Response Director, Africa

World Central Kitchen is seeking a tenacious and adaptable Response Director who excels at quick, strategic decision-making, thrives at triaging competing priorities, and is a master at building relationships, leading and motivating large teams, and teaching a diverse team of people. The Response Director embraces chaos and ambiguity while implementing WCK responses, and oversees all ground activities of the activation. The Response Director is responsible for ensuring food aid rapidly reaches communities in need in alignment with WCK’s North Star values. 

Duration: The Response Director is a three (3) year term contract position with the opportunity for renewal, offering a unique chance to lead and shape WCK's responses.

This position reports directly to the Chief Relief Officer.

Preferred Location(s): Africa - Must live within one (1) hour of an international airport.

• Lagos, Nigeria
• Nairobi, Kenya
• Johannesburg, South Africa

Key Responsibilities:

Activation Management

• Respond within four (4) hours notice to a disaster area to act as Response Director, managing relief operations on the ground, or in rare cases, remotely.
• Direct Activation Managers and oversee the work of their teams, including Culinary, Distribution, Community Outreach, and Procurement/Logistics. Manage multiple additional departments represented on the ground, when needed.
• Ensure strategic and streamlined implementation of relief activities on the ground, operationalizing WCK’s North Star.
• Build and train local teams to meet our human capacity needs to feed the need, embracing our accordion model.
• Direct the scope of responses, programmatic changes, and activation timelines, in conjunction with the Chief Relief Officer.
• Facilitate and implement cross-departmental collaboration and information sharing between WCK departments and Activation Managers on and off activation, including, but not limited to, Safety and Security, Communications, Data & GIS, Technology, Volunteers, Communications, Development, Finance, and Human Resources.
• Ensure smooth transitions and complete handovers with other Response Directors, and between Activation Managers, when rotating field teams through phases of the activation.
• Complete the After-Action Report process immediately following activation wind-down, collating and drawing learnings for process improvement.

Budgeting and Logistics

• Work with the finance team to share cost projections for activations, focusing on meal production and logistical needs. 
• Adhere to WCK’s financial policies while adapting to on-the-ground requirements. 
• Collaborate with the procurement and logistics team to source materials and supplies efficiently and ensure timely delivery to affected areas.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with local communities first.
• Ensure the teams conduct outreach and engagement activities that contribute to WCK’s reputation as an effective, compassionate, and reliable relief organization.
• Represent WCK in the field, acting as an ambassador to beneficiaries, partners, and the media, as required.

• Ability to spend up to 70% of the time in the field. The typical duration of an activation is four (4) weeks, though timelines could be longer. 
• Must live within one (1) hour of an international airport or be willing to relocate. 
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to remote and potentially hazardous locations within four (4) hours notice.
• Masters degree and/or equivalent preferred, or 10+ years of experience in management roles, preferably in fast paced, ever changing environments; including military, emergency response, culinary, humanitarian or event management settings. 
• Excellent training and coaching skills, and experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams in challenging and rapidly changing environments. 
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to engage and coordinate with diverse stakeholders. 
• Ability to work independently with minimal infrastructure, amenities and resources.
• Willingness to work in challenging environments with austere living conditions. For example, responders may not have access to running water, communications, or electricity and they may have to sleep outdoors and use bucket toilets.
• Demonstrated negotiation and diplomacy skills in complex and potentially volatile situations.
• Exhibit a calm and composed demeanor during crisis situations, with the capacity to make sound decisions under pressure.
• Be physically fit and have the stamina to work long hours doing physically demanding tasks in varying and potentially extreme climates.
• Strong mental resilience and emotional intelligence to cope with the stressors associated with working in conflict environments.
• Display cultural awareness and sensitivity, recognizing and respecting diverse backgrounds that allow us to positively work with local communities.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in additional languages relevant to common disaster or conflict zones is highly desirable (Swahili, French, Arabic).

The role of Response Director is critical in ensuring that WCK’s relief operations are effective, responsive, and accountable, following through on our commitment to communities in need, and upholding the high standards of the organization, guided always by WCK’s North Star.

Application & Cover Letter
This application requires a cover letter that explains your interest in this position and in working for WCK.

References and Background Checks
To help ensure the safety of our communities and our teams, our selection process will include reference and background checks, subject to any legal or regulatory requirements.

Equal Opportunity
WCK is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion and diversity and to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the country in which they reside. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment at this time.

No recruiters or agencies, please.

Contract Type (If based outside United States or Spain)
We are excited to offer an opportunity for this role in partnership with Velocity Global and TCW Global. If based outside of the United States or Spain, depending on location, the successful candidate will be contracted by either VG or TCW, which will handle all HR-related processes, including payroll, benefits, and compliance, while the employee will work directly with World Central Kitchen to fulfill the job responsibilities.

As a contractor of Velocity Global or TCW Global you will receive the benefits and support of a dedicated HR team, ensuring a seamless experience while you contribute to the mission of World Central Kitchen.

Why Join Us?

Innovative Environment: Be part of a forward-thinking team that values creativity and innovation.
Global Impact: Your work will have a direct impact on building a diverse and talented global team.
Professional Growth: Opportunities for continuous learning and career development.
Dynamic Team: Work with a supportive and enthusiastic team that values collaboration and fun.

If you’re ready to bring your unique talents to a role that’s as challenging as it is rewarding, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today and let’s build the future of World Central Kitchen together!

WCK is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Join us in being a part of WCK's global talent journey!