Ebola Response Director at International Rescue Committee

Background:

Responding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises in a great variety of roles, the International Rescue Committee’s staff is a force for humanity and hope. If you’re skilled and passionate, we would like to add your energy to ours.

Through its Emergency Unit (EmU), the IRC is one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, leading rapid emergency responses that provide life-saving assistance, early recovery, and stabilization support to people affected by conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and complex emergencies across multiple contexts worldwide. We are committed to innovation, agility, and strong partnerships to deliver timely and effective humanitarian action.

Active in public health, education in emergencies, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, we assist people from harm to home. The IRC recognizes that people affected by crisis and the actors closest to them are best placed, have the right, and should have the power and resources to respond and drive lasting change. We commit to increasing the share of funding channeled to local actors in emergencies, ask ‘Why not partner?’ whenever we plan programming, and partner as equals.

Context:

The Ministry of Public Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared the country's 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, 2026, following laboratory confirmation of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) in Ituri Province. On May 17, 2026, WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and it has since become the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in DRC and the fastest-expanding on record. The outbreak is unfolding in a highly complex humanitarian and security context marked by chronic insecurity, armed group activity, repeated population displacement, and high levels of cross-border movement, particularly with Uganda and South Sudan.

The IRC is supporting containment of the outbreak in Ituri and North Kivu. IRC's primary focus is to support existing primary health care (PHC) facilities to ensure safe continuity of services, strengthen infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and infrastructure, raise community awareness of behaviors that limit further spread, and reinforce the protective environment, including through MHPSS support.

Scope of Work:

The Ebola Response Director (ERD) will lead IRC's emergency response to the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) outbreak in DRC, based in Bunia, driving a fast, high-quality, accountable operation that ensures continuity of primary health care, strengthens infection prevention and control, and reinforces community protection in line with IRC's strategic priorities.

The ERD will oversee all operational, financial, and programmatic aspects of the response, including supply chain, safety and security, finance, people and culture, partnerships, and program delivery. S/he will report to the Emergency Unit's ERMT Lead (Emergency Response Management Team), with a dotted line to the DRC Country Director (CD) for coordination on critical incidents, security, legal, donor, and media matters — shifting to a full reporting line into the CD once handover to the DRC Country Program is complete. As IRC's external face on the response, the ERD will be a compelling communicator with government officials, donors, UN agencies, and coordination bodies, driving visibility and funding for the response. S/he will also ensure the programmatic strategy is clear and effectively implemented, and participate in the DRC Country Program SMT to keep the response aligned with, and eventually integrated into, the broader country program.

Success in this role demands a strong, resilient leader who can motivate and steady teams operating in a highly insecure, high-pressure environment, paired with excellent communication and program implementation skills. The ERD is directly responsible for the response's overall coordination and strategic direction, oversight and coaching of the Ebola Response department leads, effective management of emergency funding, and timely reporting to donors, the CD, and the ERMT.

Leadership and Representation

• Serve as IRC's key representative for the Ebola response, coordinating with the DRC CD and wider country program as needed, and co-lead all donor and media engagement related to the response with the CD.
• Develop and maintain relationships with donors, UN agencies, INGOs, MOH, and local partners to promote effective collaboration and raise the visibility of IRC's response.
• Participate in DRC Country Program SMT meetings and maintain regular coordination check-ins with the CD to ensure alignment with the broader country program.
• Oversee safety and security aspects of the Ebola response, immediately reporting risks, incidents, or concerns to the CD and the ERMT.
• Join the Emergency Unit's weekly ERMT meetings and ad hoc Crisis Calls, ensuring production of a weekly Emergency Situation Report.
• Champion a culture of effective, respectful partnerships, promoting partner-led programming in line with IRC's "why not partner?" and "partner as equals" approach.

Strategic Direction and Program Oversight

• Lead and contribute to the execution of IRC's strategic response plan for Ebola, ensuring it reflects partnership considerations and active engagement of local partners in design and delivery.
• Oversee emergency program implementation across the Ebola response.
• Directly supervise the Ebola Response department Leads (Program Lead, Supply Chain, Finance, People and Culture, and Security) with the Program Lead further overseeing technical program coordinators, grants, and partnerships.
• Support strategic decision-making on program design, proposals, and budget development for new Ebola response funding, including appropriate budget allocation to support partners.
• Ensure staffing structures and partnership risk management are sized and aligned to the emergency context.
• Work closely with the DRC Country Program to ensure a smooth handover and integration of the response into the broader CP portfolio at time of transition.

Stewardship and Operational Leadership

• Drive operational excellence, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness across all Ebola Response functions, proactively identifying and eliminating redundant processes.
• Oversee the development, deployment, and utilization of financial and operational policies, procedures, and systems to ensure compliance with IRC and donor requirements.
• Ensure responsiveness and appropriate levels of in-person and remote support to all offices, particularly in the areas of people and culture, finance, and supply chain.
• Provide timely and effective oversight of the country program's financial position.
• Maintain effective and coordinated budget monitoring processes for both grant funds and discretionary funds.

Organizational Culture and Communication

• Role model IRC's Core Values, the "IRC Way - Global Standards for Professional Conduct," and Inclusion Principles through personal commitment and accountability.
• Foster an open, inclusive, and respectful team environment where staff feel valued and communication is honest and productive.
• Model accountability and commitment to safeguarding, including PSEAH, of all staff, partners, clients and others with whom we work; build a culture of safeguarding, where our clients and staff trust IRC and feel safe raising concerns.
• Hold all leaders accountable to their roles and areas of responsibilities for delivery in the Safeguarding Minimum Standards; dedicate and facilitate regular reviews of Safeguarding Minimum Standards progress, barriers, enablers and culture within the response to plan for action and investment needed.
• Maintain open and regular communication with DRC leadership, regional management staff, regional technical advisors, and HQ departmental staff to ensure alignment, support, and collaboration.

People Leadership

• Oversee the management, coaching, and development of national and international staff working in the Ebola Response to build a team of skilled, committed, engaged, and motivated staff.
• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely feedback, and leading performance reviews.
• Hold high-quality 1:1 meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least bi-weekly, focusing equally on interpersonal exchange and work priorities.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being, ensuring systems and practices where work supports life and modelling healthy work-life balance practices.
• Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs.
• Offer leadership support for successful adherence by all staff to IRC's country, regional, and global policies and procedures.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Emergency Unit Emergency Response Management Team (ERMT) Lead, with a dotted line to the Country Director, DRC, for coordination and information-sharing on critical incidents, security, legal, donor, and media matters. Reporting will shift to Country Director when the response management handover is completed.
• Position Directly Supervises: Ebola Response Program Lead, Ebola Supply Chain Coordinator(s), Ebola Response Deputy Director Finance, Ebola People & Culture Lead and Ebola Humanitarian Access, Safety and Security Lead
• Works Closely with: IRC DRC Country Program Senior Management Team (CD, DDP, and DDO)

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