The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is seeking a highly qualified, experienced, and motivated professional to serve as Country Director for its DR Congo Operation.

Danish Refugee Council is a leading protection agency pursuing our mandate to protect and promote durable solutions to displacement-affected populations.

In East Africa and the Great Lakes, DRC operates in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. DRC has been present in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2009, steadily expanding its operations from Province Orientale to North Kivu and Ituri provinces. Today, DRC delivers integrated humanitarian programming across Emergency Response, Protection (including GBV and Child Protection), Economic Recovery, Shelter, and WASH, serving some of the country”s most vulnerable and crisis-affected populations.

About the job

Operating in one of the world”s most complex humanitarian environments, DR Congo responds to protracted displacement, conflict, protection risks, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks that require agile and adaptive programming. As Country Director, you will provide strategic leadership to a large and diverse country operation, ensuring that DRC remains responsive to evolving humanitarian needs while maintaining programme quality, operational effectiveness, and strong accountability to affected populations.

A key aspect of the role is the ability to lead during emergencies and rapidly adapt programmes to address emerging crises. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong humanitarian leadership, with the capacity to guide the organisation through sudden shocks and changing operational contexts. This includes pivoting and scaling programmes in response to disease outbreaks such as Ebola, where DRC has supported affected communities through WASH and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) interventions in high-risk areas, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), multi-purpose cash assistance for affected households, and the provision of protection and psychosocial support services.

The Country Director will be expected to mobilise teams and resources quickly, engage effectively with humanitarian coordination mechanisms, donors and authorities, and ensure that DRC”s interventions remain relevant, coordinated and impactful during both acute emergencies and protracted crises. This role requires an experienced and decisive leader with a proven track record of managing complex humanitarian operations, navigating insecurity and access challenges, and driving strategic impact in highly dynamic environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Provide visionary and inclusive leadership across DRC DR Congo operations.
• Lead the implementation and development of DRC’s country strategy in alignment with DRC’s global strategic priorities.
• Foster a collaborative organizational culture that promotes accountability, innovation, and principled humanitarian action.
• Ensure effective senior management teamwork and decision-making.

People Management

• Lead, coach, and support senior managers and promote staff wellbeing and professional development.
• Ensure performance management systems are effectively implemented.
• Promote safeguarding, diversity, inclusion, and adherence to DRC’s Code of Conduct.

Representation and External Engagement

• Represent DRC with national authorities, donors, UN agencies, NGOs, clusters, and coordination forums.
• Strengthen DRC’s positioning and visibility nationally and within the EAGL region.
• Maintain constructive relationships with key stakeholders, including communities, local authorities, humanitarian actors, and donors.
• Lead strategic advocacy efforts on displacement-related issues and humanitarian access.

Programme Oversight and Development

• Ensure quality, compliant, and impactful programme implementation.
• In collaboration with the Head of Programme, support programme development, proposal design, fundraising, and donor engagement.
• Promote evidence-based programming, accountability to affected populations, and impact measurement.
• Support diversified and sustainable funding strategies.

Safety and Security

• Maintain overall accountability for safety and security management.
• Ensure that operations are conducted in accordance with DRC security policies and procedures.
• Monitor contextual developments and support informed operational decision-making in volatile environments.

Operational and Financial Management

• Oversee financial management, budget monitoring, and compliance with donor and DRC requirements.
• Ensure efficient resource allocation and accountable operational systems.
• Strengthen organizational resilience and risk management practices across all functions.

About you

To succeed in this role, you will be a strategic and experienced humanitarian leader with strong people management and stakeholder engagement skills. You will thrive in complex and high-pressure environments and bring a principled, solutions-oriented approach to leadership.

Required:

• Minimum of 7 years of senior management experience in humanitarian and/or development settings, including experience as Country Director or equivalent senior leadership role.
• Master’s degree in Political Science, International Development, Economics, Humanitarian Affairs, or another relevant field.
• Demonstrated experience leading operations in complex and insecure environments.
• Strong experience representing organizations with donors, authorities, and coordination mechanisms.
• Proven experience in donor engagement, fundraising, and managing multi-donor portfolios.
• Experience managing large and diverse teams in high-stress contexts.
• Experience working on displacement-related issues, including with IDPs and conflict-affected populations.
• Full professional proficiency in English and French.
• Previous experience in East Africa and/or the Horn of Africa is strongly preferred.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on achieving results while maintaining efficient processes.
• Collaborating: You engage with relevant stakeholders and encourage constructive feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership of tasks and are open to innovation.
• Communicating: You are clear, concise, and respectful in your communication.
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest ethical standards and DRC”s Code of Conduct.

We offer

Contract length: 12 months (renewable based on performance and funding)

Employment Band: D-Management

Work location: Goma, DR Congo

Start date: Preferably 1 September 2026

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national or international employees.

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 12 July 2026.

For more information about the Danish Refugee Council, please visit our website drc.ngo.

Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and positive work environment based on mutual respect for all employees. All applicants are considered for employment regardless of personal characteristics or attributes.

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