Career Opportunity: Director of Response and Preparedness

DIRECTOR OF RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS

Engagements · Charlotte, North Carolina

*** Unable to provide sponsorship at this time. Only considering persons eligible to work in the United States.

Position Title: Director of Response and Preparedness

Supervisor’s Title: Chief of Engagements

Exemption Status: Exempt

Positions Supervised: Response Manager and Response Program Manager

Location: Charlotte, N.C. with travel to other U.S. and international locations as needed

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BACKGROUND:

Global Support and Development (GSD) is a humanitarian organization whose mission is to rapidly respond to disasters in collaboration with at-risk communities and support them to prepare for future disasters. We value collaboration and seek opportunities to amplify the work of others in-country, both in preparation for and in response to disasters. By integrating our team’s diverse skill sets and resources into local responses, we are able to provide rapid response assistance to affected communities in coordination with regional and country-level partners. We also work to build local capacity through community-led preparedness initiatives. GSD’s priority Area of Engagement is currently Latin America and the Caribbean, with targeted support to the South Pacific (and expected future increase in operations for 2024 and beyond).

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Director of Response and Preparedness (DRP) provides strategic and operational leadership and guidance on preparedness and response activities for the organization. Additionally, the Director of Response and Preparedness provides leadership and oversight for the Response Department on daily operational activities related to deployment readiness, capacity strengthening, and response, as well as support to those teams when deployed. This role consistently works cross-functionally with other department Directors and Advisors (e.g., Protection, Partnerships, Capabilities, Maritime, and Security), for coordination as teams prepare and operate in the communities GSD serves.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Develop, implement, and execute plans, processes, and projects in support of organization strategy, maximizing efficient use of resources and ensuring shared vision;
2. Direct the professional development and growth of direct reports and the departmental team as a whole;
3. Provide leadership and guidance on critical decision-making processes, to include identifying issues and driving problem-solving, especially in resource-constrained and time-sensitive contexts;
4. Develop and monitor department budget, KPIs, and other metrics, implementing continuous improvement initiatives to enhance performance;
5. Lead operational and planning leadership responsibilities for capacity strengthening and response;
6. Lead and coordinate capacity strengthening and disaster response plans, deployments, and field-facing support needed for teams to provide timely and efficient activities to partners and affected communities;
7. Collaborate with other departments, to include Partnerships and Maritime, on incoming partner requests and needs;
8. Coordinate across departments to ensure staffing capabilities of all engagement requirements;
9. In partnership with Human Resources, ensure adequate and robust staffing plans are maintained within the Response Department;
10. Develop and maintain a surge roster of staff to ensure each GSD engagement can be met at the standard in which GSD response and/or where emergency technical assistance and leadership responses are needed or prioritized;
11. Lead and support the development of education-based tools, trainings, and materials, for enhancing disaster response and capacity strengthening competencies;
12. Prompt and action GSD’s core values of accountability, humility, and integrity in all work we conduct;
13. Promote good stewardship of financial and other resources to achieve maximum benefit to those impacted by disaster or at risk of impact; and
14. Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Experience:

• Seven (7) or more years of progressive experience in professional emergency response, preferably in the humanitarian sector;
• Five (5) or more years experience operating as a senior manager, preferably in an international context; and

• Proven experience building and managing strong, capable teams in emergency response environments.

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field; or
• Equivalent experience and training; and
• Master’s degree in Social Sciences, International Development, or relevant field is a plus.

Professional Licenses/Certifications:

• Certification in project management is desired.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams to produce quality results within challenging timeframes and ongoing change;
• Program oversight and management, development of programmatic policy, procedure, and guidelines;
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously under pressure;
• Confident and effective written and verbal communication, to include presentation ability;
• Committed to open and transparent communication;
• Cultural awareness and the ability to work collaboratively with a wide array of stakeholders to build relationships;
• Consistent ability to think analytically, plan strategically, and implement long-term goals while remaining adaptive and flexible to changing circumstances;
• Rigorous and critical thinking skills, able to ask probing clear questions and drive towards consensus and solutions;
• High integrity and ethical standards with excellent interpersonal skills, collegial and collaborative behavior, high energy, positive, and creative leader;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to rapidly shift tasks;
• Experience working and / or traveling domestically and internationally; and
• Working knowledge of Spanish and/or French desired.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• At this time, GSD is not offering sponsorship and is only accepting applications from persons eligible to work in the United States.
• Routine domestic and international travel up to 30% is required.

BENEFITS:

You'll get..

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Premiums 100% covered by GSD for employee, employee +spouse, employee +family
• Basic Life, AD&D, and Long Term Disability Insurance: Fully covered by GSD
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA): Up to $4,000 in total annually for employee +2 or more family members
• Voluntary Life Insurance: Options available at reasonable group rates
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO): All employees are eligible for a minimum of 6 weeks of PTO per year after 90 days of service
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks paid by GSD
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Career Development Opportunities
• 401(k): GSD will match up to 6% of base salary for all employees ages 21+. Employees are eligible to begin contributing after 1 pay cycle, and the company match will go into effect immediately after employee begins contributing
• + Additional Perks!

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This job description is a summary rather than a detailed list of the duties performed. The essential functions, knowledge, skills, and working conditions may change along with business needs. This job description does not constitute a contract between employer and employee as employment is at will. Global Support and Development provides reasonable accommodations to assist qualified individuals in order to perform the essential functions their job requires.

GSD is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and embraces all candidates regardless of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law.

GSD promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all candidate selections.