Desk Director
Relief International · Operations · Lead · 21d ago
Open to any country, as long as your working hours sit between UTC+1 and UTC+4.
Applies on the original listing · via Himalayas
Who can apply
Read straight from the listing, so you know before you spend time on it.
Open to any country, as long as your working hours sit between UTC+1 and UTC+4.
“This is a remote position open to candidates based within the UTC+1 to UTC+4 time zones and requires up to 30% international travel.”
The role requires candidates based in UTC+1 to UTC+4 and operating across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
- Async-first
- The listing doesn't promise async-first working.
- Contractor / B2B
- No mention of hiring international contractors or invoicing.
- Global stipend
- No home office or equipment budget mentioned.
- Annual retreat
- No company-paid get-togethers mentioned.
Read from the listing automatically. Always confirm the details with the company before you accept an offer.
About the role
As Desk Director, you will provide strategic oversight and leadership for a portfolio of up to seven country programmes with a combined annual portfolio value of approximately $60 million. You will directly manage Country Directors and lead a Desk Team responsible for supporting country operations, programme quality, donor engagement, risk management and organizational sustainability. Working closely with cross-functional leadership, you will navigate complex humanitarian crises, political volatility, and operational risks across fragile and conflict-affected environments.
What you'll do
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for a multi-country portfolio, ensuring alignment with global strategy and donor expectations.
- Directly line manage Country Directors and the Desk Manager, providing coaching, accountability, and support.
- Oversee programme quality, operational performance, financial management, compliance, and security across the portfolio.
- Lead cross-functional coordination with Finance, HR, Security, Supply Chain, and Technical teams to resolve operational challenges.
- Support donor engagement, business development, and proposal development processes to drive portfolio sustainability.
- Drive proactive risk identification and mitigation across operational, programmatic, and reputational domains.
What you bring
- Master's degree in International Development, Political Science, Social Sciences, or a related field.
- Significant senior leadership experience within humanitarian and development organizations, including multi-country or regional oversight.
- Demonstrated success managing large donor-funded portfolios across fragile and conflict-affected environments (e.g., BHA, PRM, ECHO, UN).
- Strong expertise in programme cycle management, compliance frameworks, financial management, and risk systems.
- Exceptional leadership and remote people management skills coaching senior leaders across multiple locations.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
About Relief International
Relief International is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to save lives and build resilience.
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