Job: Head of Emergency

Department: DRC Danmark

Workplace: Copenhagen

Contract Type: National contract

Posted: 01 Mar 2024

Expires: 03 Apr 2024

Are you a skilled and seasoned leader of emergency and humanitarian responses? Are you interested to shape how the Danish Refugee Council responds to emergencies worldwide? Then you may be our coming global Head of Emergency in DRC. Read on!
 

Who are we?

Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, works to save lives, promote durable solutions and address the root causes of displacement. We are present in 40 countries worldwide affected by conflict and displacement and work across the full cycle of displacement.

Our global emergency expertise is anchored in the Emergency Unit in DRC headquarters in Copenhagen. The Emergency Unit is charged with leading, building and enabling emergency response capability across the global organization, ensuring we are fit for purpose and mobilise and respond effectively to emergencies.

The emergency unit sits in DRC’s Programme Division, which is the main ‘engine room’ for global programme development in DRC. It sits alongside similar units for longer-term programming, DRC’s five core sectors, localization, and more.

About the job

The Head of Emergency is a critical position for DRC charged with leading and representing DRC’s emergency response capability and global expertise. It is DRC’s leading expert on emergency response and champions the emergency area across the global organization.

The role leads DRC’s global emergency unit, consisting of a team of emergency and technical experts based in headquarters as well as a larger EMPACT team of globally roving emergency experts. It also technically manages and directs the regionally-based emergency coordinators.

The Head of Emergency leads on DRC’s approaches to emergency response, setting global direction for how DRC prepares for, responds to and learns from emergency response worldwide. Currently, this takes the form of an exciting organizational change project to strengthen emergency response capabilities across all of DRC.

The position also provides oversight and direction to the Hard to Reach/Access strategic initiative, a Global 2025 strategic initiative aimed at enhancing DRC’s ability to gain access to Hard-to-Reach Populations across its country operations.

The Head of Emergency is a core member of the Programme Division management team and helps set overall direction for the division. It also sits alongside Executive Directors as a core member of the newly formed DRC Emergency Steering Group, providing global, organizational oversight and support to large-scale emergencies.

Specifically, the Head of Emergency will:

• Lead and manage the emergency unit and technically manage regional emergency coordinators
• Lead and manage the emergency unit’s project portfolio and deployable resources
• Ensure and support strong organizational mobilization around large emergencies
• Lead and develop DRCs global emergency programme platform
• Champion and enhance organizational capability across DRC in emergency response
• External engagement and representation as needed on emergency response

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to be an experienced leader with an ambition nature to drive emergency response across DRC. You need to be skilled both in building organizational capability, in leading teams and change projects, and have strong demonstrated experience in responding to concrete emergencies.

Concretely, we expect the following:

Required

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant technical management area,
• Considerable management experience, with at least several years leading senior/global advisors,
• Extensive experience with humanitarian work and emergency response with an organization covering multiple continents,
• Significant field experience, mostly from humanitarian and/or fragile contexts, and ideally from DRC operations,
• Considerable experience managing rapid-onset and complex emergencies from field, country, region and/or global level,
• Experience working with the UN and/or a donor is an advantage,
• Demonstrated skills in coordination, representation and facilitation,
• Organized, articulate and with attention to quality,
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Experience from DRC operations,
• Knowledge of Danish, French or Spanish.

We offer

Contract length: permanent

Work place: Borgergade 10, 1300 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Start date: As soon as possible.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with the agreement between DRC and Lederaftalen between Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening og Lederne (agreement for managers), which can be found here: www.lederne.dk. This is contractually a national position for which local terms and conditions apply. Our work conditions include, amongst others, a fair salary, fully employer paid pension contribution, six weeks of paid leave per year and flexible working hours.

Given the global nature of our work, DRC has a very diverse and international workforce. We have the strong ambition to better reflect this diversity also in DRC’s Leadership. While we consider all applicants and do not give preferential treatment to any group in the recruitment process.

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV without a profile picture in English. Apply online on our Current Vacancies page at www.drc.ngo. Closing date for applications: 3rd of April 2024.  We expect to conduct interviews in the second and third weeks of April 2024.

Further information

For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Global Director for Programme, Andreas Ring ([email protected]) or Management Support & Administration Coordinator Alana Mary Shanahan ([email protected]).

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.

DRC as an employer

Founded in 1956, DRC Danish Refugee Council is Denmark’s largest, and a leading international NGO. We have continuously been ranked as one of the best NGOs in the world – and are one of the few with a specific expertise in forced displacement. In over 40 countries, we protect, advocate and build sustainable futures for refugees and other displacement-affected people and communities.

By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of around 8000 employees. We pride ourselves on our:

• Professionalism, impact & expertise
• Humanitarian approach & the work we do
• Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
• Culture, values & strong leadership
• Fair compensation & continuous development

DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.

Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer and we consider all applicants regardless of race, age, ability, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or marital status. We have a strong ambition to further enhance the diversity of our workforce and our goal is to achieve 50% gender balance and at least 50% representation of national staff in management roles. We acknowledge the importance of fostering a diverse and inclusive team to successfully achieve our organizational goals and positively impact the communities we serve. 

Apply now