Senior Director – International Emergency Response

  • Contractor
  • Canada
  • TBD USD / Year
  • Canadian Red Cross profile




  • Job applications may no longer being accepted for this opportunity.


Canadian Red Cross

Title: Senior Director – International Emergency Response

Location: Remote, Across Canada

Type of contract: Permanent, Full Time

Salary band: $85,000 – $122,000 /year

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC), an iconic brand and one of the most inspirational not-for-profit organizations on this planet, is seeking a Senior Director – International Emergency Response to join our team.

You have a passion for helping others, and want to work with other dedicated individuals? By applying, you are taking a big first step to be part of an exciting organization

At the Canadian Red Cross, we are guided by our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. We help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience.

Starting with the hiring process, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment where everyone can reach their full potential. We encourage all qualified persons to apply, particularly Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized people, and people with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and others who share our values and contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

We are looking for a Senior Director – International Emergency Response, you will work with Chief, Emergency Operations (Canada and International) and guided by the Principles and Rules for Red Cross/Red Crescent Humanitarian Assistance as well as the CRC Vision 2025 the Senior Director, International Emergency Response provides strategic leadership and operational direction for all CRC contributions to international emergencies, including CRC-led health or relief operations to ensure timely, optimal and effective responses. Those responses typically include emergency financial assistance, technical expertise in the forms of personnel, non-food emergency items and/or other CRC service packages (including but not limited to field clinics and hospitals).

As a member of the Emergency Management Canada and International (EMCI) Senior Leadership Team, the Senior Director will further the success of the CRC’s matrix model, advance operational objectives, and improve organizational agility. The Senior Director Emergency Response International will contribute to the EMCI mandate to: “provide strategic vision, leadership, and execution of Emergency Response Operations in Canada and Internationally. Monitor trends, anticipate responses, and ensure optimal selection, mobilization and management of CRC response options, collaborative integration of CRC services and support functions, quality program delivery, and support to authorities, Red Cross Movement, community partners and beneficiaries”. The Senior Director will work in close collaboration with all support units to ensure timely and efficient response (Supply Chain, Legal, Security, Risk, People Services, etc.)

The Senior Director also acts as the main point of contact for the provision of support from the International Red Cross Movement to Canadian emergencies as may be required. The Senior Director will build strong relationships across the organization and work closely with International Cooperation and Program in relation to the emergency response, Emergency Readiness and Planning team and other support services across the organization. This role will ensure that the strategic vision and best practices of Emergency Management are integrated into planning and development, resulting in the effective implementation of high quality, coherent and reliable international Emergency Management programs.

As a Senior Director – International Emergency Response you will:

Provide leadership and direction to all CRC international emergencies

  • In close collaboration with International Cooperation and Programs (ICP), manage CRC contributions to international emergencies to ensure optimal support to affected national societies from available assets, including financial contributions, NFIs, personnel, services (including ERUs) or combination thereof.
  • Ensure a strategic approach to event management and to ensure CRC capacities are leveraged globally and cross cutting themes are integrated as a priority.
  • Strategically guide CRC Service Line evolution and associated capacity requirements to actualize the service lines working in close collaboration with EMCI Emergency Planning as well as other support units.
  • Maintain situational awareness of all emergencies likely to require CRC support, including support to Domestic Operations and foster a culture of information sharing within the CRC and across EMCI.
  • Identify opportunities for growth based on disaster trends, CRC strategic priorities and areas of expertise.
  • Oversee in close collaboration with Deployment Hub all emergency deployed personnel in a manner consistent with their deployment modality, including assessing and mitigating risks.
  • As the custodian of CRC international response Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), ensure they remain relevant and up to date and account for the new changes under EMCI transformation.
  • Contribute to the integration of operational learnings into CRC readiness capacity, working closely with the Emergency Readiness team.

Leadership in complex response operations

  • As assigned, direct, and oversee large scale response operations, under the direction of the Chief Emergency Officer, and in close collaboration with the Head of Region, International Cooperation and Program. Function as an event lead for Canada operations as required and appropriate.
  • Ensure event strategy for complex operations is in place and leverages CRC expertise and service lines.
  • Coordinate proactively with Movement contacts, notification systems and internal stakeholders to define Canadian Red Cross capacity to respond for the specific emergency.
  • Coordinate the mobilization and deployment of appropriate resources in partnership with the functions responsible for each service line.
  • Proactively update internal staff (including executive level) and external partners of Canadian Red Cross
  • Ensure Canadian Red Cross policies and directives are adhered to and ensure risk is appropriately managed at all stages of a response.
  • Responsible for implementing, managing, and monitoring systems related to quality and risk.

Strategic Representation within CRC, Red Cross Movement (RCM) and other stakeholders related to international emergency response

  • Oversees and develops relationships and representation with RCM and non-RCM partners in line with CRC Vision 2025.
  • Ensure CRC is positioned as a thought leader and “active citizen” within the Movement.
  • Represent CRC in international forums related to emergency response and contribute to Red Cross Movement improvements related to efficiencies and impact of emergency responses.

Ensure an interoperable response system

  • Work closely with EMCI Domestic Operations, where appropriate ensure that response assets are harmonized.
  • Identify solutions to ensure CRC systems remain optimized and are able to provide timely emergency assistance.
  • Work closely with Emergency Response Canada and Corporate Services, devise new processes and systems through which Society expertise can seamlessly be employed in a wide spectrum of domestic and international contexts.
  • Drive the process of developing shared response capacities (common tools/ services/ experts/ERUs) which can be leveraged for both domestic and international response which enables opportunity for synergy, streamlining and shared learning.

People Leadership

  • Provide active leadership, direction, expertise, and innovation in human resource planning and the management of subordinate employees and volunteers.
  • Ensure personnel deliver on identified objectives by coordinating team roles, setting goals, completing performance assessments, providing coaching, and ensuring all resources and processes support effectiveness and accountability.
  • Identify growth opportunities, provide ongoing skill development, and support continuous improvement to develop future leaders within the department or project team.
  • Support succession planning efforts and ensure knowledge and resources are adequately transferred to incoming personnel during transition periods.

What we are looking for:

  • A Master’s degree in International Studies, Operations Management, Disaster Management, International Development, or related field.
  • Minimum of Ten (10) years of related work experience, including minimum 5 years of field experience.
  • Demonstrated experience in successfully leading & coordinating humanitarian emergency response operations in a variety of contexts, preferably with the RC/RC Movement.
  • Demonstrated experience of playing a senior leadership role managing multi-disciplinary and geographically remote teams in fluid and challenging situations.
  • Experience managing and developing complex international programs/projects and multi-million-dollar budgets in complex, high-risk and/or fragile environments.
  • Proven ability to make sound decisions in a high-paced environment and based on incomplete or conflicting information.
  • Strong leadership and people management skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a matrix structure.
  • Superior analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex information and communicate it to a variety of audiences.
  • Strong business acumen, problem solving and effective management skills including strategic and operational planning, budgetary processes, resource allocation, evaluation, change management, strategic planning and application of KPIs.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, negotiation, conflict resolution, presentation and influencing skills to interface effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
  • Written and oral communication skills in English and French are essential; Spanish and/or Arabic are highly desirable.
  • Ability to travel internationally to complex, high risk, and potentially unstable environments, as required (25% – 35%).

Working conditions:

  • May include long to moderate hours sitting and using computers and office equipment.
  • Will include travel internationally to complex, high risk, and potentially unstable environments
  • Ability to work non-traditional hours on short notice.
  • Ability to work in stressful and often ambiguous conditions.
  • This position will require domestic or overseas travel to attend conferences, workshops, field trips and meetings as required.
  • Must be able to be Medical Cleared for travel in accordance with established CRC Medical criteria in positions where travel will be required.
  • Full vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory for this position and operation (the CRC will however adhere to its duty to accommodate those who are unable to be fully vaccinated for a reason related to a human right protected ground)

If you require accommodation measures during any phase of the hiring process, please notify us as soon as possible. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential.

How to apply

Please apply through the following link: https://tre.tbe.taleo.net/tre01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CRCS&cws=75&rid=9891


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