Program Specialist, Disaster Workforce Engagement

American Red Cross

Location:
Statewide, IL, USA
Category:
Professional Staff
Posted Jun 16, 2026Apply by Jul 1, 2026 (4d left)

As a Disaster Workforce Engagement Specialist, you will guide, lead and support teams of trained volunteers to deliver comfort and care in times of disaster. You will create and maintain a foundation of continuous and robust volunteer engagement using established processes and collaborate with volunteer services staff to ensure communities are ready to respond to disasters.

Responsibilities

  • Facilitate and support a diverse volunteer team responsible for the implementation of volunteer-led disaster cycle services programming ensuring rapid, accessible, and equitable delivery to meet urgent disaster-caused needs.
  • Assist with the successful implementation of specific disaster cycle services program activities or functions within an assigned geographic area.
  • Engage disaster volunteers who are the primary workforce and representative of the communities they serve, both culturally and linguistically.
  • Support local efforts to prepare and mobilize communities and engage partners to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies.
  • Implement plans to meet assigned targets for volunteer engagement and volunteer-led Disaster Action Team response to local home fires or support specific function tasks within assigned geographic area.
  • Act as the local point of contact for partners and communities, partnering with local organizations and leaders supporting frontline communities and community resiliency before, during and after disasters.
  • Participate in disaster response operations in the region in alignment with the Disaster Cycle Services Concept of Operations, upon completion of training requirements.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree required, or equivalent combination of education and related experience required.
  • Minimum 3 years of related experience.
  • Ability to coordinate staff and volunteer activities.
  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
  • Proven record of accomplishment of collaboration with diverse groups and individuals representative of all the demographics of this community, managing multiple priorities, facilitation, problem solving, marketing, leadership, and partnership management.
  • Intermediate level proficiency with Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Ability to work outside of regular duty hours including nights and weekends.
  • Travel may be required.
  • For positions applicable to Disaster Services, deployment to disaster operations outside the assigned region is required.

Skills

  • Volunteer Coordination
  • Staff Coordination
  • Disaster Workforce Engagement
  • Volunteer Engagement
  • Collaboration with Diverse Groups
  • Facilitation
  • Problem Solving
  • Marketing
  • Leadership
  • Partnership Management
  • MS Word
  • MS Excel
  • MS PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Disaster Operations Deployment

Languages

English