Humanitarian Director

This is an exciting opportunity to join Caritas Internationalis’ Senior Team to lead and coordinate Caritas’ humanitarian work globally and represent the Confederation at the highest levels. If you have extensive experience of leading humanitarian responses, are diplomatic, energetic and committed to working in partnership, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Mission
The Humanitarian Director is a Senior Manager reporting directly to the Secretary General, whose mission is to coordinate the disaster response of the Caritas Internationalis Confederation members around the local Caritas member organization, in close cooperation with the regional coordinators; to develop disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness strategies; to engage in promoting a better response to humanitarian crises through advocacy on humanitarian policy and to lead the continuous improvement of CI members’ emergency response capacity and systems.

The Humanitarian Director managesthe General Secretariat’s Humanitarian Staff. As member of the Senior Management Team, the Humanitarian Director helps elaborate and implement strategies for the General Secretariat, and make collective leadership decisions. The Humanitarian Director will also provide specialist advice and briefings to the Secretary General and other General Secretariat Staff.

Caritas Internationalis (CI) is a Catholic non-profit organisation, a Confederation of 162 Members in seven different Regions spread all over the world. The mission entrusted to Caritas Internationalis and its network of National Member Organisations is to work for the dignity of the human person, in particular the poor and the neediest, to contribute to the promotion of integral human development, to coordinate the humanitarian responses of its members in order to save lives and rebuild the affected communities, thus helping to spread charity and justice in the world in the light of the Gospel and of the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Type of contract: Fixed-term contract - 4 years with six months’ probation period; renewable twice up to a maximum of 12 years

Work place: Caritas Internationalis, General Secretariat – Vatican City

Package: Competitive, tax free if you are or become resident in Italy

Job Description

Job position: Humanitarian Director
Job title: Director – Level C2 (full time)
Department: Humanitarian Department
Line Manager: Secretary General
Work Place: Caritas Internationalis General Secretariat – Vatican City State

Main responsibilities

1. To provide strategic leadership, management and coordination of the Caritas confederation’s humanitarian work:
   a. To strengthen the capacities of the network and of its members in disaster risk reduction (DRR), humanitarian response and learning, developing policies, protocols and guidelines for this purpose;
   b. To ensure the external recognition of Caritas as an international humanitarian actor, promoting international standards, Caritas principles and working in partnership;
   c. To promote confederation advocacy on humanitarian policies and on specific major crises;
   d. To promote the mainstreaming of safeguarding of vulnerable children and adults in the confederation.
2. To ensure adequate support to Member Organisations in case of major humanitarian crises in collaboration with Regional Caritas and Member Organisations;
3. To lead and manage the General Secretariat’s humanitarian team;
4. To provide support, guidance, and supervision to the relevant working structures in the field of humanitarian action, in particular ensuring the operations of the confederation’s Humanitarian Committee and Caritas regional humanitarian structures/staff;
5. To represent the organisation externally within the mandate given by the Secretary General;
6. To participate in the Senior Management Team, exercising co-leadership of the Caritas
   Internationalis General Secretariat team;
7. Any other responsibility or task that might be necessary to the achievement of the strategic outcomes or specific tasks related to the optimal performance of the Caritas Internationalis.

Profile

At least ten years’ experience of leading and coordinating major international humanitarian responses and of representing the organisation at the highest levels;

Advanced university degree in international relations, humanitarian affairs, technical or professional disciplines; additional relevant experience may substitute some education;

Excellent leadership and management skills;

Excellent inter-personal skills;

Strong diplomacy, representation, public speaking, facilitation and networking skills;

Ability to communicate effectively (oral and written) in at least two of the confederation languages
(English, French, Spanish);

Thorough knowledge of the international humanitarian system; experience with humanitarian coordination;

Ability to analyse policy developments and draft policy positions/recommendations;

Familiarity with key humanitarian policies and frameworks;

Understanding of, and commitment to, the triple nexus approach, based on local leadership of
humanitarian responses;

Field experience, in Africa, Asia, Latin America or Oceania and managing response strategies in
humanitarian crises are assets;

Understanding of an “accompanying attitude” and able to promote it with member organisations;

Understanding of, and commitment to, the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, on which Caritas’ work is firmly rooted;

Experience with Caritas and/or other Church organisations is a strong asset;

Result-oriented: possesses flexibility and shows initiative and proactivity;

Ability to work and create a supportive working environment within an international team; possess intercultural competence and sensitivity;

Proficient computer skills and experience working with Microsoft Office software.

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to
undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Vatican City, 4th August 2023