Delegate, Safe and Dignified Burials

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability. IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is responding to an outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a form of Ebola virus disease, in a complex operating environment characterised by population movement, insecurity, constraints on access to health services and significant risks of continued transmission and geographic spread. The absence of an approved vaccine or specific targeted treatment for the Bundibugyo strain reinforces the importance of early detection, effective infection prevention and control, appropriate clinical and supportive care, safe and dignified burials, and trusted community-based action.

IFRC is supporting the DRC Red Cross to deliver a locally led, community-centred response aligned with national outbreak priorities and coordinated with the Ministry of Health and key technical and humanitarian partners. The response brings together community-based surveillance, risk communication and community engagement, safe and dignified burials, infection prevention and control and WASH, mental health and psychosocial support, clinical care and continuity of essential health services.

Through its extensive volunteer and community networks, the DRC Red Cross plays a critical role in strengthening community trust, supporting early detection and referral, promoting protective behaviours and helping communities access timely and appropriate services. Alongside immediate outbreak control, IFRC's support seeks to strengthen the capacity, systems and operational readiness of the DRC Red Cross and reinforce its auxiliary role to public authorities. The response therefore combines technical and operational support, coordination, surge capacity, resource mobilisation and institutional strengthening, while continuously adapting priorities and interventions to the evolving epidemiological, operational and community context. This approach aims not only to contribute to interrupting transmission and reducing the humanitarian impact of BVD, but also to leave stronger National Society and community capacities for future epidemics and health emergencies.

The Delegate, Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB), will lead and oversee the planning, implementation, coordination, and reporting of SDB activities in close collaboration with the DRC Red Cross and the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare. Under the Ebola Virus Disease Emergency Appeal, the role will support the DRC Red Cross to develop and operationalize the Centre as a platform for capacity strengthening, preparedness, and response readiness in SDB. The position will ensure the systematic rollout of training programmes and technical support across DRC Red Cross branches, strengthen operational readiness through the organization of simulation exercises, and oversee the pre-positioning of specialized equipment and materials for SDB activities. It will further ensure that the National Society maintains the required capacity to safely and effectively deliver SDB interventions during outbreaks throughout the country. The programme will integrate core components including operational research, documentation of best practices, and the development and dissemination of standards and protocols. It will serve as a regional resource benefiting the DRC Red Cross, the Ministry of Health, and neighbouring National Societies and Ministries of Health, contributing to strengthened public health emergency preparedness and response across the region

• Relevant university degree or extensive professional experience in related field or professional qualification in operations management. Required
• IMPACT Training Course or equivalent knowledge. Required
• Certification in Project/Program management or equivalent training/experience. Preferred

Required

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in a humanitarian organization in developing countries and in complex emergencies and/or similar contexts;
• Good track record of managing people, networking, influencing and negotiating and building relationships effectively;
• Experience in project cycle management including proposal development, budgeting and reporting, monitoring and evaluation;
• Experience of field-based implementation;
• Experience of financial management to ensure compliance;
• Experience of report writing (narrative and financial);
• Good understanding of the humanitarian environment, strong analytical skills and capacity to translate analysis into strategy and planning;

Preferred

Work experience with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

Required

• Coordination and partner relationship building / Excellent skills in networking with other agencies and organizations;
• Good understanding of the humanitarian environment, strong analytical skills and capacity to translate analysis into strategy and planning;
• Demonstrated technical expertise in strategic management, project planning and budgeting, resource management, implementation ability as well as programme monitoring and evaluation;
• Technical expertise in Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB), Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), and outbreak response operations, including application of WHO/IFRC standards and protocols;
• Excellent communication, influencing, inter-personal and representational skills;
• Excellent people managerial skills and proficient in training, coaching, mentoring and developing staff capacity;
• Ability to work in a multicultural, multilingual and cross-functional environment;
• Knowledge management, operational learning and research skills, including development of SOPs, training curricula, certification systems, lessons learned documentation and communities of practice;
• Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants.
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.

Languages

Fluent spoken and written English and French- Required

Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic) Preferred

• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust