Sudan is facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, marked by widespread displacement, disease outbreaks, and confirmations of famine in several ‘hunger hotspots.’ In an effort to coordinate INGO efforts and establish a common voice for INGOs operating in Sudan, the INGO forum was established in 2009 as a key representation platform. To date, the forum is made up of 57 members and 19 observers operating across the country, including in some of the most difficult to reach parts of Sudan.
The Program / Department / Team (Program / Department Summary)
The INGO Forum is a permanent member of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG). It co-leads the Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG), alongside OCHA and spearheads collective engagement with Government and other Authorities as well as with donors. The Forum also leads collective advocacy nationally, regionally and internationally through its Advocacy Working Group (AWG) and in close coordination with the regional Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) and Member liaison offices in key donor/diplomatic capitals around the world.
Since 2023, the situation in Sudan has dramatically shifted as state and non-state actors wage a brutal war. Humanitarian access is severely restricted and the uneven presence of the United Nations (UN) across the country exacerbates challenges to the delivery of efficient and wide-reaching humanitarian response. As humanitarian needs continue to escalate, there is an urgent need for enhanced coordination amongst international NGOs but also between INGOs and the UN and between the international aid community and national and local humanitarian responders.
To this end, the three core tenants of the INGO Forum’s work include:
This includes ensuring information is flowed two ways between INGO-F members and external counterparts including UN counterparts, national and local counterparts, and regional and global stakeholders. It also posits regular updating of forum databases on members, 3Ws and other information management related tasks to facilitate administrative coordination amongst INGO-F members and external stakeholders.
This includes providing support and guidance on access related matters including engagement with external actors on access barriers and bureaucratic and adminsitrative impediments; documenting and analyzing trends, lessons learned and best practices; and providing recommendations for collective positioning.
Stakeholder coordination and representation – Engaging with donors, UN agencies, authorities, and the broader humanitarian system to advocate for improved response conditions.
This includes a convening and facilitation role to ensure that Members are informed of matters discussed at external tables and are able to weigh in, and to ensure that matters concerning the collective are discussed and escalated to external stakeholders at the national, regional, and international level as appropriate
There is also an administrative component of the role that includes [re]establishing relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government authorities and ensuring that the Forum secretariat is staffed in a manner that ensures sufficient presence across the country to enable all pillars of the Forum’s functions to be effectively and consistently carried out.
The Position (General Position Summary)
The Director provides overall strategic leadership to the Sudan INGO Forum, overseeing coordination, representation, and stakeholder engagement efforts. This role is pivotal in ensuring that the Forum remains responsive, inclusive, and impactful in an increasingly complex humanitarian context.
Reporting to the Steering Committee, the Director is responsible for materializing the Forum’s vision, ensuring its Secretariat is sufficiently serving the membership and the vision, representing the Forum to key external stakeholders, and ensuring alignment across the Forum’s advocacy, access, and area coordination workstreams. The Director also ensures that Sudan-based realities are reflected in regional and global platforms and supports member organizations to navigate political, access, and coordination challenges.
Essential Responsibilities
Provide vision, oversight, and coordination for all Forum workstreams, including access, advocacy, coordination, and representation.
Serve as the primary representative of the Forum in high-level coordination and diplomatic spaces, including the HCT, ICCG, and regional inter-agency platforms.
Lead engagement with donors, UN leadership, national and de facto authorities, and other external actors to advocate for improved humanitarian access and space.
Manage a lean and adaptive Secretariat team, including recruitment, performance management, and capacity building.
Safeguarding Responsibilities
Supervisory Responsibility
The Sudan INGO Forum Director will formally supervise INGO Forum Secretariat members, including up to 4 direct reports. S/He may delegate supervisory responsibilities for certain roles to senior secretariat staff members at his/her discretion, upon approval by the Steering Committee
Reports Directly To: INGO Forum Steering Committee
Works Directly With: INGO Forum Secretariat, INGO Forum Steering Committee, external stakeholders including UN counterparts
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
Success in the role of Director of the Sudan INGO Forum will depend on strong strategic leadership, diplomatic acumen, and the ability to navigate complex political and humanitarian dynamics. The ideal candidate will foster inclusive coordination among diverse INGOs, represent the collective voice of the sector in high-level forums, and drive responsive, field-informed advocacy and access efforts. A collaborative leadership style, deep contextual understanding, and proven ability to operate effectively across remote and insecure environments will be critical to achieving impact and maintaining the Forum’s credibility and relevance.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in either Nairobi, Port Sudan or Nyala and will require 60% travel (40% in areas out of the agreed upon duty station and 20% to other areas), which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Team Engagement and Effectiveness
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.
We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.
Equal Employment Opportunity
