How to apply for Director, Technical - GUARD

About International Medical Corps

International Medical Corps is a global first responder that delivers emergency relief and long-term development programs in over 30 countries, often in the most dangerous and hard-to-reach areas. Unlike many NGOs, IMC combines direct service delivery with a strong focus on training local health workers and building resilient health systems, making it a leader in humanitarian health. Working here means contributing to high-impact, lifesaving work in complex environments, with a reputation for staying when others leave.

About the role

The Director, Technical - GUARD is a key leadership position responsible for providing strategic technical direction and oversight for a global health project focused on infectious disease control and health systems readiness. You will ensure program quality, coherence, and effectiveness across all objectives, working closely with the Chief of Party, consortium partners, and country teams. This role is critical for driving evidence-based interventions and adaptive management in alignment with CDC and other global health standards.

A typical day

A typical day might involve leading a technical strategy call with consortium partners to refine the project's theory of change, reviewing program data with the monitoring and evaluation team to inform adaptive management, and coordinating with country teams to ensure alignment with CDC guidelines. You might also provide technical input on a proposal for additional funding or mentor junior technical staff on best practices in health systems strengthening.

Who International Medical Corps is looking for

• Advanced degree in public health, medicine, or a related field, with at least 10-15 years of experience in global health program design and implementation, including infectious disease control.
• Proven track record of providing technical leadership on large, complex, donor-funded projects (e.g., CDC, USAID, DFID), including experience as Key Personnel.
• Deep understanding of health systems strengthening, outbreak preparedness, and emergency response, with the ability to translate global guidelines into context-appropriate strategies.
• Strong collaborative skills to work with consortium partners, HQ staff, and country missions, and experience in adaptive management and remote team coordination.

Tips for this application

• Highlight your experience with CDC-funded projects or similar global health donors, specifically mentioning any work on infectious disease control, health systems readiness, or outbreak response.
• Emphasize your ability to lead technical strategy across multiple objectives and consortium partners, using examples of how you ensured coherence and quality in past projects.
• Demonstrate familiarity with adaptive management principles and how you have applied them in complex, remote settings to adjust program implementation.
• Showcase your experience working with country missions and understanding of donor priorities, as this role requires close collaboration with field teams and HQ.
• Tailor your resume to include keywords from the job description, such as 'theory of change,' 'results framework,' 'technical assistance,' and 'key personnel,' to pass automated screenings.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your strategic technical leadership in global health, particularly in infectious disease control and health systems strengthening, with specific examples of impact.', 'Experience as Key Personnel on donor-funded projects, highlighting your ability to collaborate with Chiefs of Party, consortium partners, and country teams.', 'Your approach to ensuring evidence-based, context-appropriate program design and adaptive management in challenging environments.', "Commitment to International Medical Corps' mission and values, and how your background aligns with their work in emergency response and health system rebuilding."]

Research before applying

• Learn about International Medical Corps' history, mission, and current global health programs, especially any work related to infectious diseases and health systems strengthening.
• Research the GUARD project if possible, or similar CDC-funded global health security projects, to understand the technical areas and expected outcomes.
• Understand IMC's organizational structure, including how headquarters, country missions, and consortium partners collaborate on large projects.
• Familiarize yourself with CDC's global health priorities and guidelines, as the role requires alignment with these standards.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you ensure technical coherence and quality across multiple project objectives and consortium partners, especially in remote or low-resource settings?
• Describe your experience with CDC guidelines and how you have translated them into program implementation. Provide a specific example.
• What is your approach to adaptive management when program data shows that initial strategies are not working? Give an example.
• How do you balance strategic leadership with hands-on technical oversight in a senior role?
• Discuss a time when you had to align diverse stakeholders (HQ, country missions, partners) around a common technical vision. How did you achieve buy-in?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on clinical or academic expertise without demonstrating experience in large-scale program management and technical leadership.
• Neglecting to mention specific donor experience (e.g., CDC, USAID) or key personnel roles, which are critical for this position.
• Using generic language about 'global health' without tailoring to IMC's focus on emergency response, health systems, and infectious disease control.