Vice President, Breakthrough Partnerships & Foundations

About the role

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a visionary leader to head its Breakthrough Partnerships & Foundations function. Reporting to senior leadership, the Vice President will drive the creation of high‑impact philanthropic relationships that enable IRC to scale its humanitarian programs to 40 million clients by 2033.

Key responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, and close transformational partnerships with founders, family offices, foundations, and high‑net‑worth donors at the $100 M+ level.
• Lead and expand the existing Foundations and Trusts team, ensuring a stable revenue base while pursuing new pipeline opportunities.
• Develop and articulate compelling cases for support that align IRC’s evidence‑based programs with donor priorities, especially in tech‑focused philanthropy and effective altruism networks.
• Maintain rigorous pipeline discipline, forecasting, and reporting to meet the organization’s $700 M annual private revenue target.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with program, finance, and communications teams to ensure alignment of partnership strategies with operational capacity.

Required profile

• Proven senior‑level experience in fundraising, partnership development, or philanthropy within large NGOs or comparable institutions.
• Deep understanding of humanitarian programming and the ability to translate impact metrics into donor‑friendly narratives.
• Strong network in the AI‑era donor community, including foundations, family offices, and tech philanthropists.
• Exceptional strategic thinking, relationship‑building, and negotiation skills.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape the future of a world‑leading humanitarian organization.
• Competitive compensation package aligned with senior executive standards.
• Collaborative, mission‑driven work environment focused on measurable impact.