ABOUT AMERICARES
Passion and Purpose.
AmeriCares is an emergency response and global health organization that saves lives and builds healthier futures for people in crisis in the U.S. and around the world. Every day, AmeriCares puts critically needed medicines and supplies in the hands of frontline health workers and develops innovative, sustainable health improvements in their communities. We are the leading nonprofit for delivering donated medicines and medical supplies to health programs around the world. We leverage this core competency with emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts, and programs that improve health outcomes. Our programs increase access to care in more than 90 countries every year.
About our Emergency Response Program
Natural disasters affect 200 million people annually—predominately in poor communities. AmeriCares responds quickly to disasters and works closely with local partners to save lives and re-establish health care. We deliver critical medicines and supplies, provide mental health services, rehabilitate health facilities and support disaster preparedness and risk reduction. Our response— often within 72 hours—is informed by AmeriCares more than 30 years’ experience helping those affected by crisis.
ABOUT THE JOB:
Respond to Crisis, Support Recovery and Disaster Risk Reduction
If this is what you do, we have the role for you.
We are looking for an experienced, passionate, and versatile Emergency Response Manager to further strengthen our global emergency response efforts in the US, Latin America and across the globe. The Emergency Response (ER) Manager will participate in– and often lead– AmeriCares response to disasters and emergencies around the world. The ER Manager will be based in Stamford, CT with frequent deployment overseas and in the US. The ER Manager will conduct needs assessments, form partnerships with local response organizations and health agencies, coordinate the delivery of medicine and relief supplies, and develop and implement plans to address immediate needs of affected populations and restore critical health services.
Reporting to the Director of Emergency Response, the Emergency Response Manager will collaborate with members of the AmeriCares Emergency Response Working Group, which is comprised of staff from departments across the organization. In addition, you will work closely with the Recovery Programs Unit which manages longer-term programming and reconstruction initiatives, and the Global Partnerships teams which deliver medical assistance on an on-going basis to partners in 40 countries, many of which are disaster prone.
Readiness and Response
- Be informed and attuned to emergencies and conflict hot spots through daily monitoring of news and alert systems, and maintain on-going dialogue with partners
- Assess the need to respond to particular incidents and recommend action as appropriate
- Ensure AmeriCares has the right medicines, medical supplies and other relief items on hand in advance of response
- Serve as a core member of the cross-departmental Emergency Response Working Group, maintaining strong working relationships among colleagues
- Contribute to annual goal setting for the Emergency Response Program
- Participate in hotwashes and after action briefings and implement recommended actions to improve emergency response
- Serve as Incident Lead for a portfolio of small and medium responses, and support the Director of Emergency Response on larger disaster responses
- Deploy to disasters in the US and around the world, often on short notice
- Conduct needs assessments with a specific focus on the health sector including scale and scope of the incident, health status of the affected population, situation at hospital and clinics, need for medicines and supplies, and extent of damage
- Identify and pursue the most efficient and reliable ways to deliver assistance to partners and affected communities
- Set-up and manage field response operations
- Coordinate with Ministries/Departments of Health and regional and national nonprofits and NGOs, government agencies, international NGOs, and UN agencies, including participation in Health Cluster and/or other relevant cluster meetings
- Manage the shipments and deliveries of medicines, medical supplies and other aid from AmeriCares global warehouses to beneficiary partners and facilities
- Manage teams of medical professionals, public health professionals, and/or other responders to implement emergency response and public health interventions
Transition to Recovery & Long-term Programming
- For large-scale emergencies, support the systematic transition of the emergency response to the management of the Recovery Unit
Preparedness
- In coordination with the Director of ER and the Director of Disaster Risk Reduction, work with partners to identify preparedness gaps and design and implement preparedness programs
Communications
- Prepare, update and circulate Fact Sheets with details of each response to keep AmeriCares staff and external stakeholders informed about ER activities
- Draft reports, personal reflections and donor feedback to be used for donors and external stakeholders
- Be available to AmeriCares Communications team for media interviews
Coordination and Thought Leadership
- Represent AmeriCares at relevant coordination meetings, including national and state Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) meetings, and Interaction meetings.
- Participate in relevant conferences, and prepare and deliver presentations on behalf of AmeriCares when possible and appropriate
- Maintain relationships with partner organizations, with international NGOs, and with international organizations such as the World Health Organization.
CORE AMERICARES RESPONSIBILITIES:
Foster AmeriCares values of responsiveness, results orientation, collaboration, efficiency and integrity
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree plus five years of experience in humanitarian response/emergency management or relevant Master’s degree plus three years of experience in humanitarian response/emergency management
Spanish language proficiency
Education/training and experience in public health, international development, humanitarian assistance, and/or emergency management
Experience implementing or overseeing health programs in an emergency setting
Ability and willingness to deploy on short notice and for periods of 3 weeks to up to 12 weeks; prepared for up to 50% of time to be spent in the field
Experience in project design, implementation and monitoring & evaluation
- Experience living/working in disaster settings or resource-poor communities
- History of building partnerships—working effectively and respectfully with host country governments, local and international NGOs, and the private sector in complex environments
- Understanding of US emergency management system, including the National Incident Management System and the National Response Framework
- Excellent written and oral communications skills in English, including report and proposal writing and editing
- Strong Excel and Power Point skills, proficiency in Microsoft Word and Outlook required
- Must have a valid passport
Must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States
Personal Success Factors:
- Ability to work effectively, with follow-through in complex and highly fluid situations
- Predisposed to problem solving and applying creative solutions to program implementation and increasing impact in the provision of humanitarian aid
- Self-starter with ability to function as a team player among peers
- Ability to work in stressful circumstances, sometimes in austere conditions
- Passion for our mission and the desire to work within the global health/emergency response sector
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