CHF International's mission is to be a catalyst for long-lasting positive change in low- and moderate-income communities around the world, helping them to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.
Job Description
CHF International’s mission is to be a catalyst for long-lasting positive change in low- and moderate-income communities around the world, helping them to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.
CHF International, a non-profit international development and humanitarian response organization, is seeking an Emergency Shelter Specialist to join its Office of Humanitarian Assistance at the headquarters in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland.
The Emergency Shelter Specialist will manage all aspects of program design, startup and technical assistance for emergency and transitional shelter response; inform the design and delivery of shelter solutions in humanitarian emergencies, and represent CHF to the global and local humanitarian community for all shelter and infrastructure related program components. Primary job duties will entail:
Coordinates CHF’s response to and preparedness for humanitarian crises, with a special focus on technical support and leadership in managing shelter-related emergency initiatives.
- Acts as an HQ-based emergency coordinator, backstopping and supporting CHF Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in the field.
- Leads emergency field assessments and CERTs during a major emergency as required.
- Leads CHF preparedness and contingency planning efforts in the field. Develops and implements Shelter Needs Assessments.
- Develops and manages other shelter-related emergency preparedness and response tools.
Develops CHF’s institutional capacity to respond to emergencies.
- Leads the development of CHF’s shelter sector strategy and standards for emergency response programming.
- Develops guidelines, tools, and good practices for emergency shelter response, including case studies to feed into relevant donor and shelter sector initiatives.
- Develops and implements relevant training and capacity building for CHF staff.
- Draws on best practices and innovations, and shares relevant knowledge with internal and external partners.
Represents CHF at relevant humanitarian meetings, conferences, and workshops.
- Represents CHF on working groups and, in conjunction with the Director, OHA, with the emergency shelter cluster.
- Facilitates information exchanges across programs and with external partners through knowledge dissemination and documentation.
- Establishes and maintains excellent working relationships with other shelter sector actors, including donors.
Leads program development efforts related to humanitarian assistance.
- Acts as team lead, technical writer, technical advisor, and reviewer on relevant program development initiatives.
- Actively identifies and pursues new business development opportunities related to emergency shelter response and emergency response.
- Provides engineering and design leadership for relevant program development processes.
Undertakes all other duties and projects as may be assigned from time to time.
Required Skills
- Thorough knowledge of emergency infrastructure engineering and construction projects. Demonstrated ability to design technical projects and write successful proposals to a variety of donors. Knowledge of humanitarian relief programming and grants administration.
- Excellent critical thinking skills and sound judgment. Proven willingness to make timely and sound decisions based on accurate judgment.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and listening skills. Ability to interact with all levels of staff in a professional manner.
- Demonstrated strong leadership skills. Excellent team builder.
- Excellent organizational skills. Ability to manage deadlines and to work independently.
- English fluency required. Ability to speak a secondary language preferred.
- Proven successful project management skills.
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
- Ability to travel to difficult locations and situations on short notice. Willingness to travel up to 40% of the time
- Accuracy, attention to detail.
- Ability to read and interpret documents and ability to sit at a computer and operate a keyboard.
Experience Required
- Master's degree in engineering or related field.
- Minimum of five years of experience in infrastructure engineering and construction projects in the humanitarian relief sector. Experience designing and managing disaster response and recovery activities. Significant experience designing and developing shelters and infrastructure in humanitarian emergencies. Experience in USG and UN-funded programs a plus.
- Equivalent combination of education and experience.
EOE/M/F/VH
How to apply:
