International Disaster Response Coordinator

Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. "Join us in our mission to serve the poorest of the poor".

Overall Responsibility:

The Disaster Response Coordinator will play a pivotal role in leading and coordinating Food For The Poor’s emergency response efforts, both in the United States and internationally. This role will be responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation, monitoring, and assessment of disaster response and post-relief transition, ensuring that they are executed efficiently, effectively, and in line with humanitarian principles. This role demands strong communication, leadership, program management, and coordination skills, as well as a deep commitment to humanitarian values and Food For The Poor guiding principles. Additionally, supports the team with reviewing and implementing best practices for team processes and organizational continuity of operations protocols. Able to deploy to areas affected after hazard event to support on-the-ground operations, coordination, and distribution, where needed. Ability to interact and communicate clearly, tactfully, and effectively in both English and Spanish is a must. Excellent written skills in both languages.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Planning and Coordination:

• Monitor and track hazards using various emergency management operational software, including PDC Disaster Aware, to aid supported regions across Latin America and the Caribbean, including the United States and its territories.
• Communicate with domestic and international emergency managers and partners to gather needs assessment and to determine the immediate and long-term needs of affected populations.
• Use assessment findings to inform response planning and resource allocation.
• Conduct in-depth research and prepare comprehensive situation reports on disaster and emergency events, providing timely and accurate updates on the evolving conditions and response efforts.
• Coordinate emergency response strategies and humanitarian response plans in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Disaster Programs Coordinator to ensure that emergency programs are executed in alignment with humanitarian sector standards, principles, and best practices.
• Provide guidance and support to field teams, including partners and staff, to ensure the successful implementation of emergency response and relief.

Deploy to areas affected after hazard event to support on-the-ground operations, coordination, and distribution, where needed.

• Collaborate and prepare training workshops and learning initiatives including research materials and planning.
• Collaborate and coordinate with the Marketing and Public Relations departments ensuring the clear and impactful dissemination of disaster-related information and response strategies. This may include impromptu media communications if the Director of Programs and Operations is not present.
• Strong collaboration on all of the above program elements with the Disaster Program Coordinator.

1. Sector-Specific Knowledge and Collaboration:

• Possess general knowledge of specific sectors relevant to humanitarian response, such as health, nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), shelter, and protection, among others. This knowledge should include an understanding of best practices, and sector standards.
• Collaborate closely with implementing partners to co-design sector-specific interventions that are innovative, sustainable, and aligned with the needs of affected communities and humanitarian response objectives. This collaboration involves:
• Engaging with sector experts and stakeholders to ensure that interventions are based on the latest sector knowledge and evidence.
• Developing joint plans that outline roles, responsibilities, and timelines for the implementation of co-designed interventions.
• Ensuring that sector-specific interventions are integrated into the broader humanitarian response strategy, promoting synergy and maximizing impact across different areas of response.

1. Coordination and Partnerships:

Foster and maintain effective partnerships with local authorities, UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders in the humanitarian community including emergency agencies, networks, and alliances that support FFTP’s initiatives within domestic and international emergency preparedness and response activities.

• Represent Food For The Poor in relevant conferences, coordination meetings, clusters, and working groups to ensure a coordinated and collaborative response.
• Establish and maintain a line of communication with implementing partners and alliances with in-kind and distribution partners.

1. Post-Emergency Transition:

• Collaborate closely with partners soon after the relief phase to identify holistic and comprehensive projects that bridge the relief phase into the next appropriate intervention.
• Work in close cooperation with Partnerships, Strategy, and Projects Departments to make recommendations on transitioning projects that meet country and organizational objectives.

1. After Action Review and Evaluation:

• Develop and implement a robust evaluation framework to assess the impact and effectiveness of emergency programs.
• Regularly review program data, identify and document lessons learned, and make necessary adjustments to improve program outcomes.

1. Reporting and Documentation:

• Prepare timely and accurate reports on emergency response activities for donors, stakeholders, and organizational use.
• Maintain comprehensive program documentation, including case studies, success stories, and best practices.
• Collaborate with the Creative and IT departments to support interactive and dashboard reporting.

1. Safety and Security:

• Prioritize the safety and security of staff and beneficiaries, ensuring compliance with safety protocols and guidelines.

Other Duties:

Support company functions, i.e., donation drives, sorting/ kit-building in the warehouse, and volunteer events.

Perform clerical duties, take memos, maintain files, and organize documents; photocopy, fax, and take notes and memos during meetings, as needed.

Perform any other duties as assigned by the Director of Program Operations.

Education:

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Emergency Management, Humanitarian Studies, International Relations, Public Administration, or a related discipline is typically required. A Master's degree in a related field can be an advantage.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5-7 years of experience in emergency response, disaster management, or humanitarian relief work.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing emergency response strategies, plans, and coordination.
• Strong project management skills, with a track record of successful program implementation.
• Experience in working with various stakeholders, including local authorities, UN agencies, NGOs, and other humanitarian partners.

Skills:

• Bilingual Proficiency: Ability to interact and communicate clearly, tactfully, and effectively in both English and Spanish. Excellent written skills in both languages.
• Humanitarian Standards: Knowledge of humanitarian standards, principles, and best practices, ensuring alignment with ethical guidelines and industry norms.
• Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning: Proficiency in developing and implementing COOP plans to ensure essential functions can continue during crises, including experience with tabletop exercises.
• Evaluation and Review: Experience in conducting after-action reviews and program evaluations to assess the impact and effectiveness of emergency programs.
• Communication and Networking: Strong communication and networking skills to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders and partners.
• Collaboration: Ability to collaborate with team and provide strong leadership in emergency response scenarios.
• Independence: Self-directed and able to work effectively without constant supervision, demonstrating initiative and self-reliance.
• Adaptability: Given the nature of emergency response work, flexibility and adaptability are key qualities for this role.
• Organizational Skills: Excellent organizational skills to manage complex tasks and resources efficiently during emergency response operations.
• Prioritization: Ability to prioritize assignments and manage a variety of complex tasks under tight deadlines, ensuring the timely and effective implementation of response plans.
• Research: Highly proficient in research and web search to gather critical information for emergency response planning and decision-making.
• Computer Skills: Highly proficient in Microsoft 365 Office Applications, including Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive filing, and Outlook.
• Design (Canva): Proficient in using graphic design tools like Canva for creating visual materials related to emergency response and coordination.