Operations Manager, Multiple Crises

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”  IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into four main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Coordination; (ii) Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; (iii) Management and Accountability; and (iv) People and Strategy.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

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. 

 As part of the Asia Pacific Region, the Afghanistan country delegation supports Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) through capacity strengthening and program implementation guided by the ARCS’s established strategic plan in the areas of health, disaster risk management, food security and livelihoods, social outreach, organizational development.

The ARCS with support from partners is responding to multiple crises:

Population Movement Operation:

In September 2023, the Government of Pakistan launched the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), requiring all foreign nationals without valid visas or legal status to leave the country or face deportation. The policy primarily affects Afghans and has triggered large-scale movements into Afghanistan, with 4,000–6,000 people crossing daily.

At the same time, increasing returns from Iran have been observed following new policy shifts there. The mass return is unfolding in an already fragile humanitarian context, with many returnees settling in overcrowded shelters and informal sites, exposed to harsh weather and lacking access to basic services.

Eastern Afghanistan Earthquake:

On 31 August 2025 at 11:47 PM, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border between Momand Dara (Nangarhar) and Nurgul (Kunar) districts. The shallow depth (8–10 km) intensified the shaking, causing severe destruction. Around 1,000 people were killed and over 3,000 injured, with figures expected to rise. An estimated 8,000 houses were destroyed or damaged across Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman, displacing thousands of families. Landslides have blocked key roads, hampering relief efforts, while ongoing aftershocks continue to threaten affected areas.

The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has mobilised rapidly, deploying search and rescue teams, ambulances, and eight Mobile Health Teams (MHTs) to deliver life-saving assistance. The IFRC has launched an Emergency Appeal to scale up support. Rapid Response personnel are being deployed to reinforce operational management, coordination, and surge capacity across health, logistics, information management, and relief. They will also support the delegation during the transition phase to ensure continuity, partner alignment, and effective assistance delivery to affected communities.

Northern Afghanistan Earthquake:

At 12:59 AM on 3 November 2025, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Balkh and Samangan provinces, about 28 km east-southeast of Mazar-e-Sharif (population ~523,000). Initial reports confirm 20 fatalities (9 in Balkh, 11 in Samangan) and 945 injuries (616 in Balkh, 329 in Samangan), though figures may rise as assessments continue.

The quake caused significant damage to health facilities, including the Balghali Primary Health Clinic (WHO-supported) in Samangan, Hayatan PHC under the HER project in Balkh, and the Samangan Provincial Hospital, where the laboratory collapsed and medical equipment was destroyed.

Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) Branch Disaster Response Teams from both provinces have been responding providing first aid, health services, and search-and-rescue support in coordination with the provincial public health departments.

The IFRC Country Delegation in Afghanistan is seeking an Operations Manager to support the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) in effectively responding to these crisis.

Reporting to Deputy Head of Delegation, the Operations Manager provides the operational and technical lead to ensure the optimal coordination and direct management of resources required for the effective, and efficient, sustainable and context-driven planning, implementation and monitoring of the emergency response operations, aligned with humanitarian and organizational standards and priorities, as well as the IFRC Emergency Response Framework. 

The incumbent is expected to spend a considerable time in the field in line with the operational requirements. 

Operational Strategy and Programme Management:

• Ensure that the emergency responses are based on frameworks and approaches that are consistent with or have considered national and international standards and guidelines, as well as IFRC policies, procedures and tools.
• Negotiate, plan and mobilise IFRC resources in support of the NS(s) in the assessment, planning, and implementation of the emergency responses, promote and ensure the integration of the responses into longer term programs.
• Supervise IFRC technical leads to ensure they work closely with the managers of relevant ARCS departments in all related programming roles and responsibilities, providing advice and recommendations that carefully consider local capacity and context and ensuring mitigating actions of the identified risks are being implemented.
• Ensure a robust and coherent monitoring of the contexts and potential evolution and ensure that humanitarian interventions are responsive to current and emerging needs and threats.
• Advise on the need of additional human resources and support deployments in coordination with the Country and Regional IFRC offices, HR departments and/or surge desk.
• Ensure sound financial management is applied to all Federation-assisted programmes within the ARCS that budgets are monitored, and any problems identified, and solutions implemented in timely and effective manner.
• Manage operational budgets to ensure that expenditure relating to IFRC-supported operations is within income and approved ceilings, in compliance with IFRC finance procedures and in line with donor earmarking requirements.
• Lead, direct and motivate staff to ensure the highest level of performance in their respective areas of responsibility, ensuring quality service, compliance and timeliness.
• Lead the development of a Risk Management Plan as per the IFRC’s Risk Management Policy, consults the revised IFRC Emergency Response Framework (ERF) to ensure identified risks are within the established default risk appetite for disasters and crises, and coordinates the risk management process (risk identification, assessment, treatment, escalation, monitoring and reporting), including the development of a risk register and clear identification of responsible people for each mitigation measure.
• Establish a frequency for risk reviews and reporting to line supervisor. Escalates increasing and emerging risks as well as challenges in the implementation of identified mitigation measures, particularly in complex orange level crises.
• Ensure the safety and security of staff in the operation by taking operational decisions based on changing risk levels, providing relevant updates to stakeholders and factoring in risk management into planning, through existing security structures when possible.
• Lead and ensure the effective operationalisation of safeguarding policies and practices across the operation, fostering a culture of safety, and holding staff accountable for maintaining high standards of conduct for all personnel and vulnerable individuals in line with IFRC`S Code of Conduct, policies and Principles.

Coordination:

• Assist the ARCS, Movement and external partners in the achievement of planned outcomes and deliverables of the emergency responses following quality standards, in a timely fashion, and within budgets, ensuring alignment of all IFRC network activities.
• Support the ARCS in setting up the structure needed to ensure that all components of the emergency responses are identified, planned and carried out in a coordinated, collaborative and integrated manner with Movement and external partners.

• Promote and support membership coordination: Support the ARCS in efforts to establish and maintain effective membership coordination structures at operational level and ensure these structures facilitate collaboration and shared leadership among all members.
• Together with the ARCS and the Head of Country Office/Delegation, represent IFRC in coordination meetings and forums, involving national authorities, national and international agencies, donors and other partners in the country in relevance to the emergency response.
• Collaborate with ARCS and IFRC technical teams to support and promote a common context, needs, and situational analysis.
• Assist the ARCS in creating operational objectives and priorities for emergency operations; ensure that IFRC Network activities align with these objectives.
• Support common planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting through a single data collection mechanism and promote a common accountability framework.
• Work with the regional Health, Disasters, Climate and Crises (HDCC) Department to develop, implement and review contingency planning for identified threats in operational areas, as well as the development of capacities within the NS(s) for emergency response.
• Work with PMER leads in IFRC and the NS(s) to ensure that planning and reporting requirements are met in a timely and efficient manner.
• Strengthen external coordination with relevant partners to ensure collective emergency responses and navigate opportunities for longer term partnership.
• Coordinate with the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) and partners on the implementation of the 2025 ECHO Top-Up and the development and implementation of the 2026 ECHO HIP to ensure alignment, coherence, and effective delivery of planned activities.

National Society Capacity Strengthening

• Support IFRC network technical leads to develop programme approaches which strengthen and develop the NS(s)’s structures, capacity and performance; analyze and understand their current strengths and weaknesses and ensure provision of necessary technical and material support particularly in relation to the crisis.
• Ensure existing data on the National Society response capacity is analysed alongside the context and the NS mandate to incorporate relevant resources to support.
• Support the ARCS in developing and implementing operational standards, tools and procedures that ensure quality, consistency and sustainability of emergency response interventions.
• Support, the ARCS to enhance their position vis a vis the national and international coordination mechanism.
• Along the ARCS build alliances and partnerships with other stakeholders to enhance the implementation of the operational strategy.
• Promote and assist the integration of humanitarian priorities and interventions within all relevant programming divisions in the ARCS
• Review operational learnings from previous operations and utilize findings to analyse and adapt response options and prioritization and identify ARCS Response Capacity strengthening opportunities.
• Support the ARCS in establishing an effective information management system for the response, including statistics.

Required

• University degree in relevant area
• At least 7 years of disaster management experience, including managing staff.
• Min. 1-2 years of field experience in coordinating and managing disaster and crisis management projects and activities especially population movements.
• Experience in project cycle management including proposal development, budgeting and reporting, monitoring, and evaluation.

Preferred

• IMPACT training or equivalent
• Work experience with RC/RC.
• Good knowledge and relevant work experience in the regional context.
• Experience in managing ECHO-funded operations, including the development of proposals, implementation of ECHO projects, and coordination with partners and institutional donors in line with ECHO guidelines and reporting requirements.

Required

• Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
• Excellent networking, representational, interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive.
• Effective team and project management skills.
• Good analytical skills and solution-oriented mindset.
• Good mentoring and capacity development skills.\
• Ability to work well in a multicultural, multilingual and cross-functional team setting.
• Excellent stress management skills.
• Demonstrated accountability.
• Fluent spoken and written English.

Preferred

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

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; Leadership; Empowering others.

Managerial competencies: Managing staff performance; Managing staff development.