What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and, at the same time, promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies  and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

In recent years, the global digital transformation has become a defining feature of contemporary armed conflict and the broader geopolitical and economic backdrop against which conflicts take place. Evolutions in cyber (and increasingly outer) space, and the proliferation of digital technologies not only alters the character of warfare but also significantly affects the vulnerabilities and resilience of conflict-affected populations and of humanitarian actors that come to their aid. The ICRC Delegation in Luxembourg, which functions as the organization’s Global Cyber Hub, was set up to help the ICRC navigate the challenges, risks and opportunities for the organization’s identity and perception as a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian actor and its capacity to deliver on its humanitarian mandate in cyberspace and the digital age. Leveraging the expertise of its team based in Luxembourg as well as related institutional initiatives and resources, it helps enable the ICRC to adapt to an increasingly digital world, to anchor that work squarely in and at the service of field operations, and to support a principled digital transformation. This includes managing dependencies and ensuring proximity, do-no-harm and confidentiality in its use of digital technology, and strengthening ICRC capacity to integrate the cyber/digital dimension in its operations and its response to people’s needs. Both are essential for the ICRC to gain and preserve the trust of affected people as well as interlocutors, to continue to access conflict areas, to ensure people affected by conflicts access essential humanitarian services, and to ensure the acceptance and safety of its own staff. The Research & Development (R&D) Department of the Global Cyber Hub identifies, develops and tests technologies that can strengthen the ICRC’s capacity to remain aligned with its fundamental principles (humanity, neutrality, independence, impartiality) and its standard working modalities (proximity to people, confidentiality and do-no-harm) and that will ensure operational resilience of its digital infrastructure and assets across the globe. It identifies, tests and develops technological solutions that enable the ICRC to work across frontlines in times of heightened politicization and fragmentation of the digital and technological landscape, and that are safe and secure by default and design.  

The ICRC Values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment.

Purpose

The Head of the R&D Department leads and conducts research on developments in cyberspace and the digital and telecommunication technology landscape, against the backdrop of the broader geopolitical and economic context, and their impact for the ICRC’s digital independence.

S/he is responsible for the design, run, maintenance and security of the Hub’s data center and related infrastructure and for the development and management of the R&D Department’s project portfolio, in close collaboration with the ICRC’s Technology and Information Division at its Headquarters in Geneva and with external partners and stakeholders.

S/he also contributes to the ICRC’s operational, legal and policy work on humanitarian action in cyberspace and the digital age.

Accountabilities & functional responsibilities

Foresight and Strategy Anticipates, analyses and communicates key shifts and trends in the technological landscape –from technological developments to geopolitical, economic and security dimensions– and the resulting organizational challenges for the ICRC;

• Continues to refine the vision and design of the Delegation’s Roadmap towards a neutral, independent and resilient digital infrastructure that is safe and secure by design and default and enables the ICRC to deliver on its mandate and uphold its principles and standard working modalities in cyberspace and the digital age; and as such contributes to the implementation of the ICRC’s strategic orientation to lead by example on principled digital transformation in the humanitarian sector;
• Defines, demonstrates and communicates the relevance, opportunities and risks of leveraging open source technologies to manage dependencies, perceptions and capacity to deliver resilient operational response and operate in line with standard ICRC working modalities;
• Is an active member of the Delegation’s management team, contributing to analysing the overall political, humanitarian, technological and security environment, and to setting and achieving the Delegation’s objectives in line with the strategic orientations set by the Head of Delegation.

Infrastructure, project portfolio and resource management

• Oversees the architecture design, run, maintenance, access management and security of the ICRC’s R&D data center in Luxembourg and related infrastructure and assets;
• Develops, manages and oversees the implementation and documentation of the TECH R&D project portfolio;
• Develops compelling narratives and business cases for scaling technological solutions identified or developed by the R&D department in ICRC’s global, regional or local infrastructures and set-ups;
• Defines, implements and monitors the R&D Department’s budget, with the support of the Delegation’s Finance and Administration Manager;
• Manages the R&D Department’s procurement process and contractual agreements (hardware and software) with partners and service providers, in close collaboration with the Delegation’s Legal Counsel and its Finance and Administration Department;
• Ensures quality and timely reporting on the R&D Department’s work, progress on objectives and budget implementation;
• Builds and nurtures relationships with technology providers, research institutions and other international or humanitarian organizations’ technology teams, to exchange expertise and knowledge, identify synergies and explore partnerships for joint or convergent objectives;

HR management

• Structures and manages the R&D Department’s team, with the support of the Delegation’s HR Manager;
• Provides technical support and strategic guidance to the R&D Department’s team members;
• Sets clear objectives, plans and processes, and supervises, coaches and empowers team members, for optimal individual and team performance;
• Models and encourages team members to leverages existing channels and fora to connect and engage with colleagues across the organization and to bring insights from that engagement back into their work;
• Fosters a respectful and inclusive work environment within the R&D Department’s team and with other teams in the Delegation, other Delegations and ICRC headquarters.

Relationships

• Internally : Leads and manages the Delegation’s TECH R&D team, and is an active member of the Delegation’s Management Team. Works closely with the Head of Delegation, the Delegation’s Operations team and Legal Counsel, and with the ICT Divisionat ICRC headquarters, and interacts with other relevant colleagues in the Delegation in Luxembourg, ICRC headquarters, diplomatic and operational field delegations. 

• Externally: Interacts with technology experts and researchers, technology service providers and external partners; contributes to maintaining and growing the Delegation’s network of interlocutors with a broad range of stakeholders that have an influence on cybersecurity, telecommunications and technological developments. In coordination with the Head of Delegation, represents the ICRC and interacts with selected government authorities and with the technology and cyberteams of organisations in the same sector or field of expertise (e.g. International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, academia, private sector entities, …).

Certifications / Education required

• Graduate degree in computer science or similar engineering field;
• Certification in cybersecurity or information security a strong asset;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English; professional working knowledge of French an asset.

Professional experience required

• Eight to fifteen years of overall professional experience, including five years in leading and managing a technology or applied research office in a medium to large organization;
• Demonstrated experience of people management of diverse multicultural and multidisciplinary teams;
• Experience working at the intersection of academia, applied research and industry a strong asset;
• Experience working with a non-profit, humanitarian or development organization; or on products used in countries or contexts in which the ICRC operates, including low-bandwidth environments, an asset;
• Solid understanding of open-source technologies (hardware and software), modern cloud technologies, from network to micro-services architecture, from VM-deployments to databases;
• Solid understanding of and interest in the geopolitical, security and economic landscape shaping and shaped by technological developments;
• Proven analytical and conceptualization skills coupled with common sense and a ‘hands-on’ attitude;
• Strong network and networking capabilities in the tech industry, academic, government and international public and private sector;
• Capacity to build a compelling business cases for scaling innovation or R&D solutions;
• Capacity to translate technical complexity into the business context and needs of a humanitarian organization
• Strong communication skills and ability to interact with different departments and sites across an organisation and/or across a network of stakeholders.