RESPONSE ADVISOR - SUDAN

  • Mid-level, Full-time staff position
  • Posted on 10 October 2025
  • Sudan
  • Closing on 10 November 2025
  • Current
  • Save for later

Job Description

Lead CARE’s Humanitarian Response in Darfur

Response Advisor - Darfur | CARE Sudan | Based in Nyala (Initially Al Geneina/Zalingei)

Where Crisis Meets Courage

Darfur needs experienced humanitarian leaders who can navigate complexity, build bridges across borders, and deliver life-saving programming in one of the world’s most challenging operating environments. If you are ready to step into a role where your decisions directly impact thousands of lives, this is your moment.

The Challenge

CARE Sudan’s Darfur Hub is at the forefront of emergency response in a rapidly evolving crisis. As Response Advisor, you’ll be the strategic and operational backbone of our Darfur programming—overseeing multi-sector interventions, coordinating cross-border supply movements, and ensuring our response is rapid, scalable, and grounded in quality.

This is humanitarian leadership at its most demanding and most rewarding. You’ll work across the greater Darfur states, manage complex stakeholder relationships from UN agencies to local CSOs, and provide the strategic guidance that keeps CARE’s response agile and effective as the context shifts.

What You will do

Drive Strategy and Program Excellence

  • Lead the design, planning, and implementation of humanitarian and early recovery response activities in the Darfur states.
  • Guide multi-sector assessments and ensure evidence-based program strategies.
  • Support the Head of Hub in updating the Darfur response strategy in line with emerging needs.
  • Prepare regular situation reports to inform strategic decisions and program adaptation.

Strengthen Program Management and Quality

  • Provide technical and management support to Darfur Hub teams on implementation, monitoring, budgeting, and reporting.
  • Ensure that programs meet CARE’s quality standards and humanitarian accountability frameworks.
  • Support effective coordination between sectoral teams for integrated delivery of assistance.
  • Strengthen systems and processes that improve compliance, efficiency, and learning.

Lead Humanitarian Coordination and Representation

  • Represent CARE in humanitarian coordination mechanisms, including clusters, working groups, and the Area-Based Coordination (ABC) structure.
  • Build strong relationships with donors, UN agencies, INGOs, and local partners to enhance CARE’s visibility and influence.
  • Facilitate cross-border operations and movement of supplies via approved routes from Chad and South Sudan.

Champion Risk Management and Team Development

  • Support risk mitigation related to compliance, safeguarding, and aid diversion.
  • Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and learning across the Darfur Hub.
  • Mentor and build capacity of staff, empowering local teams to lead in complex environments.

What Makes This Role Critical

The humanitarian situation in Darfur demands leaders who can balance strategic vision with operational agility. You will report directly to the Deputy Country Director-Programs with significant dotted line engagement to the Head of Hub - Darfur, positioning you at the intersection of strategy and implementation.

This isn’t a coordination role from a distance. You will be on the ground—initially based in Al Geneina or Zalingei, eventually in Nyala—traveling extensively to where CARE’s work is most needed. Your surveillance of the developing situation will inform rapid adjustments. Your leadership will ensure quality isn’t sacrificed for speed. Your coordination will keep complex, multi-sector programming integrated and effective.

Why This Moment Matters

Darfur’s humanitarian needs are urgent and evolving. CARE’s response requires someone who can operate at the highest level—managing complexity, navigating cross-border logistics, representing the organization in strategic forums, and ensuring every decision moves us closer to impact.

As a senior member of the program team, you may be tasked with additional critical duties within and outside the Hub. This is leadership that requires flexibility, courage, and an unwavering commitment to the people we serve.

Who You Are:
You are a seasoned humanitarian professional with 7+ years managing complex emergency programs in challenging contexts. You’ve led teams through impossible situations and delivered results when others said it couldn’t be done.

Your Experience:
• Managed large portfolios and multi-million dollar budgets in humanitarian relief settings
• Led multi-disciplinary, multinational teams through complex decision-making under difficult circumstances
• Worked with bilateral US Government funding, EU/ECHO, and other major institutional donors
• Delivered programming in at least three sectors: Protection, WASH, Health/Nutrition, emergency response, or cash programming
• Written winning proposals and compelling donor reports
• Navigated complex operating environments similar to Sudan’s current context

Your Strengths:
• Exceptional organizational skills that bring order to chaos
• Strong people management abilities with proven interpersonal and coordination expertise
• Strategic thinking combined with operational excellence
• Deep understanding of the humanitarian system, Sphere standards, security protocols, and civil-military liaison
• Excellent communication skills—both written and spoken English at an advanced level
• Relationship builder who can forge productive partnerships across cultures and organizations
• Decisive under pressure with the ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances

You Have:
• Bachelor’s degree in social science, Public Administration, Business Administration, Developmental Studies, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Comfort with up to 70% travel to program areas across greater Darfur states (security/access permitting)
• The resilience to thrive in a complex, high-pressure humanitarian context

About the Organization

There are individuals who may use CARE’s name and trademark in emails and on websites in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job-seekers. Some examples of these fees are placement fees or immigration processing fees. CARE does not use recruiting or placement agencies that charge candidates an up-front fee of any kind. Occasionally, CARE does employ recruiting or placement agencies to help us identify candidates for specific employment within CARE. If you’re contacted by a legitimate recruiting or placement agency, there should be no charge to you. If you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud from someone purporting to be CARE, please contact us at legal@care.org. Please do not email legal@care.org to apply for this position. Instead, click "apply now" below in order to submit your interest.

CARE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, ancestry, sexual orientation, 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.

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