what we look for

At the ICRC, we offer employees the opportunity to work in diverse and professional teams around the world, using their skills to make a genuine impact. We are also passionate about building a team of dynamic, forward-thinking individuals who share our commitment to the ICRC mission.

In more than 90 countries around the world, we work to provide protection and assistance to people whose lives have been torn apart by armed conflict. Our multidisciplinary teams bring together employees from around the world and locally hired talent.

Different ways of working with us

We look for professionals who are highly motivated and committed to doing impactful humanitarian work. Here are the different contract types we have within the ICRC:

We hire resident staff locally to fill specific positions in specific regions of a given country.

Resident staff play an essential role in ensuring continuity of operations and bringing strong contextual knowledge of local environments.

Mobile staff are international professionals recruited by our headquarters in Geneva. They are employed under Swiss employment standards and Swiss labour law.

These roles involve deployment to various countries around the world.

We are committed to growing the next generation of humanitarians and offer associateships and traineeships at our headquarters in Geneva and in some delegations.

These opportunities provide hands-on experience in a professional, international environment.

We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to source diverse, skilled and committed professionals through the staff-on-loan system.

Staff on loan contribute directly to humanitarian operations around the world.

The values that guide our teams

We seek candidates whose conduct is in keeping with our shared values: Impact, compassion, respect and collaboration.

These values guide all our interactions and relationships with our colleagues, our contacts and partners, and, above all, the people we protect and assist.

While these values define how we work internally, our actions are also guided by the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which provide a universal framework for humanitarian conduct: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

We seek to integrate these values into every aspect of our work, behaviour and attitudes. They form the bedrock of our desired organizational culture. By guiding us through our decisions and dilemmas, our values ultimately support the successful delivery of our humanitarian mission.

Impact

We make a positive and sustainable difference through the work we do, and how we engage with others as we do it.

Compassion

We treat ourselves and each other with care and kindness.

Respect

We treat each other with dignity and respect, acting fairly and equitably.

Collaboration

We seek and create opportunities to work together with colleagues, stakeholders and affected people.

"When interviewing candidates, I often look out for those that show adaptability, a positive attitude and humanitarian values."

Ian

Recruiter

Types of profiles we look for

We are committed to fair and equitable recruitment and promotion opportunities, and we welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Here are some of the general qualities we look for in potential colleagues, from language skills to technical expertise and beyond. These serve as a foundation for building a successful career with us, while specific requirements may vary from one role to the next.

Language skills are highly valued at the ICRC. Proficiency in English is essential for most roles, while knowledge of French, Arabic, Spanish or Russian is often a strong advantage. Speaking multiple languages enables you to work effectively in diverse teams and with communities worldwide.

We look for candidates with a solid educational background relevant to their field of expertise. A university degree or equivalent professional qualification is generally required. Advanced studies or specialized training in humanitarian action, international relations, law, health or technical domains may be particularly valuable, depending on the role.

For professional positions, we look for people who have at least two years of experience in their field. Having worked in international, multicultural or humanitarian settings is a strong asset. We value individuals who demonstrate adaptability, compassion and a collaborative spirit.

For our associate and traineeship programmes, we welcome people at earlier stages of their careers.

We look for profiles from different backgrounds. For each job category, specific technical skills are essential.

Click here to see all our current job opportunities. Then select the “show more” button to learn more about our 18 job families and create a job alert according to your background and interests; or visit our job categories page directly.