Emergency Response Manager, East Africa

About the role

12-month fixed-term Emergency Response Manager position with Save the Children’s East Africa regional emergency unit, based in Nairobi with deployments across South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and northern Kenya during active emergencies. The role leads rapid-response teams during emergencies (food crises, displacement, conflict, climate shocks) and supports country offices on emergency preparedness in calmer periods. Application deadline 25 June 2026.

Responsibilities

• Lead Save the Children’s rapid-response team during declared regional emergencies; deployable within 72 hours.
• Develop and update country-level emergency preparedness plans for the seven East Africa region offices.
• Coordinate with UN clusters (food security, WASH, child protection, education in emergencies) at regional and country level.
• Manage emergency response budgets up to USD 5 million per intervention.
• Mentor country-office emergency focal points on simulation exercises and contingency planning.
• Draft situation reports, donor proposals, and external advocacy briefs during crises.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in humanitarian action, public health, international development, or a closely related field.
• Five to eight years of professional experience in humanitarian emergency response, with at least two large-scale (Category 1 or 2) responses as a senior team member.
• Strong working knowledge of humanitarian standards (Sphere, Core Humanitarian Standard) and the cluster system.
• Fluent English. Working knowledge of Arabic, Amharic, Somali, or Swahili is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in high-stress, insecure environments.
• Willingness to deploy at short notice for up to 60 percent of working time.

Nice to have

• Prior Save the Children experience.
• Specialised training (HEAT, HEFAT, or equivalent hostile environment awareness).
• Direct experience leading responses in South Sudan, Somalia, or Ethiopia.
• Knowledge of pediatric emergency nutrition (CMAM) or education in emergencies (EiE).

How to apply

Open the Save the Children Workday portal at the apply link, search for “Emergency Response Manager East Africa”, and submit through the Save the Children recruitment system. Submit CV, motivation letter, three references (one of whom must be a humanitarian-response line manager), and confirmation of availability for short-notice deployment. Closing date 25 June 2026 at 23:59 East Africa Time.