HSOT Director (Team Leader) (Maternity Cover)

Location: London, United Kingdom; based in hirify.global’s London office with regular engagement at client offices. Hybrid working model with three days in the office and two days remote. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; visa sponsorship is not available.

Company

hirify.global is a global consulting and implementation company working with governments, businesses, investors, and communities across more than 50 countries to deliver solutions in infrastructure, economic growth, health, energy, climate, environment, and digital transformation.

What you will do

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the Humanitarian and Stabilisation Operations Team delivering the HEROS programme for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
• Serve as the senior FCDO relationship lead and represent HSOT with senior government, multilateral, and humanitarian stakeholders.
• Lead high-quality, integrated humanitarian and stabilisation services, including rapid, effective, and scalable emergency responses.
• Lead and develop a high-performing leadership team and programme culture, directly supervising five reports and providing indirect oversight of all programme staff.
• Ensure contract performance, KPIs, governance, compliance, risk management, financial performance, resource utilisation, operational controls, and service continuity.
• Drive programme evolution, innovation, learning, continuous improvement, impact, and value for money.

Requirements

• Significant experience leading large, complex humanitarian, stabilisation, or international development programmes.
• Extensive humanitarian experience, including leadership in crisis-affected and complex operating environments and substantial field experience.
• Extensive experience leading humanitarian response operations and crisis-management activities.
• Significant experience working with or on behalf of major institutional donors, particularly FCDO and/or the wider UK Government system, including senior client relationship management.
• Experience leading large and complex teams, including Senior Leadership Teams, through operational pressure, uncertainty, and change.
• Strong track record in performance management, organisational leadership, and fostering high-performing teams.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams and deliver integrated services across multiple functions and capabilities.
• Strong experience managing programme performance, governance, risk, and financial accountability.
• Excellent strategic leadership, judgement, decision-making, communication, influencing, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience operating effectively in complex, rapidly changing, and high-pressure environments.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain the required security clearance; BPSS eligibility is required at minimum, while SC eligibility is desirable.

Nice to have

• Experience overseeing large-scale deployment, surge, or technical assistance mechanisms.
• Experience working in multilateral organisations, including UN agencies and international humanitarian partners.
• Experience applying technology, data, or digital tools in humanitarian, stabilisation, or emergency response programmes.
• Formal programme, portfolio, or project management qualifications.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time 12-month maternity cover expected to commence in February 2027.
• Hybrid working with three office days and two remote days per week.
• Work with an international organisation focused on inclusive and sustainable development and measurable humanitarian outcomes.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, safeguarding, and reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

Hiring process

• Appointment is subject to client approval.
• Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the position may close once a suitable candidate is found.
• Successful candidates undergo an enhanced selection process, including safeguarding-focused interviews and rigorous due diligence.