Job Description

About CWS

Church World Service (CWS) is a non-profit, faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. CWS does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability, or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services.

Purpose

The Senior Manager, Emergency Preparedness, Response & Recovery (EPRR) serves as a senior leader within CWS’s domestic disaster response portfolio, providing strategic direction, systems leadership, and executive oversight of critical program functions. This role is accountable for designing, institutionalizing, and continuously advancing integrated systems, frameworks, and processes that strengthen the effectiveness, scalability, and impact of EPRR programming across the disaster lifecycle. The position leads and oversees high-impact emergency housing and material assistance interventions, ensures sound operational governance, exercises delegated authority on complex funding and resource decisions, and drives data-informed leadership through advanced analytics, reporting, and performance monitoring.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy and cross-functional influence, the Senior Manager provides enterprise-level leadership across internal and external stakeholders, aligning program execution with organizational strategy, funding requirements, and national response priorities. The role champions continuous improvement and innovation, strengthening organizational capabilities through the development of scalable, compliant, and resilient program systems while ensuring measurable outcomes, accountability, and sustained impact for disaster-affected communities.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties:

• Participate in EPRR leadership strategy and implementation planning.
• Directly supervise and support performance of the EPRR Grant/ Comms Manager providing coaching, professional development, and clear performance expectations.
• Directly supervise and support performance of the EPRR Case Management Systems Manager providing coaching, professional development, and clear performance expectations.
• Ensure coordination between grants, case management, housing, and material assistance functions.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• May supervise additional program staff as needed in alignment with program growth.

• Lead the implementation, coordination, and ongoing oversight of EPRR emergency and temporary housing interventions in partnership with external housing providers and hosts.
• Independently evaluate emergency housing requests, determine eligibility and appropriateness of placements, and authorize reservations and related expenditures within approved funding levels and program parameters.
• Track, manage, and oversee the temporary housing budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility, cost effectiveness, and compliance with internal controls.
• Prepare funding requests, reallocation justifications, and leadership briefings related to housing needs and expenditures during active disaster responses.
• Manage relationships with housing partners, hosts, and third-party case workers to ensure responsiveness, quality of service, adherence to agreements, and compliance with CWS policies and expectations.
• Oversee comprehensive emergency housing data collection, interpretation, and reporting to support real-time operational decisions, leadership updates, audit readiness, and continuous program improvement.
• Serve as a point of coordination and subject matter resource on emergency housing practices within the EPRR team and across the organization.
• Provide oversight for all disaster-related Material Assistance activities, exercising independent judgment in vetting, approving, prioritizing, and tracking requests based on program criteria, disaster context, and available resources.
• Steward a large material assistance portfolio, including commodities and financial assets, ensuring responsible use and alignment with EPRR objectives.
• Coordinate closely with internal teams (Operations, Finance, Development, Communications) and beneficiary organizations to ensure appropriate use of resources, timely distributions, and compliance with organizational and donor standards.
• Monitor material aid distributions and follow-up reporting to ensure accountability, transparency, and accurate documentation of impact.
• Identify trends, gaps, or risks in material aid requests and implementation, and recommend programmatic or operational adjustments.
• Develop, implement, and update operational tools, standard operating procedures (SOPs), decision frameworks, and templates to guide EPRR activities and promote consistency and efficiency across responses.
• Prepare and review core program documentation, including operational guidance, internal briefings, impact reports, after-action summaries, and leadership updates.
• Provide project management support for EPRR initiatives, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and cross-functional coordination are effectively managed.
• Support onboarding and orientation of new EPRR team members by developing and maintaining program reference materials and access to systems and tools.
• Coordinate and facilitate internal and external meetings related to EPRR operations, including preparation and distribution of agendas, minutes, action items, and follow-up tracking.
• Independently track progress on assigned action items and commitments, proactively coordinating with team members and partners to ensure timely completion.
• Engage and liaise with internal departments (e.g., Communications, Fundraising, Marketing) to support EPRR-related initiatives, messaging, and resource mobilization.
• Maintain organized program records, shared drives, and data systems in accordance with organizational standards and audit requirements.
• Identify funding opportunities and support proposal development and donor engagement.
• Ensure program design aligns with funding priorities and organizational strategy.
• Contribute to the expansion of EPRR programming and partnerships.

Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, emergency management, public administration, or a related field; relevant professional experience may substitute for formal education.

Experience:

• 7 years demonstrated experience across the full disaster lifecycle, including preparedness, response, and recovery, with a strong understanding of the needs of disaster-affected and vulnerable populations.
• 2 years proven leadership experience with the ability to supervise, motivate, and develop high-performing teams in dynamic and complex environments.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment and make sound decisions regarding program implementation, resource allocation, and financial management.
• Demonstrated experience in grant management, including proposal development, budgeting, compliance monitoring, and reporting to ensure alignment with donor requirements and organizational priorities.
• Strong understanding of program operations, compliance, accountability, and performance management within humanitarian or disaster response settings.
• Ability to manage multiple programs and competing priorities simultaneously, demonstrating flexibility and effectiveness in high-pressure, rapidly evolving situations.
• Experience working across diverse cultural contexts and with a wide range of stakeholders, including government entities, philanthropy, community organizations, and partners.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven ability to build, manage, and sustain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality documentation, deliver training, and brief senior leadership with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Forward-thinking and solutions-oriented mindset, with a track record of identifying operational improvements and implementing practical, strategic solutions.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively across teams, including in remote or decentralized environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), with the ability to quickly adopt new technologies, systems, and digital tools.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field (e.g., non-profit management, emergency management, social services, humanitarian affairs, public administration, or related discipline), or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fluency in English with superior written and verbal communication skills required.

Special Requirements

Special Requirements:

• Must have access to reliable internet.
• Must be willing to travel 10% to locations in national network for in-person meetings and conferences and to provide on-site support on occasion.
• Standard Work hours, with occasional evenings and weekends during a disaster response.

Benefits

CWS offers a competitive benefits package that includes: - 403 (b) Retirement Plan - Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance - Generous Paid Time Off (18 Paid Days Off; 24 Days after 2 Years) - 14 Official Holidays - 12 Sick Days Off (Accrued monthly) - Life Insurance and AD&D - Long Term and Short-Term Disability - Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Health Savings Account - Flexible Spending Accounts