Director of Science and Technology

ICMP - International Commission on Missing Persons; Den Haag; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid leave

Extensive health insurance

Expatriate allowances

Job summary

ICMP - International Commission on Missing Persons, based in The Hague, NL, seeks a Director of Science and Technology to lead its global scientific capabilities for locating, recovering and identifying missing persons. The role drives strategy, oversees DNA labs, ethics, and quality systems, and guides crisis-response capacity.

The position requires a senior scientific leader with extensive DNA experience, a strong track record in multidisciplinary teams, and excellent communication skills in

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in a relevant scientific or forensic field.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience including senior-level leadership in scientific/forensic domains.
• Extensive expertise in DNA science relating to human identification and multidisciplinary forensic knowledge.
• Experience leading scientific teams and developing methods and approaches.
• Knowledge of forensic science in legal/investigative contexts.
• Professional fluency in English; additional languages desirable.
• Excellent communication and public-speaking skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for ICMP's Science and Technology Program and act as the principal advisor on scientific matters related to missing persons.
• Develop and implement ICMP's scientific strategy and lead the Standing Capacity for Crisis Response.
• Oversee forensic archaeology/anthropology, DNA labs, research and development, and scientific quality/ethics/compliance programs.
• Drive scientific innovation and adoption of emerging technologies and methodologies.
• Lead collaborations with governments, forensic institutions, academia and other stakeholders.

Skills

DNA science

Forensic leadership

Strategic planning

Education

Advanced scientific degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Director of Science and Technology

Duty Station: The Hague, Netherlands

Organization Profile

Around the world, the number of missing persons is rising, driven by conflict, climate-related and other disasters, organized crime and other causes. By some measures, the world has been experiencing more conflicts than at any time since 1946. Conflict and disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes and floods, have also contributed to displacement and migration.

People travelling along dangerous or irregular migration routes may face heightened risks of going missing, including as a result of human trafficking, smuggling, exploitation, violence, hazardous journeys and deaths in transit.

The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization, headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, that works with governments, civil society organizations, justice institutions and others throughout the world to address this growing global challenge. ICMP is seeking a dynamic and committed individual to join a highly motivated team. ICMP's overall strategy is grounded in upholding international law and securing the rights of families of the missing to truth, justice and reparations.

About this Position

The Director of Science and Technology provides strategic leadership for ICMP's global scientific and technical capabilities required to locate, recover, document, account for, and identify missing persons.

The Director ensures scientific excellence is central to ICMP's mandate to secure the rights of families of the missing to truth, justice and reparations. As a member of senior management, the Director leads the development, implementation and oversight of the Science and Technology Program and serves as a core component of ICMP's Standing Capacity for Crisis Response.

The Director ensures an integrated approach and world-leading scientific capabilities in forensic archaeology, forensic anthropology, DNA testing, kinship analysis and applied research, while ensuring scientific activities comply with international standards, ethical principles and accredited quality management systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Science and Technology Program and serve as the principal advisor on scientific and technical matters relating to missing persons.
• Develop and implement ICMP's scientific strategy and lead the Standing Capacity for Crisis Response.
• Provide strategic oversight of forensic archaeology and anthropology, DNA laboratories, scientific research and development, and scientific quality, ethics and compliance systems.
• Drive scientific innovation and continuous development, including the adoption of emerging technologies and advanced scientific methodologies.
• Lead scientific and technical assistance, capacity building and partnerships with governments, forensic institutions, academic and research organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Lead, supervise and mentor multidisciplinary scientific and technical professionals and represent ICMP in international scientific and technical forums.

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in a relevant scientific or forensic field, such as biological/forensic anthropology, biology, forensic science, pathology, genetics or archaeology.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience, including significant senior-level experience in scientific/forensic leadership and management.
• Extensive expertise in DNA science relating to human identification, with broad knowledge of forensic science disciplines and experience managing multidisciplinary scientific functions.
• Experience leading scientific teams and developing scientific methods and approaches.
• Knowledge of the role of forensic science in legal and investigative systems.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English; proficiency in additional languages is desirable.
• Excellent communication, presentation and public-speaking skills.

Core Competencies

• Strategic scientific and technical leadership.
• Scientific excellence, innovation and ethical practice.
• Strong leadership, collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

Other Requirements

• Proficiency in Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Proven ability to interact positively with colleagues regardless of culture, nationality or gender.
• Ability to travel at short notice and to work flexible hours, including weekends and evenings.
• Commitment to the underlying objective of helping authorities and families of missing persons to account for missing persons in an impartial and transparent manner.

Benefits

• This is a full-time, Fixed Term professional staff position with a competitive base salary at the E8 grade on theICMP Professional salary scale.
• Benefits include generous paid leave, extensive health insurance benefits for the incumbent and any eligible dependent and expatriate allowances.
• For more details on the benefits, please see the ICMP website.

VN close date: 13-Nov-2026 Expected start date: to be discussed

ICMP is committed to maintaining an environment of mutual respect, where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants. ICMP believes that diversity and inclusion among our staff are critical to our success as a global organization, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented individuals from a thoroughly diverse range of candidates. ICMP is proud to be part of the International Gender Champions network.

All applications must be submitted in English. ICMP does not accept applications in any other language.