Finnish Red Cross is looking for professionals from different fields to join the aid worker reserve. The call for applications is open for healthcare professionals, technicians, audiovisual communication professionals, logisticians, information management professionals and field kitchen cooks. There is a particular need for general practitioners, pediatricians, midwives, nurses, gynecologists/obstetricians, physiotherapists, instrument technicians, x-ray technicians, pharmacy and pharmaceutical logistics experts, electricians, general technicians and chefs.
Tasks
The Finnish Red Cross looks for professionals for the reserve who are ready and available to undertake short-term assignments in humanitarian aid operations. The Finnish Red Cross sends expert assistance to international operations and maintains a network of professionals trained to work in Emergency Response Units.
The Finnish Red Cross also strengthens the operational capacity of the Red Cross Red Cresscent Movement by funding strategically important positions of the committee and the federation.
Expectations
The aid worker reserve enables the chance to work as a humanitarian abroad, but for most members, this possibility can come a few years into the membership depending on their role and humanitarian needs of the time.
There are multiple trainings to take before most members are ready to deploy and it usually takes 1-2 years to complete the full training path. All our delegate trainings and events are in English. This is because the teams working abroad are always multi-national and we need to be sure all our delegates are able to cooperate with our partners.
Please note that you are not applying for a specific job position but instead a membership in the Finnish Red Cross aid worker reserve. Finnish Red Cross will offer members of its reserve short-term deployment possibilities based on the current global needs. Deploying on short-term disaster response operations is generally not a full-time career option.
Minimum Criteria
Minimum criteria for applicants to the humanitarian aid worker reserve:
- Commitment to the values and principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
- Strong professional expertise in one’s field, described in more detail by areas of competence here.
- Fluency in spoken and written English. Skills in other languages used in international aid work (French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.) are assets.
- A category B driving license and ability to drive (manual transmission).
- Good basic IT skills, fluent command of at least Microsoft Office 365 basic software in the Windows environment.
- Ability to cope with uncertainty, modest living conditions, hurry and pressure and adapt to changing circumstances.
- Ability to understand different cultures and ways of doing things.
Relevant international experience, facilitation and training skills and experience in non-profit organizations, particularly knowledge of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, are assets.
We offer
For the members of the aid worker reserve Finnish Red Cross offers deployment opportunities on demanding short term and long-term missions. For selected applicants we offer IMPACT training, an introduction to the international activities of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent movement. Furthermore, we are invested in developing the competence of our humanitarian aid workers and we offer basic and specialized training based on your field of expertise.
Interested?
You can find more detailed information on different professional fields and application instructions on our webpage.
In case you have questions, you can email us at delegate.learning@redcross.fi.