Emergency Response Lead

Summary:

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. WCK strives to have boots on the ground at the epicenter of crisis, anywhere in the world, as soon as possible. This is often within hours of a disaster hitting or prior to a foreseeable event. The role of an Emergency Response Lead is to be first on the ground, responding to emergency situations. The role fills an essential role as part of WCK’s Relief Team, focusing on the planning, designing, and implementing of WCK’s emergency response program. This position reports to the Director of Emergency Response.

This position requires the ability to travel domestically and internationally quickly and on extremely short notice for extended and undetermined periods of time. To support this, we are searching for 5 team members with potential locations to be based out of including Miami, Los Angeles, Singapore, Bogota, Panama City, Paris, or Munich. Other major international flight hubs may be considered.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

• Respond to disaster/crisis areas to develop a rapid and effective emergency response by developing local partnerships and networks; understanding local landscape; identifying food needs, developing creative solutions, executing initial set up, scouting potential areas, assessing security risks, and setting up logistics for other inbound team members.
• Quickly recruit and build national and local teams to support the emergency response and activation.
• Work in conjunction with the Relief Operations team (contractors, staff, and volunteers) to coordinate transition between emergency response and relief operations, identifying the needs for procurement, volunteers and other logistics.
• Provide timely and accurate reporting and evaluation of emergency responses.
• Frequently travel domestically and internationally quickly and on very short notice for extended and unknown periods of time to disaster/crisis areas. May be responsible for determining and booking travel plans for the fastest arrival time.
• Perform any necessary tasks on the ground and ongoing support remotely as needed.
• Create awareness of the event by utilizing social media and other communication channels.
• Facilitate a welcoming and comforting environment for service of nourishing, healthy meals for people suffering from loss, trauma, or food insecurity.
• Stay up-to-date on and monitor current disaster news, trends, and reporting.
• Participate in long-term Relief Team projects and specializations to develop stronger operational systems within WCK.
• Represent WCK to the government, UN, media, partners, and local communities.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• Mission focused, innovative, positive, with a desire to learn.
• Demonstrated ability and high comfort level to “rough it”.
• Fluency in English as well as fluency in one of the following languages: Spanish, French, Arabic, or Portuguese.
• 5+ years of experience in disaster relief/response, humanitarian aid/coordination, event production, working with tools and machinery, adept at building and repairs, logistics, culinary or restaurant management, media, security, start ups, military (Marines, Civil Affairs, Green Berets, HADR, EWS, logistics)
• Comfortable being on camera to represent WCK’s work on organization owned social media channels as well as with press. Demonstrated public speaking experience is a plus.
• Experience traveling, working, and living in developing countries.
• Willingness to work in potentially dangerous situations, including locations experiencing conflict, flooding, seismic activity, fire, and without connectivity, etc.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally on short notice for extended and undetermined periods of time.
• Demonstrated ability to think creatively and persistently to problem solve.
• Experience operating autonomously in stressful situations, maintaining composure while adapting, and displaying compassion for people living in a crisis environment.
• Experience driving or operating-wide variety of vehicles or machinery.
• Ability to take direction and constructive feedback from managers and other leadership roles.
• Ability to communicate effectively utilizing technology and social media tools and platforms.
• Comfortable connecting and creating positive relationships with local communities, WCK colleagues, media, and volunteers in both remote and in-person working environments.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills:

• WCK activation experience as a WCK Volunteer, Chef Contractor, or similar experience in disaster relief situations.