Global Head of Emergency Response & Preparedness

Human Appeal; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Human Appeal in Virginia seeks a seasoned leader to head its Emergency Response Unit, driving rapid global responses and ensuring preparedness across country programmes. You will oversee strategy, surge capacity, and partnerships to maximise reach and accountability in humanitarian operations.

The role requires extensive field experience with governance compliance to SPHERE, CHS, and donor standards, plus the ability to travel extensively to field locations and coordinate with networks.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification is essential.
• Post-graduate degree or equivalent in Humanitarian / International Development is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop emergency response strategy and work plans.
• Monitor humanitarian risk across HA countries and globally.
• Lead emergency response in disaster areas via surge capacity.
• Support country offices to respond quickly through capacity building and partnerships.
• Develop and implement emergency response projects with offices and partners.
• Provide technical guidance on inclusive humanitarian response.
• Ensure adherence to CHS, ICRC code of conduct and donor requirements.
• Coordinate preparedness plans with country programmes.
• Build capacity of HA global response personnel and country staff.
• Develop strategic partnerships with NGOs and networks.

Skills

MS Office Suite

English fluency

Emergency response

Program coordination

Capacity building

Budgeting

Reporting and analytics

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree in relevant field

Post-graduate degree in humanitarian studies (desirable)

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Human Appeal in Virginia seeks a seasoned leader to head its Emergency Response Unit, driving rapid global responses and ensuring preparedness across country programmes. You will oversee strategy, surge capacity, and partnerships to maximise reach and accountability in humanitarian operations.

The role requires extensive field experience with governance compliance to SPHERE, CHS, and donor standards, plus the ability to travel extensively to field locations and coordinate with networks.