Head of Humanitarian Response and DRR at CARE International

Job Summary

CARE Nigeria is seeking a Head of Humanitarian Response and DRR that will support CARE Nigeria’s consolidation in the Northeast and the expansion of humanitarian operations to other parts of the country, in line with evolving needs. As a key member of the Country Leadership Team (CLT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the position holder ensures high-quality humanitarian and disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions, effective program design and fundraising, strengthened emergency preparedness, and robust internal and external coordination. The Head of Humanitarian Response and DRR plays a strategic role in linking short-term humanitarian actions with long-term development programming across key sectors including Food and Livelihood Security, Nutrition, WASH, Protection, Gender in Emergencies (GiE), and resilience. The role ensures that CARE’s programming principles, humanitarian standards, gender-transformative approaches, and accountability frameworks are upheld across all interventions. He/She will manage a team of sectoral specialists and work closely with Program Implementation, MEAL, Partnerships & Grants, Resource Mobilization, Finance, Operations, local and international partners, and relevant CARE International (CI) members.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

Job Responsibility #1: Program Design, Development, Planning and Fundraising 

• Support the Director of Program in overall assessments, program design, planning, and resource mobilization strategies.
• Contribute to the development and updating of a fundraising strategy that strengthens the Country Office’s ability to secure diversified funding.
• Coordinate proposal development processes with the Director of Program, Business Development Manager, and program teams, ensuring alignment with CARE’s strategic priorities.
• Strengthen CO capacity in high-quality proposal development, report writing, and adherence to program design standards.
• Integrate mechanisms and systems into program design to enhance program efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Support inception/orientation workshops for new projects and provide guidance on essential implementation standards.

Job Responsibility #2: Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPP) Capacity 

• Lead the development, implementation, and updating of the Country Office’s Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) and Emergency Response Strategy (ERS) based on CI standards.
• Continuously monitor the humanitarian context and adjust EPP scenarios and ERS targets accordingly.
• Report progress and advise senior leadership on EPP/ERS implementation challenges or changes.
• Support integration of humanitarian actions into longer-term development programming.
• Develop and implement capacity-building plans for CARE staff and partners on accountability, humanitarian principles, program design, EPP, ERS, gender transformation, and sectoral standards.
• Facilitate learning sessions with M&E and program teams to improve program design and implementation quality.
• Maintain active representation in the Emergency Response Team (ERT).

Job Responsibility #3: Liaison, Coordination, Engagement & Partnerships

• Strengthen and expand consortia, partnerships, and other engagement mechanisms to enhance reach and program sustainability.
• Maintain effective relationships with CMPs, CEG, RMU, donors, INGOs, UN agencies, and CARE sector technical teams.
• Support M&E, Communications, and program teams in enhancing CARE’s visibility and external engagement.
• Represent CARE Nigeria in key humanitarian coordination platforms, including UN Clusters, INGOs forums, and donor meetings.
• Support strategic partnership development in collaboration with Partnerships & Grants and program teams.
• Participate actively in the CLT, SLT, and other strategic working groups

Job Responsibility #4: Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, and Learning

• Support the M&E unit and program teams in establishing a comprehensive M&E framework for emergency preparedness and response.
• Lead sectoral teams in reviewing project performance, strategy implementation, and progress against logical frameworks and targets.
• Review humanitarian budgets, burn rates, and expenditure trends; support timely corrective actions and budget revisions.
• Develop project progress tracking tools in collaboration with Grants & Partnerships to ensure compliance with donor requirements.
• Oversee timely development, review, and submission of donor reports and internal program reports.
• Support development and review of implementation plans, EPP, ERS, and other strategic planning documents.

Job Responsibility #5: Leadership and Quality Assurance for Sectoral Specialists

• Recruit, supervise, and support Sectoral Specialists in line with the CO strategy.
• Ensure program designs meet CARE, CI, and donor standards for quality, accountability, and technical rigor.
• Review, update, and disseminate sectoral checklists and guidelines (e.g., cash, gender, accountability, protection, conflict sensitivity).
• Develop new sectoral guidance and strategies as needed to improve program quality.
• Review field program implementation with Sr. Manager-Implementation to ensure compliance with quality standards.
• Ensure gender-transformative programming and effective mainstreaming of cross-cutting themes such as protection, advocacy, and conflict sensitivity.
• Support sectoral teams and program managers to meet minimum standards and strengthen technical coherence.

Resource Mobilization

• Lead on CARE’s fundraising and resource mobilization efforts for the Humanitarian programme, including donor engagement and development of high-quality proposals.

Other Responsibilities:

• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Director of Program or senior leadership.

QUALIFICATION/EXPERIENCE/TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Required

• A University degree in Social Sciences, International Development, Environmental Science, or related field.
• 8-15 years of Proven experience leading humanitarian programming in complex and multicultural environments.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian standards, principles, and safeguarding approaches, including PSEA.
• Demonstrated experience in coordination, advocacy, and high-level representation.
• Experience managing multi-sectoral programs with multiple donors in conflict or emergency settings.
• Strong negotiation, networking, and partnership-building skills.
• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization and donor engagement.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) in English.
• Dynamic, participatory leadership style with the ability to lead and motivate multi-cultural teams.
• Ability to manage complex budgets and multi-disciplinary teams

Competencies:

• Approachability                                 
• Building Effective Teams
• Customer Focus
• Integrity and Trust
• Drive for Results
• Comfort around Higher management
• Business Acumen
• Negotiating
• Organizational Agility