The Associate Director for Crisis Response is a senior member of the Crisis Response Team (CRT) and is one of the first staff members on the ground in humanitarian emergencies. They are responsible for leading FHI 360 crisis response activities, working with key institutional stakeholders throughout the organization, and developing the systems necessary to enhance and ensure FHI 360’s ability to swiftly respond to humanitarian emergencies. They supervise all technical leads and operational staff to ensure programs are being implemented effectively and efficiently in accordance with donor guidelines, and they serve as the principal point of contact with host government stakeholders as to ensure proper coordination and communication. They lead the first-phase of operations and will be responsible for developing FHI 360 country-level systems, working with country program teams to evaluate and augment emergency response capabilities, and training staff on the practical dimensions of humanitarian emergencies. Based in Washington DC, the incumbent will be expected to deploy to the field for 70-80% of work time, often to austere and/or insecure locations with minimal infrastructure or amenities.
Job Summary / Responsibilities:
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Lead FHI360 humanitarian responses, from the assessment of emergency needs through the design, implementation, and transition or conclusion of a response.
- Develop and resource response strategies, including identification of potential donors, concept note and proposal drafting, and cultivating collaborative partnerships among peer agencies.
- Ensure programming is conducted effectively, in line with established technical standards and achieves quality outcomes.
- Ensures security requirements for the team are met to provide for duty of care.
- Oversees financial management during initial phases of business development and project launch.
- Support rapid, effective start up for new projects; address delays and obstacles with appropriate parties, and ensure corrective actions are taken.
- Provide and facilitate technical support for FHI 360 projects by advising on and coordinating technical deliverables, undertaking technical assignments, reviewing scopes of work, and helping overseas staff apply good technical practices.
- Lead in development of an FHI 360 set of standardized field tools for: rapid assessments in key sectors, concept design and presentation, and other documents to facilitate a standardized approach to humanitarian response.
- Represent the CRT on behalf of the director in his absence, briefing FHI360 leadership on response operations, and working with key institutional stakeholders to ensure active deployments are adequately supported.
Qualifications:
- Minimum 8 years of field-based experience directing emergency response operations, preferably in a diverse range of contexts and regions.
- Significant leadership experience in first-phase humanitarian response operations, and a keen interest in developing the program and operational systems essential for the team’s success.
- Experience establishing new country programs, including registration, facility identification, and developing policies and procedures.
- Demonstrated ability to represent your organization before a diverse range of stakeholders, including humanitarian & UN agencies, local government and community leaders.
- Operational familiarity with international humanitarian architecture and core coordination processes for large-scale emergencies
- Knowledge of best practices and key theoretical frameworks for priority technical specialties, such as Water & Sanitation, Health, nutrition, and food security.
- Proven track record of developing, resourcing, and managing responsive, evidence based emergency projects. Expertise in USAID/OFDA funding mechanisms and regulations essentials.
- Experience developing security processes and procedures for a response
- Excellent verbal and written English skills required. French or Arabic language skills advantageous.
We offer competitive compensation and an outstanding benefit package.