Top employers in humanitarian relief

Mozambique, after being struck by two cyclones, is in desperate need of assistance to reach those still without access to food, water, medicine, and shelter. The ongoing conflict in Yemen and Syria forces tens of thousands to flee their homes, while in Somalia, severe drought has resulted in growing food insecurity. These are the tough environments that organizations working in the humanitarian relief sector are often operating in — facing natural disasters and conflict head-on. Humanitarian organizations need to be on the ground quickly. Once basic needs have been met in the aftermath of an emergency, efforts to rebuild the community — including its education, health, and livelihood systems — are at the top of the agenda. As a result, a range of professionals are involved in the sector, usually employed as full-time staff, consultants, or contractors, by national and local governments, civil society groups, multilateral and bilateral donors, consulting firms, or humanitarian organizations. Many of these large humanitarian groups working in humanitarian relief are headquartered across Europe and the United States, with regional and country offices in the areas where operations are focused. Are you eyeing a career in the challenging but highly rewarding global development area of humanitarian relief? We’ve compiled some of the largest NGO and consulting firm employers in the sector. Action Against Hunger Headquarters: New York, United States Founded: 1979 Operations: 45 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East Sectors: Nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; food security; livelihood; emergency response CEO: Charles Owubah As its name suggests, Action Against Hunger is focused on fighting acute malnutrition and finding sustainable solutions to hunger in emergency contexts or areas plagued by conflict, natural disasters, and chronic food insecurity. Most of the 7,500 staff are nationals of the countries in which they operate, while about 10% are international staff with managerial and technical skills. ActionAid International Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa Founded: 1972 Operations: 45 countries in Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia Sectors: Emergencies and conflict; education; HIV/AIDS; food and land rights; women’s rights; democratic governance CEO: Adriano Campolina ActionAid provides disaster response, providing vital needs including food, water, shelter, and protection to the most vulnerable communities. The majority of the 3,000 global staff are nationals within the operation countries. Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development Headquarters: Paris, France Founded: 1993 Operations: 37 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East Sectors: Education and training; economic development and sustainable growth; microfinance; emergency response; disaster resilience; governance; cultural promotion CEO: Marie-Pierre Caley ACTED’s operations originated in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1993, and later expanded into neighboring countries, providing emergency relief, intervention, and reconstruction for populations affected by long-term conflict and natural disasters. ACTED’s network includes over 300 international staff and 3,800 national staff around the world. Care International Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 1946 Operations: 95 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe Sectors: Emergency response; advocacy; education; food and nutrition security and climate change; sexual, reproductive, and maternal health; gender-based violence; women’s economic empowerment; monitoring, evaluating, and learning Secretary-general: Caroline Kende-Robb CARE International is a global confederation of 14 national members and 4 affiliates working toward a common goal to eradicate poverty. In emergencies, CARE works with partner organizations to deliver lifesaving response, with an emphasis on the needs of women and girls. The organization’s humanitarian work includes emergency preparedness and early action and emergency response and recovery, and it seeks to encourage future resilience and equitable development. View job opportunities with CARE International. Catholic Relief Services Headquarters: Baltimore, Maryland, United States Founded: 1943 Operations: Over 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean Sectors: Emergency response and recovery; health; water and sanitation; education; microfinance; agriculture; justice and peacebuilding; partnership and capacity strengthening CEO: Sean Callahan The official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community, Catholic Relief Services works to provide both emergency relief and long-term, sustainable development initiatives to vulnerable communities. View job opportunities with Catholic Relief Services. Counterpart International Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia, United States Founded: 1965 Operations: More than 28 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas Sectors: Health and nutrition; climate resiliency; education and livelihoods; civil society and governance CEO: Ann Hudock Counterpart International works alongside local partners in government, civil society, and the social sector to build capacity so that local actors can solve their own development challenges. The organization has several openings for positions stationed all over the world. View job opportunities with Counterpart International. FHI 360 Headquarters: Durham, North Carolina, United States Founded: 1971 Operations: 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean Sectors: Health; nutrition; education; environment; civil society; gender; youth; economic development CEO: Patrick Fine The product of a merger between Family Health International and Academy for Educational Development, FHI 360’s team of experts works on the ground in many emergency contexts to conduct customized research and provide lifesaving interventions to populations affected by devastating natural disasters and civil conflicts. View job opportunities with FHI 360. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 1919 Operations: 190 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East Sectors: Disaster management, health, capacity building Secretary-general: Elhadj As Sy Aside from its regular staff of about 300,000 stationed all over the world, the IFRC network has over 13 million active volunteers, ready to provide humanitarian relief and assistance to victims of war, calamities, and conflict. Among its staff, IFRC aims to achieve a broad representation of nationals from member countries. Prospective employees must be able to work well in a multicultural team, as well as in complex, challenging situations. View job opportunities with IFRC. International Medical Corps Headquarters: Los Angeles, California, United States Founded: 1984 Operations: Currently active in 34 countries worldwide Sectors: Emergency response and preparedness; health services support; family and community health; nutrition and food security; water, sanitation, and hygiene CEO: Nancy Aossey International Medical Corps has been a first responder in many major crises and disasters all over the world, including those in Afghanistan, Rwanda, the Balkans, Darfur, Haiti, Japan, Iraq, Syria, the Philippines, West Africa, and Nepal. Ninety-six percent of the organization’s field-based staff are recruited locally, helping build capacity among vulnerable populations. View job opportunities with International Medical Corps. International Organization for Migration Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 1951 Operations: 173 member states, a further 8 states that hold observer status and offices in over 100 countries Sectors: Gender and migration; operations and emergencies; migration management, including counter-trafficking, assisted voluntary return and reintegration, migration and climate change, and migration health Director-general: António Vitorino IOM is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. It works closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental partners. The organization provides services and advice to governments and migrants to promote humane and orderly migration. Its department of operations and emergencies directs, oversees, and coordinates resettlement work and transport programs. This department is composed of a preparedness and response division; transition and recovery division; land, property, and reparations division; resettlement and movement management division; and statistics and knowledge management unit. International Rescue Committee Headquarters: New York, United States Founded: 1933 Operations: Over 40 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean Sectors: Emergency relief; health; economic recovery and development; refugee resettlement; women, children, and youth; research; advocacy and public policy CEO: David Miliband IRC’s 8,000-plus staff works to provide lifesaving supplies and expertise to affected communities within the first 72 hours of an emergency. In 2015, more than 23 million people benefited from IRC programs and its partner organizations. Careers at IRC cover everything from emergency response to post-conflict development work. View job opportunities with IRC. Médecins du Monde Headquarters: Paris, France Founded: 1980 Operations: 64 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean Sectors: Emergency response; sexual and reproductive health; HIV/AIDS; care for those migrating President: Philippe de Botton Médecins du Monde’s medical teams work hand-in-hand with local partners to provide rapid aid and long-term reconstruction to communities caught in natural disasters, epidemics, and conflicts. View job opportunities with Médecins du Monde. Médecins Sans Frontières Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 1971 Operations: More than 70 countries across Africa and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, and Europe Sectors: Health (including maternal health, child health, malaria, HIV/AIDS, noncommmunicable diseases, sexual violence) and crisis response (natural disasters; war, conflict, and refugees; IDPs and people on the move) President: Dr. Joanne Liu Founded in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors, the organization provides medical assistance to populations affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care. Today, the international MSF movement is made up of 24 associations around the world, these associations are linked to five operational centers that directly manage the humanitarian action in the field and decide when, where, and what medical care is needed. MSF’s teams are made up mainly of doctors and health sector professionals but also logistic and administrative staff. MSF sections are offices that support the organization’s field work and mainly recruit staff, organize fundraising, and raise awareness on the humanitarian crises their teams are working in. Additional satellite offices exist to support the organization’s work, mainly for logistics, supply, and epidemiology. View job opportunities with MSF. Mercy Corps Headquarters: Portland, Oregon, United States Founded: 1979 Operations: More than 40 countries all over the world Sectors: Emergency relief; disaster preparedness; conflict management; health; water; environment; women, children, and youth; agriculture and food security; economic opportunity CEO: Neal Keny-Guyer Mercy Corps focuses its work on areas in transition, helping communities affected by conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse recovery and building resilience. The organization encourages experienced development professionals from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds to apply to its open staff and consultancy positions. View job opportunities with Mercy Corps. Oxfam Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya Founded: 1995 Operations: Over 90 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe Sectors: Emergency response, sustainable food, women’s rights, active citizenship, environment, poverty reduction, and long-term development Executive director: Winnie Byanyima At any given time, the international Oxfam confederation is responding to over 30 emergency situations. The organization works to provide clean water, food, sanitation, and protection to populations affected by natural disasters, conflict, and crises, Oxfam also helps design innovative ways with which people can lift themselves out of poverty. View job opportunities with Oxfam International. Première Urgence Internationale Headquarters: Paris, France Founded: 2011 Operations: Over 21 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East Sectors: Food safety and nutrition; health; reconstruction and rehabilitation; water, sanitation, and hygiene; economic recovery President: Vincent Basquin PU-AMI was formed following the merger of two veteran French NGOs. It helps civilians who are marginalized or excluded as a result of natural disasters, war, and economic collapse. In 2017, the organization had 3,000 local workers, 180 foreign workers, and 75 head office employees overseeing it’s projects. View job opportunities with Premiere Urgence Internationale. Save the Children Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Founded: 1919 Operations: Over 120 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East Sectors: Emergency response; child protection; education; health and nutrition; HIV/AIDS CEO: Helle Thorning-Schmidt Save the Children is focused on providing lifesaving needs and protecting children and their families caught up in hundreds of humanitarian crises, including disease outbreaks, conflicts, and natural disasters. The organization’s programs and initiatives are supported by a staff of more than 14,000 people stationed all over the world. View job opportunities with Save the Children. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 1950 Operations: 138 countries around the world Sectors: Advocacy; environment, disaster, and climate change; protection; public health; asylum and migration; coordinating assistance; shelter; education; cash-based interventions; and more High commissioner: Filippo Grandi The primary purpose of UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee. Where refugees and migrants arrive, the agency works closely with governments to ensure the 1951 Refugee Convention is honored. The agency also works with asylum seekers, internally displaced people, stateless people, and those returning. Just over 10% of UNHCR’s personnel are based at its headquarters. These staff, along with the agency’s Global Service Centres in Budapest, Copenhagen, and Amman, provide support for the rest of UNHCR, including key administrative functions. Nearly 90% of the workforce is based in the field, assisting the most vulnerable victims of displacement. View job opportunities with UNHCR. U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland and New York, United States Founded: 1991 Operations: OCHA has five regional offices, 30 country offices, and 19 humanitarian adviser teams worldwide Sectors: Community engagement; environmental emergencies, explosive weapons in populated areas, preparedness and risk management; internal displacement; humanitarian access; humanitarian civil military coordination; needs assessment and analysis; protection and more Under-secretary-general: Mark Lowcock OCHA is the arm of the U.N. Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. With its partners, OCHA contributes to effective humanitarian response through coordination, advocacy, policy, information management, and humanitarian financing tools and services. Through its country and regional offices worldwide, OCHA supports IASC Level 3 responses, those activated in the most complex and challenging humanitarian emergencies where the highest level of mobilization is needed. These offices are responsible for delivering the core functions in the field by leveraging functional expertise throughout the organization. View job opportunities with OCHA. World Food Programme Headquarters: Rome, Italy Founded: 1961 Operations: Working across 83 countries each year; 54 country offices worldwide Sectors: Climate action; disaster risk reduction; gender equality; nutrition; smallholder market support; social protection and safety nets; sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems Executive director: David Beasley WFP assists over 90 million people each year by delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. The organization’s efforts focus on emergency assistance; relief and rehabilitation; development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of its work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict. The organization has more than 15,000 staff worldwide of whom over 90% are based in the countries where WFP provides assistance. View job opportunities with WFP. World Vision International Headquarters: Monrovia, California, United States Founded: 1950 Operations: Nearly 100 countries worldwide Sectors: Disaster response; health; education; water and sanitation; resilience and livelihood; children’s rights CEO: Andrew Morley World Vision is on the ground in many challenging contexts and environments, working with children and their families to overcome poverty and injustice. The organization’s staff of 37,000 is composed of experts in a wide range of specialties, with most based in their home countries or regions. View job opportunities with World Vision International. Here are some other notable global development employers focused on humanitarian relief. Did we miss anyone? Add them to the comments below. American Refugee Committee International CAMRIS International Concern Worldwide Crown Agents Engility Corporation Global Communities Handicap International Blumont International Crisis Group Islamic Relief International Lutheran World Relief Medair Project Concern International Relief International United Methodist Committee on Relief