Senior Disaster and Climate Officer

Senior Disaster and Climate Officer (National position)

Vacancy No.: S19121

Category of Contract: National

Position Type: Integration

Application Deadline: 16/11/2026

Job Posted On: 30/10/2026

Duty Station: Kathmandu

Country: NEPAL

Grade: National Staff

Duty Station Status: N/A

Accompanied Status: N/A

Duration: 12 months

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. IFRC uses the Triple R – response, resilience and respect – to deliver on Strategy 2030. IFRC responds to disasters and crises, ensuring timely, coordinated and locally led humanitarian action. IFRC supports its members in building community resilience in the areas of climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration and displacement. IFRC promotes respect for our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality, including in our work on values, power and inclusion. The IFRC focuses throughout on our core mandate – our raison d’être – of strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, National Society development, and accountability. IFRC is led by its Secretary General and has its Headquarters in Geneva and five regional offices in Africa (Nairobi); the Americas (Panama); Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); and MENA (Beirut) as well as representation offices, service centres and delegations across the globe.

The 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 IFRC is currently present in Nepal through a Country Delegation (CD - first established in 1965 with a presence through regional representation at times), providing support to Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) programmes and National Society development (NSD) amongst as well as emergency response, other areas. The longer-term mission of the Nepal Delegation is to facilitate organisational growth, technical capacities, partnerships, and resource mobilisation that enable Nepal Red Cross Society to deliver on its humanitarian mandate in the country through the provision of technical support, advocacy, representation and coordination functions, in accordance with Strategy 2030, the IFRC Renewal and annual Operational Plans.

The Country Delegation also provides integration services to six IFRC members with a presence in Nepal.

The Swiss Red Cross (SRC) is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and supports people and communities to prepare for, withstand and recover from disasters and crises. In Nepal, SRC works in partnership with the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), with its Country Office integrated within the IFRC Nepal Country Delegation. The SRC Country Office in Kathmandu supports NRCS programmes in health and care; disaster, climate and crisis management; and National Society development. Through its long-standing partnership, SRC provides financial and technical support to strengthen NRCS capacity to deliver humanitarian and development programmes for vulnerable communities, fulfil its auxiliary role to public authorities, and uphold the Fundamental Principles.

Job Purpose

The Senior Disaster and Climate Officer is a full-time position based in the SRC Country Office in Kathmandu, with up to 40% of working time spent in the field. The officer provides technical leadership and manages SRC support to development projects in disaster risk management (DRM), climate change adaptation (CCA) and crisis preparedness. Working through NRCS, the officer supports effective planning, implementation, monitoring and responsible use of resources to achieve agreed results and sustainable outcomes. The role strengthens partner capacities, government engagement and coordination, and supports emergency preparedness, response and recovery when assigned. The officer works closely with SRC programme, PMER and finance colleagues and supports the Country Representative in maintaining effective partnerships and SRC representation

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Project Management and Technical Support

• Support NRCS in implementing projects in accordance with approved plans, budgets and agreements, and monitor compliance with applicable institutional policies and procedures, which is not limited only to the disaster, climate and crisis themes.
• Support NRCS in preparing and reviewing annual and quarterly work plans, budgets and procurement plans. Track progress, expenditure and forecasts with programme and finance colleagues; identify delays and risks and follow up agreed corrective actions.

Government Engagement and Partnerships

• Support NRCS engagement with local government on DRM, CCA, heat and health, nature-based solutions, and multi-hazard early warning and early action. Promote integration into local plans and budgets, co-financing and sustainable partnerships.
• Support staff and volunteers to integrate the Fundamental Principles, protection, gender and inclusion (PGI), disability inclusion, community engagement and accountability (CEA), safeguarding and do-no-harm approaches throughout the project cycle.
• Work with relevant NRCS departments and provincial and district chapters to strengthen coordination with government authorities, IFRC, Movement partners, UN agencies, INGOs, academia and the private sector. Support NRCS in its auxiliary role, including engagement with NDRRMA, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and relevant ministries. Represent SRC only when delegated and do not make financial or contractual commitments without prior authorisation.

Technical Leadership and Preparedness

• Provide technical leadership in DRM, climate adaptation and heat action programming, including risk-informed design, nature-based solutions and people-centred early warning systems.
• Provide technical support for disaster preparedness and coordination, linking development projects with response and recovery planning.
• Contribute to contingency planning, needs assessments and rapid response mechanisms in coordination with the NRCS Emergency Operations Centre and relevant SRC and IFRC colleagues.
• Support Movement-wide response mechanisms and surge deployments when assigned, in line with agreed priorities, competencies and security requirements.
• Support NRCS research and documentation to improve programme quality and inform preparedness, recovery and resilience programming.
• Support SRC Country Office preparedness and business continuity planning to enable effective support to NRCS during and after disasters. Programme Development and Advice
• Support the development of project concepts, proposals, logframes and budgets with NRCS, aligned with the SRC Country Programme and emerging needs. Integrate sustainability, local ownership and exit arrangements from the design stage.
• Advise the line manager on relevant policy developments, programme opportunities, implementation challenges and risks requiring decisions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Capacity Building and Mentoring

• Design and facilitate training and mentoring on priority themes, including disaster governance, urban and rural DRM, CCA, nature-based solutions, heat action, early warning, advocacy and partnership development.
• Strengthen NRCS HQs, provincial and other chapter capacities through regular field visits, coaching, joint problem-solving and follow-up on agreed actions.
• Apply National Society Development approaches to strengthen NRCS systems, technical capacity and ownership, and assess how learning is applied in practice.

Monitoring, Reporting, Evaluation and Learning

• Work with NRCS and SRC PMER colleagues to maintain monitoring tools, baselines and indicator trackers. Verify data quality, use sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data where appropriate, and apply findings to programme decisions. Undertake regular field monitoring to assess implementation quality, community participation, inclusion, risk

management and sustainability. Record findings and follow up agreed corrective actions and exit plans.

• Prepare timely inputs to narrative reports, programme reviews, evaluations, knowledge products and case studies, supported by verified evidence and informed consent where required.
• Support NRCS to apply learning from participatory reviews, evaluations, post-distribution monitoring where relevant, social audits and community feedback. Document lessons and share them with communities, government and Movement partners.
• Exchange technical learning with organisations working on similar DRM and climate priorities and apply relevant good practices in SRC-supported projects.

Expected Deliverables

• Work plans: Agreed annual and quarterly work plans, field schedules and updated project, risk and action trackers.
• Progress updates: Concise monthly updates on results, expenditure and forecasts, implementation risks, corrective actions and decisions required.
• Field monitoring: Timely field visit reports with findings, agreed actions, responsible persons and follow-up deadlines
• Reporting and learning: Quality-assured inputs to donor and programme reports by agreed deadlines, with documented lessons and recommendations.
• Partner capacity: An agreed capacity-development plan with coaching and training records and evidence of application. Project development: Concepts, proposals and sustainability or exit plans prepared according to agreed priorities and timelines.

Education

Master’s degree in disaster risk management, climate change, environmental science, natural resource management, civil engineering, development studies or another relevant discipline.

Experience

Required:

• 6 to 7 years of relevant professional experience in disaster risk management, climate adaptation or resilience programming, including project management and monitoring. - Demonstrated experience in work planning, budget monitoring, risk management and producing clear, evidence-based reports in English.
• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating training, mentoring and capacity development for partners and stakeholders.

Preferred:

• Experience using GIS and spatial risk information in programme planning.
• Experience working within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement or with international humanitarian or development organisations in Nepal.
• Experience designing and implementing community feedback and social accountability mechanisms.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Strong technical knowledge of DRM and CCA, including early warning, heat action or nature-based solutions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and digital collaboration tools. Ability to work respectfully across diverse communities and institutional contexts.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work under pressure and travel to remote project locations.
• Ability to manage the project cycle, analyse programme data, maintain trackers and follow agreed actions to completion. Strong interpersonal, facilitation, negotiation and coordination skills with communities, partners and authorities.
• Sound knowledge of Nepal's disaster risk management, climate and local government systems, and relevant humanitarian standards.
• Digital literacy, including collaboration, data analysis, information management and digital security; responsible use of technology, including AI tools, in accordance with organisational policies.
• Understanding of and commitment to the Fundamental Principles, safeguarding, PSEA, PGI, CEA and do-no-harm approaches.

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values:

Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies:

Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision-making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust