Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is "to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world." IFRC works to meet the needs and PGIrove the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, PGIartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.
IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
The Ebola outbreak, declared mid‑May 2026, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, with hundreds of suspected cases and hundreds of deaths reported across Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu provinces. It began with clusters of unexplained deaths in early May and is spreading in a context of weak health systems, population movement, insecurity, and community mistrust, which together increase the risk of sustained transmission and cross‑border spread to neighbouring countries such as Uganda and South Sudan. The absence of an approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain makes the outbreak particularly complex and heightens the urgency of rapid containment.
The IFRC is scaling up a national society‑led response centred on community engagement, surveillance, and infection control, supported by an emergency appeal. Red Cross volunteers are mobilized in affected areas to conduct door‑to‑door awareness, counter misinformation, encourage early care‑seeking, and support safe and dignified burials, key to breaking transmission. At the same time, the IFRC is coordinating closely with governments and partners, strengthening cross-border preparedness, mobilising resources and surge capacity, and supporting logistics, infection prevention control, and community-based surveillance to contain the outbreak and reduce regional spread
Job Purpose
Under the supervision of the Ebola Operations Manager and in close daily coordination with the PGI Delegate and the different pillars of the Ebola response, the PGI Senior Officer is the focal point for the PGI Implementation of Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) in Ebola response as part of the IFRC's integrated and specialized approach. This role links global and national policies and standards to the realities of Ebola-affected provinces, ensuring that PGI commitments are translated into practical, coherent, and context-specific actions across the Ebola emergency operation and the institutional systems of the DRCRC branches.
The incumbent will provide leadership in the preparedness and response provinces and practical technical coordination to ensure that the principles of Dignity, Access, Participation and Security are systematically integrated throughout the Ebola response — from preparedness and assessment, through design and PGI Implementation, monitoring, Learning and accountability — both in Operation Ebola supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and within the branches of the DRCRC. This includes supporting teams to identify and mitigate risks related to protection and inclusion, strengthen inclusive participation and community engagement, and apply a "do no harm" approach in complex and high-risk contexts.
This role is responsible for adapting global and national standards to the operational, cultural and risk context of the affected provinces, while maintaining consistency with IFRC-wide requirements as well as donor and Movement expectations.
In line with the IFRC's Renewal, the incumbent will play a critical role in quality assurance, risk mitigation and accountability, supporting the application of PGI standards throughout the Ebola operation and flagging systemic gaps, risks or trends that may compromise safety, inclusion or trust. Through close collaboration with the PGI Delegate, the technical sectors and the National Society, the PGI Senior Officer will contribute to building local capacity, strengthening
Job Duties and Responsibilities
PGI Leadership and Implementation
- Lead the operationalization of PGI policies, frameworks, minimum standards, and tools as part of the Ebola response, ensuring that they are tailored to the context, risks, and capacities of the DRCRC branches.
- Develop, maintain and PGI implement an Ebola Response PGI Action Plan, aligned with the regional and cluster PGI roadmap, IFRC Renewal priorities, as well as national Ebola response priorities as defined by the INSP/COUSP
- Act as the PGI focal point for the Ebola response, ensuring coherence with the PSEAH and child safeguarding approaches.
- Provide technical leadership and coordination, ensuring consistent application of PGI standards across all pillars of the Ebola response
Integrating PGI into all pillars of the Ebola operation
- Ensure that PGI is systematically integrated into the entire Ebola operation cycle, including needs assessments and analyses, program design and sectors, PGI implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
- Work closely with technical leads in the different pillars of the response (Health in Emergencies, IPC/WASH, SDB, RCCE/CEA, MHPSS, CVA, etc.) to integrate the principles of Dignity, Access, Participation and Security (DAPS), mitigate risks of protection and exclusion, strengthen inclusive, safe and accountable programming.
- Provide practical technical advice to DRCRC and IFRC teams to address risks specific to contextual PGIs, including SGBV, child protection, disability inclusion, age, gender, and diversity considerations.
Capacity building of the National Society Branches
- Provide structured technical support to the National Society Branches to : conduct PGI assessments, develop or strengthen SOPs related to PGI, integrate PGI into the governance, human resources, volunteer management, and program systems of Ebola-affected branches.
- Support affected and preparedness branches in strengthening inclusive community engagement, safe and referral feedback mechanisms, in coordination with CEA and PSEAH colleagues.
- Facilitate the creation and strengthening of networks of PGI focal points, including peer learning and mentoring.
- Ensure the technical capacity building of the PGI teams of the DRCRC and IFRC deployed on the Ebola response
- Promote sustainable and nationally led approaches rather than parallel systems.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
Quality assurance, risk mitigation and second-line supervision
- Support the DRCRC in the application of PGI selection/verification tools, sectoral PGI checklists for the quality control of programs and operations.
- Report systemic risks related to the PGI, deficiencies or trends of non-compliance to the PGI Delegate and the Ebola Operation Manager, with clear recommendations for corrective action.
- Support Ebola post-response learning and after-action reviews to gather PGI lessons and fuel continuous PGI improvement.
Partnerships, Resource Mobilization and Representation
- Support the development of PGI concept notes, proposals and donor reports, in coordination with the Ebola Operation Manager and relevant sectors.
- Represent the IFRC in the PEASH pillars of the Ebola response, the inter-agency coordination of the affected areas, and the coordination of forums on PGI-related issues, ensuring alignment with the IFRC's positions.
- Strengthen collaboration with National Partner Societies, movement partners and external actors on PGI where relevant.
Monitoring, Reporting, Evidence and learning
- Monitor the PGI implementation of the Response PGI Action Plan and report regularly on progress, risks and challenges, corrective actions and lessons learned.
- Provide structured inputs to Ebola emergency appeal and other PGI reports, including contributions to management and donor updates.
- Support the generation and documentation of evidence, good practices, and lessons learned to inform national and regional guidelines, tools, and advocacy.
- Promote a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous PGI improvement in the practice of PGI in all affected provinces.
Working Methods and Internal Collaboration
- Work within the framework of the PGI Commission of the DRCRC and the PGI Africa network, maintaining strong coordination with the PGI delegate
- Collaborate closely with the Ebola response and cluster teams, as well as other functions (PSEAH, Risk Management, Social and Environmental Safeguard, etc.).
Education
Required
- Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in any relevant field (e.g. disaster risk management, social work, gender and diversity, international development, social psychology, anthropology, behavioural sciences, social protection)
Experience
Required
- At least 4 years of professional experience in PGI (protection, gender, SGBV, disability inclusion) with a background in strategy, tool development and technical consulting
- Demonstrated experience in the application of humanitarian protection, gender, accessibility
- Standards and guidelines and in the establishment and management of accountability systems,
- Participatory planning process.
- Demonstrated experience in identifying, analyzing, and reducing protection, gender, and inclusion risks in humanitarian programming.
- Experience supporting or advising on inclusive community engagement, participation, feedback, and accountability mechanisms, especially for vulnerable and marginalized groups.
- Practical experience in the application of PGI standards, tools and/or minimum frameworks in operational contexts, with the ability to adapt global, regional and national guidelines to local realities.
- Takes a holistic and intersectional approach to addressing issues of discrimination,
- violence and exclusion and understand the institutional requirements necessary to
- achieve sustainable humanitarian PGI act to prevent and respond appropriately.
- Demonstrated experience working in intercultural and multilingual environments, with sensitivity to political, social and cultural dynamics.
- Experience working in partnership with local and national actors,
- Experience in contributing to project design, reporting, or accountability requirements, is an advantage.
- Experience working directly with case management and/or referrals of vulnerable people concerned with protection concerns, e.g. survivors of violence, conflict or trauma;
- Experience in conducting training and adapting interventions to the context;
- Experience working in the field and interacting closely with communities;
- Demonstrated work experience in a Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement organization, or in an international organization or NGO.
Preferred
- Experience in designing and conducting assessments, community consultations and research activities.
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required
- Excellent ability to integrate PGI across emergency management sectors and systems, excellent coordination skills.
- Ability to act as a trusted technical advisor, enabling front-line delivery.
- Ability to operate effectively under pressure, manage competing priorities, and provide practical and timely advice in fast-paced operational environments.
- Proven capacity building skills, including training design and delivery, mentoring staff and volunteers, and supporting peer-to-peer learning.
- Strong impersonal, networking, representation, communication and negotiation skills. Ability to be proactive and persuasive
- Strong coaching and facilitation skills, with the ability to build ownership and trust within the National Society and field teams.
- A high degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with clients and internal and external stakeholders at all levels
- Excellent coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively across matrix structures and multiple stakeholders.
- Ability to contribute to structured reports, including operational updates, donor contributions, and internal learning products.
- A high level of cultural sensitivity and an ability to work effectively in diverse, multicultural and multilingual environments.
- Fluent spoken and written French
- Good command of English
Preferred
- Ability to apply a systems mindset, recognizing how PGI connects at the intersection with programs, operations, risk management, PSEAH, accountability, and organizational
- Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish and Arabic)
Competencies, Values and Comments
Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
Core competencies: Accountability, Diversity, Teamwork, Communication, Innovation, Trust building, Empowering others and National Society Relations
