*** Unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

Position Title: Emergency Telecommunications (ETC) Lead

Supervisor’s Title: ICT Manager

Exemption Status: Exempt

Positions Supervised: None

Duration: 12 months with the possibility of extension based on performance and organizational needs

Location: U.S.-based remote with travel to Charlotte, NC, and other locations as needed, including visits to areas that require staying on a Humanitarian Vessel throughout the stay

BACKGROUND:

Global Support and Development (GSD) is a humanitarian organization whose mission is to work with regional, national, and local communities across the Caribbean, Central America and South Pacific for resilience to crisis through rapid response, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation.

GSD began as an impromptu response to Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015. Since our founding, we have worked with a number of regional, national and local communities and supported various international and United States domestic disaster response and preparedness efforts. Our first response defined the core of GSD’s DNA as an organization – to work with communities – led by their needs, filling the gaps they have identified, while leveraging unique approaches and capabilities with an innovation mindset. By integrating our team’s diverse skill sets and resources into local responses, we provide rapid response assistance to affected communities in coordination with regional, national, and local community partners. We work to support and strengthen local capacity through disaster preparedness initiatives, including innovation and climate adaptation, to reduce the impact disasters and the climate crisis have on communities.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Emergency Telecommunications Lead will oversee the development, implementation and evaluation of the Emergency Telecommunications (ETC) Program at GSD. The ETC program will manage emergency telecommunication systems and capacity strengthening needs for GSD’s partners, as well as external-facing disaster response, capacity strengthening, preparedness, and climate adaptation activities to ensure alignment with GSD’s organizational strategy and goals. This role will build and maintain relationships with relevant emergency communication partners to support its strategy and adjust as necessary to ensure the priorities remain aligned with the partner’s needs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Build a robust and scalable emergency telecommunications program, including a strategy for GSD’s Emergency Telecoms program which incorporates partner priorities;
2. Develop processes and technology solutions to respond and provide telecommunication services, as well as support local response capacities to deliver coordination and operational services in humanitarian crises and disasters;
3. Identify, assess and prioritize areas impeding the reliability and resilience of of essential telecommunications infrastructure with GSD’s partners and communities GSD supports;
4. Improve the preparedness of regional, national and community actors to strengthen response readiness and local capacity based on best practices;
5. Enable localized communication services to empower under-connected communities with the ability to communicate and access information;
6. Develop key performance indicators to monitor and evaluate GSD and partner’s successes and areas of growth, as well as accompanying tracking, in collaboration with GSD’s Monitoring and Evaluation department;
7. Lead the identification/assessment and prioritization of key emergency telecommunications bottlenecks and gaps that impede delivery of essential assistance by the humanitarian community;
8. Facilitate the provision of high-quality and appropriate technology solutions and foster a culture of innovation to deliver quality services;
9. Identify opportunities for collaboration with external telecommunications experts and regional resources by understanding the state of telecommunication resiliency in GSD’s geographic focus areas;
10. Responsible for overseeing the management, and maintenance of GSD operational communications systems and equipment;
11. Overall management of the telecommunications training program;
12. Prompt and action GSD’s core values of accountability, humility, and integrity in all work we conduct;
13. Promote good stewardship of financial and other resources to achieve maximum benefit to those impacted by disaster or at risk of impact; and
14. Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Experience:

• Ten (10) or more years of relevant work experience in emergency telecommunications, preferably in the humanitarian sector;
• Five (5) or more years experience operating in emergency telecommunications in an international context;
• Proven experience developing programs;
• Professional experience in an international, humanitarian context running large Telecom/ICT Support Operations, with proficiency in the basic use of various types of communications equipment (including mobile radios, satellite phones, BGAN, LANs and WANs);
• Involvement in at least 3 emergency operations during the last 5 years with roles leading the set-up of ICT responses;
• Documenting complex business requirements and applied techniques to trace them throughout the solution development;
• Five (5) years of experience in installing and programming HF base and mobile stations and VHF/UHF analog and digital portable, mobiles and base stations and repeaters, along with troubleshooting and maintaining radio equipment and networks;
• Three (3) years of experience in configuring smart phones of various operating systems;
• Two (2) years of experience in installing, configuring, and troubleshooting analog and digital PABXs and IPBXs/VoIP/Unified communications systems;
• Five (5) years of experience in installing, configuring, and troubleshooting LANs and WLANs. (Experience in installing, configuring and troubleshooting Microsoft and Linux servers would be an asset);
• Three (3) years of experience in installing, configuring and troubleshooting WANs;
• Experience in cybersecurity a plus; and
• Additional vocational/on the job training and participation in field deployment exercises a plus.

Required Education:

• Master of Science or Engineering in Telecommunications Network Systems, IT/Computer networks, Information Systems Management or Computer Science applications preferred; or a Bachelor’s degree in the same fields with additional work experience.

Professional Licenses/Certifications:

• Part 107 License is desirable;
• ITIL 3 certification; and
• Certification in project management is desired.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Proven ability to produce quality results within challenging timeframes and ongoing change;
• Program oversight and management, development of programmatic policy, procedure, and guidelines;
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously under pressure;
• Confident and effective written and verbal communication, to include presentation ability;
• Cultural awareness and the ability to work collaboratively with a wide array of stakeholders to build relationships;
• Proficiency with basic office software (i.e., Microsoft Office, Google Docs, etc.);
• Proficiency in coordinating teams of various backgrounds and ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously under pressure;
• Superior organizational skills, the ability to shift tasks rapidly, be self-motivated, and have excellent verbal communication skills;
• Fluency in written and spoken English required, working knowledge of Spanish is highly desired; French Creole or French advantageous;
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to rapidly shift tasks.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• At this time, GSD is not offering sponsorship; and
• Routine domestic and international travel, at times up to 50%, is required.

BENEFITS:

You may be eligible for:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Premiums 100% covered by GSD for employee, employee +spouse, employee +family
• Basic Life, AD&D, and Long Term Disability Insurance: Fully covered by GSD
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA): Up to $4,000 in total annually for employee +2 or more family members
• Voluntary Life Insurance: Options available at reasonable group rates
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO): All employees are eligible for a minimum of 6 weeks of PTO per year after 90 days of service
• Up to 14 Paid Holidays
• Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks paid by GSD
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Career Development Opportunities
• 401(k): GSD will match up to 6% of base salary for all employees ages 21+. Employees are eligible to begin contributing after 1 pay cycle, and the company match will go into effect immediately after employee begins contributing
• • Additional Perks!

This job description is a summary rather than a detailed list of the duties performed. The essential functions, knowledge, skills, and working conditions may change along with business needs. This job description does not constitute a contract between employer and employee as employment is at will. Global Support and Development provides reasonable accommodations to assist qualified individuals in order to perform the essential functions their job requires.

GSD is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and embraces all candidates regardless of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. GSD promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all candidate selections. GSD promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all candidate selections.