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 Lumpa); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe. 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 new Disaster, Climate and Crises Unit will strengthen the organization’s ability to address and support National Societies in relation to emergencies and long‑term risks. Led by the Disaster, Crises and Climate Manager, the unit will enhance readiness, guide rapid response, support sustainable recovery, and ensure strong operations coordination. It will also advance technical capacity across key areas including climate action, preparedness, population movement, cash assistance, shelter, community engagement and accountability, information management, and anticipatory approaches. 

Reporting to the Deputy Regional Director, the Disaster, Crises and Climate manager role ensures the relevance, coherence, and timeliness of IFRC Triple R – Response to humanitarian crises, Resilience development and Respect for the people we serve. This position will play a key role in supporting National Societies in enhancing prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience in the face of disasters, migration and displacement, climate, and humanitarian crises. The DCC manager will be scaling up technical competences and quality approaches in the critical areas of climate, preparedness, migration, cash-based assistance, shelter, CEA, Information Management, anticipatory action.

Coordination and Regional & Country Support

• Lead overall emergency operations coordination and technical support within the Europe Region. This will result in agile, high-quality, integrated and coherent locally led humanitarian action and according to IFRC’s framework and mechanisms for response - Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) and International Emergency Appeals, IFRC Rapid Response system, Information Management, etc.
• Work closely with National Societies preparing for, responding to, or recovering from disasters and crises, coordinating support from the IFRC secretariat and the network of National Societies. This may include the coordination of financial assistance, surge support, the provision of non-food items and/or emergency response units.
• Promote and contribute to the development of IFRC policies and positions regarding the Strategic Priorities and enablers of the IFRC Strategy 2030 and the five shifts of IFRC Renewal, with a focus on deepening localisation and accountability and sharpening the humanitarian focus.
• Build organizational culture, capacities and working modalities to support National Societies in all phases of the disaster response cycle, from preparedness to anticipatory action, to response, early recovery and the articulation of mid- and long-term recovery interventions.
• Consolidate quality information management, expanding access to real-time local data and enhancing data analysis to provide better actionable information for locally led action based on anticipation, risks and evidence, guarantee coordination through information to IFRC network and contribute to reporting, humanitarian diplomacy and communication.
• Lead IFRC secretariat readiness in the region and National Societies Preparedness through IFRC’s approaches and tools towards National Societies, such as Preparedness for Effective Response, in close coordination with ICRC for preparedness for conflict.
• Steer institutionalizing and strengthening of Community Engagement and Accountability across all IFRC programmes and operations as well as those of National Societies in the Region, with aim of leveraging community insights and shaping services through a community lens.
• Anchor delivery of IFRC strategic commitment on migration and displacement, by scaling and enhancing local to global action, including migration and displacement in emergency operations, consolidating route-based programming and humanitarian service points and strengthening cross-border and cross-region collaboration.
• Support National Societies in their climate action, management of environmental risks, and resilience-building, including advancing early warning/early action, nature-based solutions and integration of climate considerations into programming.
• Advance National Societies Socio-Economic Empowerment services, through livelihoods and market-based programming, social protection systems strengthening and cash and integrated assistance, targeting 50% of direct assistance delivered as cash.
• Guide the team in leveraging IFRC membership knowledge and capacities, by brokering connections, promoting shared resources, and fostering peer-to-peer collaboration through National Societies, networks, hubs and Reference Centres.
• Identify risks within the DCC work area, monitor development, plan and implement mitigation measures and escalate to Senior management when necessary.

Effective people and matrix management

• Manage, guide and motivate technical Disaster, Climate and Crises staff to ensure the highest level of performance in their respective areas of responsibility, ensuring quality service, compliance and timeliness.
• Develop and set performance objectives for team members in line with broader programme/ operational objectives and global functional objectives to support a culture of continuous improvement, applying the updated IFRC matrix management model.
• Ensure coherence and a clearly articulated integration among relevant policies, strategies, frameworks, and tools related to all operations and programmes, with particular attention to coordination and integration with Health and Care, Protection, Gender and Inclusion services.
• Contribute to a strengthened 24/7 IFRC global response model and cross-region learning, support and collaboration.
• Facilitate continuous feedback loops by capturing country level challenges and good practices and channeling them to enhance the relevance and cultural fit of operational and programmatic approaches.
• Promote a service and solution-oriented approach within Disaster, Climate and Crises staff towards IFRC delegations and National Societies.
• Coordinate with PMER and Quality Assurance, National Society Development, Ethical Practices and Corporate Services functions to ensure that Disaster, Climate and Crises operations follow the IFRC standards and procedures, build on synergies and collaborative approaches and avoid duplication and fragmentation.
• Collaborate closely with Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization and Humanitarian Diplomacy and Communications to sustain and contribute to resource mobilization, advocacy, positioning and representation efforts.
• Build synergies and complementary initiatives with RCEU Office in Brussels in key technical areas for National Societies positioning and access to resources within the European Commission.

Required:

• Master´s degree or equivalent in a relevant field or a first-level university degree combined with extensive relevant experience.

Preferred:

• Successful completion of the Basic IMPACT Course
  Qualification or Certification in Project Management

Required:

- Minimum 8 years of experience working for a humanitarian organization in humanitarian response to disasters and crises and/or longer-term programming for lasting needs.
- Minimum 8 years of experience analysing, planning, and managing humanitarian or development programs and resources.
- Minimum 5 years of experience managing staff.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in building capacity of Red Cross Red Crescent-National Societies or NGO / civil society organization etc. on disaster management, resilience building, development activities etc.
- Strong experience working in a multicultural, international context
- Experience managing partners or partnership arrangements, donors and organizational leadership and government counterparts.

Preferred:
- Experience working with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.

Required:

- Demonstrated experience in programmes and operations, including in sectors relevant to IFRC.
- Demonstrated success in project/program planning, budgeting, management, reporting, and evaluation.
- Proven ability to motivate and manage a team.
- Strong strategic analysis, systematic planning, and implementation skills.
- Excellent collaborative and teamwork skills.
- Ability to work at various levels of complexity, fluid contexts, and evolving needs and organizational structures.
- Ability to lead transitions within a matrix management structure
- Ability to handle multiple tasks and manage stress
- Good ability in representation, negotiation, networking and communication
- Ability to travel extensively

- Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred:

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

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