Position Start Date : Mai 4th, 2026

Duration : 6 months

Location : home-based with travel to countries facing humanitarian emergencies at the request of the Head of the RED Unit

Status : Unaccompanied

Terre des hommes does not set closing dates for this position; recruitment is on-going until the position is filled. Candidates are nevertheless encouraged to apply asap.

Tdh :

Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh), with headquarters in Lausanne and an office in Zurich, is the leading Swiss organisation for child rights. In 2022, we supported 2.6 million children and members of their communities around the world. We trained people who in turn supported a further 4.5 million children and members of their communities.

Context :

As part of the implementation of the Foundation's Strategic Plan, Tdh aims to remain the benchmark Swiss player in the protection of children in emergency situations by relying on its programmatic approach.

60 years of experience in international cooperation has enabled Tdh to build and consolidate networks with solid local, regional and/or international actors while deepening its knowledge of the contexts / regions of intervention. Among the countries where Tdh intervenes which today face acute and/or chronic humanitarian crises, the Foundation has the advantage, among others, of working with experienced national staff as well as with known and recognized local partners. Due to its long-standing presence in many regions, one of Tdh's strengths in responding to emergencies is its community roots and its proximity to populations and civil society in its programmatic approach covering Maternal & Child health, Migration, Access to Justice, Child Protection and WASH.

In addition, Tdh is a Foundation that works on the respect and promotion of children’s rights, by always favoring the principles of the best interests of the child, and the protection of the child, including in humanitarian crises. No matter the intervention’s phase, Tdh's approach remains holistic by focusing on the needs of the child, inclusive by integrating and mobilizing all the actors including the child and his family in the response and integrated through a cross-sectoral response to the needs of children.

While the Foundation is investing in the structural strengthening of the local system, the integration of the "emergency component” into the programs of countries facing acute and chronic crises represents a real added value for affected populations in terms of impact on reducing suffering and mortality.

The emergency unit (RED Unit) aims to create an internal capacity for rapid response to emergencies in countries where Tdh operates, and which are affected by acute and protracted humanitarian crises. The challenge of the RED Unit is to prepare and support the Tdh teams to provide responses adapted to the needs in a coordinated and effective manner so that the target populations can access both basic needs while benefiting from multidimensional structure development.

Responsibilities :

He/She is responsible for the oversight, coordination and coherence of all emergency response activities and contributes to identifying and developing new emergency funding opportunities.

He/she is responsible for ensuring that projects are implemented in compliance with contractually agreed targets, scope, duration, budgets, and donor compliance obligations. Where there are significant challenges to implementation or there is a need for modifications, he/she is required to raise the issue to the SMT to address the problem.

He/she is expected to play a leadership role within the response team but is also responsible for supporting and building the capacity of colleagues on the ground.

In addition to coordination, representation and supervision, he/she is expected to lead on relevant needs assessments and provide ideas for project design and implementation at proposal and strategy levels, as well as active support on fundraising, emergency-related recruitment and procurement. Moreover, he/she oversees the monitoring & evaluation of emergency response activities and supports the coordination with the participation to relevant clusters and working groups.

He/she works with all relevant authorities at local level (civil, religious, police and all other services) for better implementation, acceptance, and ownership in improving the conditions to protect children.

The full job description will be shared with the candidates selected to start the recruitment process.

Profile :

Education : (Mandatory)

Master’s in humanitarian action/affairs, International Relations/Affairs, Disaster Risk Management, Public Health, IHL, Professional university degree in the social sciences, or in social work

Experience & Competencies :

A minimum of 6 years’ experience in the management of international projects with INGOs recognized for their experience in the response to humanitarian crises.

Proven experience in emergency response in Africa and Middle East.

Project cycle management experience.

Experience in multi-sector basic needs programming: health, WASH, shelter, food, NFIs, MPCA, child protection and GBV.

Previous experience and understanding of the MENA and/or Sahel contexts are a strong asset.

Organized, highly developed inter-personal skills and able to lead and motivate teams, diplomacy and communication skills, ability to work under pressure, proactive, dynamic & committed, analytical and displaying sound judgement in a sensitive context.

Languages :

Fluent in French and English, Arabic is an asset

IT :

High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite

Conditions:

· Swiss Labour Law contract

· Gross monthly salary between CHF 5’000.- and CHF 5’400.- depending on experience - x13,36 months

· Insurances: sickness, accident, repatriation

· Annual leaves: 25 days/year

· Flights to duty station and back

Tdh General Code of Conduct and Ethical Policies :

• Commits to promoting and complying with the Global Code of Conduct, systematically reporting any violations of the Code through Tdh's formal reporting mechanisms and dealing with any violations of procedures and processes appropriately.

• Raises awareness of the Foundation of the risks of policy non-compliance, violence and abuse, and related rights, towards children, community members and our own employees.

• Undertakes to comply with key ethical policies and guidelines, including the Safeguarding Policy, the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy, the Conflict-of-Interest Policy and other policies related to the prevention of terrorist financing and criminal activities, as well as workplace behavior.

• Commits to putting values and principles into practice through exemplary behavior, in full compliance with the Code of Conduct, and always respecting established procedures and processes.

• Commits to developing a compliant and enlightened management culture within the organization and in our work with children and the communities in which we operate.

Procedure:

Only complete applications (CV + covering letter) posted on our official website will be processed. Additional documents (diplomas, work certificates, etc.) will be requested at a later date. We will only contact those candidates selected for further recruitment.

References :

Please note that all job offers will be subject to satisfactory references and checks (criminal record and anti-terrorism funding check). Terre des hommes will ask the Human Resources of previous organisations to provide references on any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment as well as fraud and corruption, during employment, or incidents under investigation at the time the candidate left employment.