GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN DIRECTOR

Overview

Work Location : US - Atlanta, GA
Type of Post : Not Applicable
Other Possible Location : Kenya - Nairobi
Funding : APPROVED
Expected Travel : up to 30%
Type of Contract :
Language Requirement : English
Application Deadline :
Employee Duration : Full-Time

Starting salaries are based on various factors, including candidate experience, education, knowledge, skills, and the cost of labor where the job is based. Salaries listed only apply to jobs based in the US.

What We Are Looking For

At CARE, we value diversely talented people who can bring different experiences and perspectives to our organization. We know that not all applicants will have every skill and qualification. We encourage everyone who meets the minimum required qualifications to apply. Having one or more of the preferred qualifications will strengthen an application. But, even if you are earlier in your career or followed a non-traditional educational or professional path, we hope you will consider a career at CARE.

Job Title: GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN DIRECTOR

Job Location(s): US - Atlanta, GA

Job Summary

The Global Humanitarian Director (GHD) is a globally recognized, transformational leader responsible for shaping CARE’s humanitarian ambition, influence, and impact at scale. This role drives sector-leading humanitarian strategies, influences global policy and practice, and further positions CARE as a thought leader in addressing complex crises.

The GHD provides visionary leadership across CARE’s federation, ensuring high-quality humanitarian delivery while advancing innovation, localization, and equality for women and girls. The role requires deep field credibility, global advocacy influence, and exceptional fundraising acumen to mobilize resources and partnerships.

As a key external voice, the GHD represents CARE at the highest levels globally, influencing humanitarian systems, policy, and funding landscapes, while fostering a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative culture internally.

Responsibilities

Global Strategic Leadership & Sector Transformation

• Shape and drive a bold, future-facing humanitarian vision, positioning CARE as a global leader influencing sector-wide change
• Lead the evolution of CARE’s humanitarian model to deliver large-scale, high-impact, -transformative responses as a member of the Humanitarian Governance Group (HGG)
• Actively influence global humanitarian architecture, reform agendas, and localization efforts
• Build alignment across the federation, enabling cohesive, high-performing global delivery through coordination and organization with the Humanitarian Working Group (HWG) meetings
• Champion innovation, adaptive management, and entrepreneurial thinking across humanitarian operations

Resource Mobilization, Partnerships and Growth

• Lead strategic efforts to diversify and expand CARE’s humanitarian funding base, including institutional, private, and innovative financing
• Drive large-scale fundraising and donor engagement strategies aligned to global priorities including funds for the Humanitarian Surge Fund (HSF)
• Cultivate high-impact partnerships with donors, private sector, and global networks
• Ensure strong alignment between programmatic ambition and resource mobilization
• Promote an entrepreneurial approach to unlocking new funding and collaboration opportunities

Global Influence and External Representation

• Serve as a globally credible thought leader and spokesperson, influencing policymakers, donors, and multilateral actors
• Build strategic alliances to influence global humanitarian policy, standards, and funding frameworks
• Represent CARE at high-level global forums, media engagements, and international platforms
• Position CARE as a trusted and influential voice in humanitarian reform and innovation

Humanitarian Leadership, Delivery and Operational Excellence

• Provide strategic oversight of complex, large-scale humanitarian responses across multiple geographies including chairing the Crisis Coordination and Action (CCA) group.
• Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, accountable, and principled humanitarian programming.
• Strengthen surge capacity, emergency preparedness, and rapid response mechanisms
• Enable effective cross-country collaboration and resource deployment
• Foster a culture of performance, learning, and continuous improvement
• Implement CARE Confederation Emergency Response Protocol (ERP)
• Coordinates and organizes HWG meetings
• Chairs the Crisis Coordination and Action (CCA) group
• Manage allocation of funds from the Humanitarian Surge Fund (HSF)
• Call upon and request all CI Members to mobilize the resources at their disposal to support CARE’s response to Humanitarian crises
• Be a key part of all operational and strategic decision-making that is related to the response
• Monitors the quality of the response and takes part in its evaluation
• Raise disputes or issues related to humanitarian response for the CI Secretary General or Humanitarian Governance Group to resolve after consultation with the Lead Member/Member/Candidate/Affiliate and CIS, as necessary
• Can coordinate assessments where CARE does not have an Implementing Presence (in coordination with any Member that may have engagements in the given country/location)
• Following consultations with the HWG, recommend to the CI Secretary General to declare a corporate emergency, thereby activating the specific duties and responsibilities of all CARE Members/Candidates/Affiliates regarding corporate emergencies
• The Global Humanitarian Director/Chief Humanitarian Officer, along with other senior CARE leaders, will represent CARE in key strategic global humanitarian spaces and be a key media spokesperson for CARE, working with the CI Secretariat which coordinates CARE’s global humanitarian advocacy and communication efforts.

Organizational Leadership, Culture & Collaboration

• Lead and inspire a globally distributed, high-performing team, fostering collaboration across the federation
• Grow a culture of trust, inclusion, accountability, and innovation
• Strengthen cross-functional and cross-country collaboration
• Enable dynamic decision-making and agile ways of working
• Serve as Chair of the Humanitarian Working Group, facilitating strategic alignment and collective decision-making

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in International Development, Humanitarian Affairs, Public Policy, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in humanitarian response, including senior global roles
• Extensive field-based experience leading complex emergency responses (conflict and natural disasters)
• Proven track record as a global leader influencing humanitarian policy, systems, and reform agendas
• Demonstrated success in securing and managing significant humanitarian funding (multi-million portfolios)
• Strong experience in global advocacy, external representation, and donor engagement
• Experience working across multiple regions and diverse operational contexts
• Proven ability to lead large, diverse, and geographically dispersed teams
• Strong track record of driving innovation, transformation, and organizational change

Preferred Qualifications

• Established global network across humanitarian, donor, and policy communities
• Experience influencing multilateral institutions and global humanitarian platforms
• Multilingual capabilities relevant to humanitarian contexts

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CARE is an Equal Opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Starting salaries are based on internal equity, candidate experience, and the cost of labor where the job is based. Salaries listed only apply to jobs based in the US.