of working age, causing significant social and economic harm.

The Global Road Safety Partnership works in a number of low- and middle- income countries to reduce road crash deaths and serious injuries. In particular, GRSP supports policy change and implementation on the national and sub-national level through the provision of grants and technical assistance to local civil society organizations and Red Cross Red Crescent-National Societies. GRSP also builds the capacity of road police in a broad range of countries under various road safety initiatives (e.g., Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), World Bank-Global Road Safety Facility, United Nations Road Safety Fund, Asia Development Bank) to strengthen their ability enforce road safety policies.

The objective of GRSP’s Road Policing Capacity Building Programme is to support the ongoing development of road policing agencies in selected BIGRS cities and states to effectively and efficiently enforce road safety-related policies utilizing international good practice methods and interventions. GRSP achieves this objective through the provision of targeted technical assistance and capacity building activities, following detailed assessments.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this role is to provide leadership for the road policing capacity building programme and to provide road safety management and technical policing expertise to a range of GRSP activities that aim to reduce deaths and serious injuries as a result of road crashes. The position holder will manage GRSP staff located within the Asia-Pacific Regional Office.

The position holder will act as a lead expert to develop road safety capacity building capabilities and projects with a particular emphasis on strengthening the capabilities of road police and road policing agencies in selected locations, based on the needs of GRSP’s donor programmes in the Asia Pacific region. The position holder will also be the lead expert on assigned GRSP member and non-member funded projects. Further, the person will be the focal point in the Asia-Pacific region to lead and guide GRSP team members who are supporting capacity building programmes globally and will manage a team of focused on road policing capacity building.

This role will provide leadership and oversight of road policing activities (especially capacity building) undertaken under the BIGRS road policing capacity building programme (selected countries and cities in Asia), and road policing components in other GRSP road safety programmes.

The position holder will manage up to 10 staff including road policing focussed team members and local support staff as well as up to 10 consultants, all of whom will contribute to the various road policing and road safety projects undertaken by GRSP. The position holder will advise and work in collaboration with GRSP’s management team.

The position holder will, in collaboration with the GRSP’s Geneva based Road Policing Capacity Building Manager, manage and coordinate delivery of an annual Road Policing Executive Leadership Course based at regional location.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the GRSP road policing components (in relevant Asia Pacific countries or cities) of the BIGRS road policing capacity building programme (in selected countries or cities) and any other assigned road policing projects, including road policing strategy development and activities related to enhancing policing of legislation that impacts on road user safety;
• Oversee and manage up to 10 GRSP staff and consultants who provide technical expertise across a range of road policing and road safety activities;
• Lead the development/updating and implementation of global good practice road policing guidelines, tools, training material, documents and systems to support global road policing initiatives at national and sub-national level.
• Manage budgets for specific GRSP project work as determined by GRSP senior managers;
• Develop innovative ways to address system and professional challenges to road policing activities and make recommendations to relevant bodies who can bring about change;
• Represent GRSP, champion its road safety agenda, and influence decision‑makers and funders, including civil society organisations, UN agencies, the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, academia, the media, GRSP members, Bloomberg Philanthropies, existing and prospective members, and other current and potential donors;
• Contribute to the development of a global road policing resource centre, relevant publications and programme materials for GRSP generally in relation to road policing;
• Provide expert advice and guidance on road policing and road safety matters to National Societies, lead agencies and civil society organisations as required;
• Monitor adherence to relevant IFRC strategies, plans, policies, standards and procedures, and where relevant, National Societies.
• Prepare relevant donor, member and non-member reporting requirements relating to road policing and road safety activities.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

GRSP Leadership Team

• Serve on the GRSP Leadership Team and, in that capacity, participate in strategic development and in setting the strategic direction of the GRSP, including addressing on-going management issues.
• Under the direction of the CEO, liaise with GRSP members and funders and provide technical road policing and road safety input and guidance to them in order to achieve their global and national-level road safety objectives.
• Contribute to ensuring compliance with requisite IFRC policies, procedures and systems.
• Lead staff development initiatives in specific technical areas including road policing and road safety management.
• Under the direction of the CEO and Global Manager, serve as a senior representative of the organization to a variety of external partner representatives including National Societies, civil society organisations, UN agencies (especially those in the Asia Pacific or funding the Asia Pacific), development banks, governments, academics, the media, donors and potential donors.
• Contribute, as a member of the GRSP Leadership Team, to the conceptual design and facilitation of annual GRSP member events, including the Annual General Meeting, Executive Committee meetings, and Steering Committee meetings.
• Contribute technical expertise to the development of relevant publications and programme materials for GRSP

Education

Required

• University degree in a field related to road policing, education/training, public health, road safety management, or other related area; or related equivalent studies.

Preferred

• Certificate in Project Management

Experience

Required

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in senior operational road policing.
• 5 to 8 years in a road policing leadership role.
• Experience in budget planning, donor compliance, and financial accountability for large-scale international programs.
• Experience providing training, education and capacity building with road police in low- and middle-income countries.
• Experience working in a high-level support role with road policing agencies, including strategic planning for policing.

Preferred

• Experience working with high-level police and senior government officials and stakeholders.
• Experience working for the Red Cross/Red Crescent, or other humanitarian organisation, or an NGO with a focus on road safety.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Ability to provide oversight of the planning and implementation of multi focussed road policing and road safety programmes where the primary target audiences are road police and relevant government agencies.
• Demonstrated skills in influencing decision makers on road policing and road safety policy decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to efficiently manage budgets across multiple projects.
• Demonstrated experience and skills to manage a team of staff and technical consultants in the road policing and road safety areas.
• Demonstrated experience managing staff development needs relating to road policing and road safety.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical (road policing) guidance to a broad range of GRSP stakeholders, particularly in relation to good practice road policing and road safety methods, principles and practices
• Strong networking, representation and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants.
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.
• Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Empowering others

Managerial competencies: Managing staff development