Senior Director of Humanitarian Response and Technical Services

Job description

The Sr. Director of Humanitarian Response and Technical Services will hold both strategic and operational responsibility for CORE’s humanitarian response portfolio. As a key member of the Leadership Team, this role helps shape and drive organizational strategy and serves as a representative of CORE at local, regional, national, and international levels.

CORE views humanitarian response as the critical first phase in a broader continuum of programming that supports community recovery and resilience. As one of the most visible facets of our mission, humanitarian response demands strong leadership, technical excellence, and seamless coordination across all departments. The Sr. Director of HRTS must bring a “start at yes” mindset, with demonstrated experience in on-the-ground field leadership with international NGOs, including leading complex responses in rapidly evolving environments. They must be prepared to deploy quickly, often with less than 48 hours’ notice, assess dynamic and high-pressure contexts, and lead from the field, in both rapid onset disasters and complex emergencies—ensuring immediate relief efforts are effective and grounded in operational realities. Working closely with the VP of Programs & Partnerships, the Sr. Director will also contribute to long-term strategy, helping guide investments that deliver sustainable, high-impact outcomes for affected communities.

Main Responsibilities:

• Program Leadership & Management:

• ·         Foster a culture of grounded, adaptive leadership across CORE’s humanitarian response portfolio, modeling decisiveness and clarity in high-pressure, ambiguous environments. Build and lead field teams that are agile, mission-driven, and equipped to respond effectively amid complexity and change.

• ·         Lead CORE’s emergency field operations, serving as the senior operational lead on the ground during crisis deployments. Ensure field activities align with CORE’s Emergency Response Playbook and uphold standards of speed, accountability, and quality.

• ·         Oversee the design and execution of CORE’s humanitarian response programs, with a focus on multi-sector response, including Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), and Health programming. Ensure that technical excellence is embedded throughout implementation—even when conditions are fluid or information is incomplete.

• ·         Manage a team of technical experts, including specialists in MEAL, CVA, Protection, and Health, to ensure high-quality, integrated support to both emergency response and longer-term recovery programming. Guide the production of learning briefs, after-action reviews, and other technical documentation to enhance CORE’s reputation, promote transparency, and inform future operations.

• ·         Act as CORE’s principal crisis strategist, rapidly assessing needs, coordinating field assessments, and iterating response strategies in volatile and resource-constrained settings. Translate analysis into programmatic actions that meet immediate needs while positioning communities for long-term recovery.

• ·         Lead the development of response budgets, ensuring financial plans are realistic, responsive to operational realities, and aligned with donor requirements and CORE’s internal systems.

• ·         Champion adaptive management practices, empowering teams to pivot as new information emerges, while maintaining fidelity to CORE’s mission, standards, and donor commitments.

• ·         Collaborate with the VP of Programs & Partnerships to transition from emergency relief to recovery and preparedness programming. Inform strategic investments that deliver sustainable impact in communities affected by crisis, even within uncertain and shifting funding landscapes.

• ·         Coordinate closely across CORE departments including Communication, Development, and Finance.

• External Relationships:

•        Work with the Senior Management Team, and Partnerships department to build close relationships with key stakeholders, primarily, but not exclusively: UN agencies, FEMA, US Dept of State, and AMRC.

•      Support expansion of revenue generating and fundraising activities of existing and new programs; cultivate existing relationships and develop new donor relationships.

•        Manage relationships with partner organizations and networks, like InterAction and the VOAD system.

•        Build relationships with resourced partners for Heavy Equipment, Search and Rescue and other capacities as needed

• Knowledge Management:

•       Advance CORE’s technical reputation as a leading voice in different sectors by advancing the production of technical documents, manuals, articles, and representing CORE on international working groups and associations.

•      Support the development of necessary systems, processes, and tools and build out a team to better leverage program and organizational data to improve CORE’s operations and data storytelling.

•  Develop dissemination system to share organizational learning with a range of communities.

•      Ensure that key project outcomes and/or policy, advocacy, and legislation are evaluated and leveraged for maximum community and organizational impact.

•       Work collaboratively with CORE’s senior management team to integrate cross program activities and functions.

• Technical Services:

•   Supervise key technical staff to ensure close integration with program and partnership teams.

•    Support and advocate for Technical Services across all programs and support departments.

•     Identify any new technical areas that CORE needs to bolster based on CORE’s strategic plan.

Scope and Travel:

• Direct Reports:
• Medical Director
• MEAL Specialist
• Technical Director, Cash and Markets
• Director of Domestic Humanitarian Response
• Gender and Protection Specialist
• Travel 25% - with less than 48 hours’ notice to both domestic and international locations, including complex emergencies
• Active passport

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in international development or related field
• Master’s Degree preferred

Experience:

•   7 –10 years of progressively responsible experience in international programs and humanitarian response, including leading emergency operations in complex, high-stakes environments.
• Demonstrated field-based leadership in both domestic and international disaster response settings, with a track record of deploying rapidly, managing multi-sector teams, and delivering high-impact results in resource-constrained and ambiguous conditions.
• Proven experience navigating diverse cultural and operational contexts, working with affected communities, government actors, and humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
• Experience integrating technical expertise, MEAL functions, and program operations to drive quality, accountability, and continuous learning in humanitarian response

Skills & Competencies:

•          Rapid Deployment Ready: Willing and able to deploy on short notice (within 48 hours) for both domestic and international emergency responses.
•         Strategic & Impact-Driven: Proven track record of contributing to high-quality donor proposals and program design that align with humanitarian priorities.
•         Collaborative by Nature: Skilled at working across departments and disciplines in high-pressure, fast-moving environments.
•        Culturally Fluent: Brings a deep respect for and ability to work across diverse teams, languages, and community dynamics.
•         Equity-Focused: Demonstrated commitment to serving marginalized, displaced, and crisis-affected populations with integrity and respect.
•         Entrepreneurial Mindset: A bold thinker and proactive problem-solver who thrives in ambiguity, takes initiative without waiting for permission, and drives toward big-picture impact.
•         Resilient & Grounded: Brings both urgency and steadiness to chaotic situations; leads with clarity, humility, and purpose.
•         Start-at-Yes Mentality: We’re looking for a dreamer and a doer—someone who leads with curiosity and optimism, and believes every challenge has a way forward. A natural connector who builds unlikely partnerships, navigates constraints with creativity, and brings people together to turn vision into action.
•         Big-Picture, Out-of-the-Box Thinker: Sees beyond the immediate task to understand systems and scale and isn’t afraid to challenge conventional approaches. Skilled at identifying untapped resources, hidden potential, and new pathways to progress. Brings imagination to strategy and action to vision—anchored always in humanity and the needs of those we serve.

$150,000 - $160,000 a year

Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records checks, sex offender registries, employment, education verifications and child abuse registry check (if required by state regulations) are required post job offer and prior to employment.

Safeguarding

CORE is committed to keeping children and vulnerable individuals safe and has a Zero Tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse. Every CORE employee, consultant and volunteer is bound by CORE’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy. By applying for this position, an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s safeguarding, sexual misconduct, (child) sexual exploitation and abuse, or human trafficking policy.