Senior Officer, Volunteering and Branch Development

Vacancy No.S17586Category of ContractNationalPosition TypeNationalApplication Deadline11/06/2026Job Posted On28/05/2026Duty StationBudapest, Hungary; Sarajevo, Bosnia i Herzegovina; Bucharest, Romania; Chisinau, Moldova; Ankara, Türkiye; Tbilisi, Georgia; Yerevan, Armenia; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Dushanbe, TajikistanCountryHUNGARYGradeD1Duty Station StatusN/AAccompanied StatusN/ADuration12 months

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.

Job Purpose

Provide regional technical leadership and quality assurance in volunteering development related assistance provided to NS by the IFRC Secretariat under global direction. This includes strengthening NS local units/branches and their services as well as ensuring a coherence in approaches including through key thematic area assistance such as disaster response/preparedness, health and social services.

The ultimate aim is to safeguard the RC/RC Movement principle of “Voluntary Service” and promote NS self-reliance through regular services run by volunteers mobilised by their local units and branches.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

1.Technical expertise and leadership in IFRC support to NS

• Adapt IFRC global tools on volunteering, branch development and youth engagement to NS contexts, organization priorities and needs and promote a holistic approach to strengthening NS voluntary service. This includes engaging other file holders in NS development department and also forming multi-disciplinary team(s) for specific tasks as required.

• Identify opportunities and develop new initiatives to assist NS in strengthening their regular services by local units/branches and their volunteers.

• Provide assistance in NS membership drives, as relevant to strengthening their population coverage for greater local presence and participation.

• Support NS to establish structured and systematic approaches to Branch Development and serve as an advisory on strategic placement and alignment of Branch structures.

• Support NS to translate outcomes of various capacity assessments and BOCA 2.0 to inform broader plans on NS Branch Development aimed at strengthening their capacity for grass-root regular service delivery as well as response to crises and disasters.

• Foster peer learning and experience exchange in the area of Branch twinning, Branch forums, seed funding and document emerging approaches in short practice notes for wider learning.

• Provide assistance in collection of data on NS volunteers, members, local units and branches.

• Provide regular feedback on IFRC global tools and databases such as the FDRS and Go platform for continuous improvement and adjustment to maximize their benefits for NS development. Advise on data interpretation for various purposes including for internal analysis for priority setting or resetting in areas of responsibility.

• Develop and/or identify good practices of promoting voluntary services through disaster response, health, social services and other thematic work for learning and knowledge sharing.

• Coordinate and support activities of the Europe and Central Asia Youth Network, through facilitation, guidance, and knowledge exchange, promoting active NS youth engagement, IFRC global youth initiatives, leadership, and knowledge exchange.

• Provide support to NS in strengthening youth engagement, including developing strategies, building capacity, and promoting active participation of young people in programs and decision-making processes.

2. Quality assurance and global alignment in IFRC support to NS

• Provide input and feedback on the use of global indicators to measure progress and success in strengthening NS local presence (i.e. local units and branches) and their services run by volunteers.

• Promote, monitor, and provide technical guidance on adherence to IFRC policies and global standards on NS development, including volunteering development.

• by Movement partners for consistency of investment. This includes conducting periodic stock taking and reviews for collective reflection on technical assistance including in times of emergency to ensure greater alignment and consistency for long-term future of NS.

• Analyze and provide technical feedback on support provided by country and country cluster delegations including through analysis on their plans, budgets and key reports for regular feedback and continuous improvement.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

3. Contribution to IFRC positioning

•    Ensure that IFRC global campaigns and events on youth, volunteering and voluntary service are managed efficiently and effectively in the region in collaboration with all relevant teams across the Secretariat.

•    Contribute to and technically lead advocacy initiatives on priority areas such as safety, security and well-being of volunteers and national legislations on volunteer protection as well as dissemination of Movement’s Fundamental Principle of Voluntary Service and localisation.

•    Publish periodic opinion/analytical pieces for global advocacy, awareness raising and fundraising purposes.

•    Assist NS in developing partnerships with governments, donors and international organizations in support of their initiatives on volunteer mobilization, protection and recognition.

4. Accountability and agility

•    Identify areas most relevant to the NS in the region and contribute to the strengthening of IFRC technical capacity and expertise in those areas for specialization. These cover a range of issues under the general themes of youth engagement, membership drives, volunteering or branch development.

•    Participate in IFRC’s global mobility scheme (flexible working arrangements) in relevant technical areas and be available for temporary globally coordinated assignments.

•    Prepare plans, budgets and reports as per IFRC requirements.

Education

Required:

  • Master’s degree in social work or related areas; Extensive practical experience can be considered in lieu of academic qualification.

Preferred:

  • Training in non-profit management

Experience

Required:

  • At least 5 years of work experience at a NS or other non-profit organisations
  • Management roles and experience is an advantage
  • Proven experience in volunteer management
  • Team building and engagement for multidisciplinary interventions

Preferred:

  • Proven experience in facilitating an organisational change process
  • Experience in social mobilisation for grass root services/initiatives including resource mobilization and fundraising
  • Experience in youth mobilisation including through sport-based work

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required:

  • Analytical skills and ability to think strategically
  • Excellent communication skills: written and oral
  • Basic knowledge and skills for coaching and mentoring
  • Excellent negotiation and persuasion skills
  • Financial management and reporting
  • 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
  • Good command of Russian

Preferred:

  • Data analysis and management
  • 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; Leadership; Empowering others

Comments: This is a national staff position open to nationals of the listed countries in the advertisement and others who are legally eligible to work there.

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