Head of Mission – Aerial monitoring operations

Sos Mediterranee; Agrigento; In loco; EUR 50.000 - 70.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

A humanitarian organization is seeking a Head of Mission to oversee aerial monitoring operations in Lampedusa. The role includes defining operational strategy, coordinating teams, and ensuring compliance with maritime law. Ideal candidates have over 5 years of relevant experience, strong leadership skills, and fluency in English. This fixed-term position offers competitive salary and benefits, starting September 2025.

Servizi

All mission costs covered

Psychological support

Technical equipment provided

Competenze

• 5+ years in field management or civilian aircraft monitoring leadership.
• Strong knowledge of maritime law and SAR procedures.
• Ability to work in isolated, multicultural teams under pressure.

Mansioni

• Define and implement the aerial operational strategy.
• Lead the mission and coordinate teams.
• Submit operational and incident reports.

Conoscenze

Field management

Civilian aircraft monitoring leadership

Knowledge of maritime law

SAR procedures

Experience in external representation

Leadership skills

Decision-making skills

Fluent in English

Formazione

SAR/humanitarian coordination training

Descrizione del lavoro

Location : Sicily, Italy

Contract Start Date : September 2025

Application Deadline : August 11, 2025

SOS MEDITERRANEE is a European maritime and humanitarian organization founded in 2015 to respond to the humanitarian tragedy and the lack of adequate rescue capabilities on the Central Mediterranean route, the deadliest migratory route since 2014.

Created by European citizens committed to human dignity, our organization’s mission is:

• To rescue people in distress at sea;
• To protect and assist survivors on our rescue vessels;
• To raise awareness about the ongoing crisis in the Mediterranean.

Since 2016, SOS MEDITERRANEE has rescued over 40,000 people through its network across Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland, using the ships Aquarius and Ocean Viking.

We plan to expand our operational capacity by launching a civilian aerial monitoring mission in partnership with another organization. This six-month pilot operation will be based in Italy, aiming to increase contextual awareness and document human rights violations and interceptions in the Central Mediterranean.

The Head of Mission (HoM) will oversee SOS MEDITERRANEE’s aerial monitoring operations, define the operational strategy, supervise flight operations, and manage the team based in Lampedusa. The HoM will also act as the primary representative of the organization for this mission, engaging with authorities and partners.

Responsibilities include:

• Defining and implementing the aerial operational strategy;
• Leading the mission and coordinating ground and air teams;
• Managing schedules and crew rotations;
• Supporting the air team with strategic decisions and contextual information;
• Planning flight missions;
• liaising with authorities during flights;
• Ensuring security protocols and risk assessments are followed;
• Representing SOS MEDITERRANEE to authorities, partners, and NGOs;
• Coordinating with HQ teams (Operations, Advocacy, Communications, Legal);
• Supervising team wellbeing and conflict resolution;
• Submitting operational and incident reports;
• Conducting team briefings and debriefings.

Flight involvement : The HoM remains ground-based but oversees air-ground coordination.

Profile sought:

• 5+ years in field management or civilian aircraft monitoring leadership;
• Strong knowledge of maritime law, SAR procedures, and humanitarian coordination;
• Experience in external representation and field diplomacy;
• Leadership, decision-making, communication, and adaptability skills in high-pressure environments;
• Deep commitment to humanitarian principles and civilian ethics;
• Ability to work in isolated, multicultural teams under pressure;
• Fluent in English; proficiency in French, Italian, or Arabic is a plus.

Certifications :

• SAR/humanitarian coordination training (recommended).

Contract conditions :

• Fixed-term, 6 months;
• Start in September 2025;
• Rotative schedule: approx. 4 weeks deployment + 4 weeks off, including paid leave (may vary based on operational needs);
• Based in Lampedusa during deployment; flights in light twin-engine aircraft (e.g., Diamond DA-42, Piper Seneca II);
• Salary between €3400-€4200 gross/month, depending on experience and nationality;
• All mission costs covered: travel, accommodation, food (per diem), insurance;
• Psychological support and technical equipment provided.

Please submit your application by August 11. No phone inquiries will be answered.

We process your personal data for recruitment purposes only, in accordance with applicable data protection laws. You may access, rectify, or delete your data by contacting SOS MEDITERRANEE France, CS 20585 – 13294 Cedex Marseille 06.