City : Toronto

Category : Health in Emergencies / Santé en situation d'urgence

Industry : Civil and Social Organizations

Employer : Canadian Red Cross

Title: Senior Specialist- Humanitarian Health Services
Employee Working Location: Partially Virtual / Hybrid (Canada)
Employment Status: Fixed Term Full-Time (12 months)

The Canadian Red Cross (Red Cross) – an inspirational not for profit organization, helps people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and supports them in strengthening their resilience. As a Canada’s Best Employers 2026, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment.  

The Senior Program/Service Specialist is a specialized professional within the Humanitarian Health Services team, focused on international service delivery. The role provides deep technical knowledge and advanced solutions within a specific area of expertise to support the design, implementation, and optimization of international health programs and services, including Emergency Response Unit (ERU) operations. It plays a key role in developing and strengthening service delivery models that align with organizational goals and humanitarian best practices. Leveraging subject matter expertise, the role analyzes complex challenges, designs innovative solutions, and provides targeted guidance and training to internal teams and Movement partners. It also ensures compliance with regulatory frameworks, risk management strategies, and quality standards, contributes to research and policy development, and drives continuous improvement to enhance program sustainability and operational resilience.

In this role, you will:  

• Provide specialized knowledge, research, and data-driven insights to enhance program/service design, implementation, and evaluation in international health operations.
• Lead implementation of specialized programs, services, and initiatives that align with organizational goals and humanitarian and sector best practices.
• Lead the development and refinement of technical frameworks, guidelines, and methodologies to ensure high-quality international service delivery.
• Act as a member of a service delivery team, including deployment and service implementation as a specialist in international operation, and as a resource for complex service challenges, providing expert analysis and solutions based on best practices.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to generate evidence-based recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Provide technical guidance on monitoring, evaluation, and reporting frameworks to ensure data-driven decision-making.
• Ensure community engagement strategies integrate technical insights, equity principles, and culturally responsive practices in diverse international contexts.
• Provide guidance on ethical considerations, accessibility, and inclusive service design to remove barriers for marginalized populations.
• Develop specialized protocols, risk assessments, and compliance strategies to strengthen operational resilience in international settings.

What we are looking for:

• Qualifications include a minimum of 6-9 years experience and a 3-year college diploma or university degree in public administration, emergency management, public   administration, social sciences, health science, community development or a related field and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience. May require a graduate     diploma/degree in a related field and/or a professional degree, certification or designation. 
• Requires expertise in a specialized discipline or broad experience across fields, along with an understanding of interconnections between process and business units. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint) and SharePoint is required. 
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, partnership development and working with diverse communities.
• Experience in program design, implementation, management and evaluation.
• Ability to identify complex problems, analyze interrelated factors, assess and mitigate risks, and develop solutions using specialized skills. 
• Communication and influence skills to gather perspectives, understand needs, and present information to reach consensus, often in somewhat sensitive situations. 
• Ability to integrate best practices and evidence-based approaches into program frameworks.

Working Conditions: 

• This role is a response and operational profile that requires scheduled travel, deployment and in community in-person presence.
• Occasional requirement to lift up to 5kg in order to perform the requirements of the role. 
• Occasional requirement for prolonged sitting with infrequent breaks in order to perform the requirements of the role. Occasional requirement for prolonged standing with infrequent breaks in order to perform the requirements of the role.
• Ability to adapt to frequent and often urgent changes in priorities, and make decisions under pressure, work at an unpredictable pace.
• Some domestic or international travel to generally safe locations; exposure to moderate adverse conditions requiring attention to personal safety.
• In a large-scale emergency, where staff numbers are compromised or additional resources are required provide disaster relief and/or emergency field operational support.
• Will be required to work extended hours during peak periods on short notice.