Disaster Relief Consultant

Job Title: Disaster Relief Consultant

Department: Emergency Management / Humanitarian Response / Risk & Resilience

Location: [Insert Location or “Remote / Field-Based / Hybrid”]

Reports To: Director of Disaster Response / Head of Humanitarian Operations

Position Overview

The Disaster Relief Consultant provides expert advisory services and strategic guidance to organizations engaged in disaster preparedness, emergency response, and post-disaster recovery. This role involves assessing operational effectiveness, designing disaster management frameworks, supporting coordination among stakeholders, and offering technical expertise to improve resilience and humanitarian outcomes. The consultant acts as a trusted advisor, combining analytical insight with hands-on field experience to strengthen organizational response capabilities and community recovery efforts.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Advisory & Planning

Develop and refine disaster preparedness, response, and recovery strategies tailored to organizational and regional needs.

Conduct comprehensive assessments of emergency management systems and identify areas for improvement.

Provide expert recommendations for policy design, governance models, and capacity-building initiatives.

2. Program Design & Implementation Support

Advise on the design and implementation of disaster relief programs, including logistics, shelter, food security, and health interventions.

Support coordination between governments, NGOs, donors, and international agencies to ensure effective collaboration.

Develop frameworks for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) to measure impact and enhance accountability.

3. Risk Assessment & Capacity Building

Conduct hazard and vulnerability assessments for natural and man-made disasters (e.g., floods, earthquakes, pandemics).

Deliver training workshops and simulations to build response capacity among staff, partners, and local communities.

Advise organizations on establishing early warning systems, crisis communication protocols, and contingency planning.

4. Technical Guidance & Field Support

Provide on-site or remote technical guidance during emergency operations and recovery efforts.

Support humanitarian teams with rapid assessment methodologies, resource prioritization, and deployment strategies.

Ensure compliance with humanitarian standards, including Sphere, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), and relevant UN frameworks.

5. Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting

Liaise with donors, multilateral agencies, and government bodies to align disaster relief strategies with global best practices.

Prepare policy briefs, analytical reports, and presentations for leadership and external partners.

Support proposal development and fundraising efforts for disaster management projects.

Qualifications & Experience

Master’s degree in Disaster Management, Humanitarian Affairs, Environmental Studies, or related field.

7–12 years of professional experience in disaster response, humanitarian aid, or resilience consulting.

Proven track record advising international organizations, NGOs, or government agencies on emergency management strategies.

Deep knowledge of disaster risk reduction (DRR), humanitarian coordination mechanisms, and international response systems (e.g., UN OCHA, IFRC).

Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Ability to work independently and under pressure in high-stakes environments.

Fluency in English required; proficiency in other languages (French, Spanish, or Arabic) is an asset.