Emergency Country Director – Global Surge Team

About the role

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks an experienced Emergency Country Director to lead its Global Surge Team in crisis-affected countries. This senior position oversees all programmatic and operational activities during emergencies, ensuring rapid, high‑quality humanitarian response.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the country program, fostering strong relationships with government ministries, UN agencies, donors, NGOs and local partners.
• Design, develop and manage on‑site humanitarian response, ensuring program quality, accountability and effective use of public and private funds.
• Oversee safety and security protocols, maintain up‑to‑date evacuation and contingency plans, and coordinate with regional security advisors.
• Coach, mentor and evaluate senior managers and staff, establishing performance objectives and development plans.
• Represent IRC to major donors (e.g., USAID, OFDA, DFID, ECHO, UNHCR, UNICEF) and ensure the organization remains a partner of choice.

Required profile

• Extensive experience leading large‑scale humanitarian programs in emergency contexts.
• Proven ability to manage multi‑disciplinary teams, budgets and donor relationships.
• Willingness and ability to deploy to an emergency site within 72 hours of notification.
• Strong strategic thinking, decision‑making and communication skills.

Required skills

• Humanitarian program design and implementation.
• Donor funding management and compliance.
• Security and risk management in crisis environments.
• Leadership and staff development.