Application Guide
How to Apply for EPI Officer
at International Rescue Committee (IRC)
🏢 About International Rescue Committee (IRC)
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a unique humanitarian organization that responds to the world's worst crises, helping people survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at Albert Einstein's request, the IRC operates in over 40 countries and 28 U.S. cities, combining emergency response with long-term development programs. Working at IRC means joining a mission-driven organization with deep field expertise and a commitment to serving refugees and displaced populations with dignity and impact.
About This Role
As an EPI (Expanded Program on Immunization) Officer at IRC, you'll be responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring immunization programs in humanitarian settings, often in remote or conflict-affected areas. This role is impactful because you'll directly contribute to preventing disease outbreaks and saving lives among vulnerable populations, particularly children under five, through vaccine delivery and cold chain management. You'll work closely with health teams and local partners to ensure immunization coverage reaches those most in need during crises.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a virtual check-in with field teams in different time zones to review vaccination coverage data and cold chain status, followed by analyzing reports for donor submissions. In the afternoon, you could be drafting training materials for health workers on new EPI guidelines or troubleshooting logistics for vaccine deliveries to a remote clinic. The role involves balancing program planning with rapid response to emerging health threats, all while ensuring compliance with IRC's safety and accountability protocols.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who International Rescue Committee (IRC) Is Looking For
- Public health professional with 3+ years of experience in immunization programming, preferably in humanitarian or low-resource settings
- Technical expertise in EPI guidelines, cold chain management, and vaccine logistics, with experience in data collection and monitoring using tools like DHIS2
- Proven ability to train and supervise health staff on vaccination protocols and adapt programs to challenging environments (e.g., displacement camps, remote clinics)
- Strong cross-cultural communication skills and fluency in English, with additional languages like French, Arabic, or Spanish being highly valuable for IRC's field operations
📝 Tips for Applying to International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Highlight specific experience with EPI in humanitarian contexts—mention any work with refugees, IDPs, or in conflict zones, as IRC prioritizes crisis-response expertise
Quantify your impact in previous roles (e.g., 'increased vaccination coverage by X% in a camp setting' or 'managed cold chain for Y vaccines across Z locations') to match IRC's results-oriented culture
Tailor your resume to include keywords from IRC's core competencies: 'humanitarian principles,' 'accountability to affected populations,' and 'partnership-based approaches'
If you have field experience with IRC's priority health issues (e.g., measles, polio, COVID-19 in emergencies), emphasize this explicitly in your application
Demonstrate familiarity with remote work tools (e.g., Zoom, SharePoint) and ability to collaborate across time zones, as this is a remote role supporting global operations
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your commitment to IRC's mission and humanitarian principles, with examples of how you've upheld these in past work (e.g., ensuring equitable vaccine access)", 'Specific technical skills in EPI, such as experience with Gavi-funded programs, outbreak response vaccination, or cold chain maintenance in resource-limited settings', 'Ability to work independently in a remote role while coordinating with field teams—mention any prior remote project management or virtual training experience', 'Adaptability to fast-changing emergencies, citing instances where you adjusted immunization plans due to security issues, displacement, or funding shifts']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Review IRC's health strategy and recent immunization work—check their website for reports on programs in countries like Syria, Yemen, or Democratic Republic of Congo
- → Study IRC's partnership model, especially collaborations with WHO, UNICEF, and local NGOs, to understand how the EPI Officer would engage with these stakeholders
- → Explore IRC's remote work culture by reading employee testimonials or annual reports, noting how global teams coordinate across time zones
- → Familiarize yourself with key humanitarian frameworks IRC uses, such as the Sphere Standards or Inter-Agency Standing Committee guidelines for health emergencies
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application that doesn't mention humanitarian experience or IRC's focus on crisis-affected populations—this shows lack of alignment with their mission
- Overemphasizing clinical or hospital-based immunization work without linking it to community-level or emergency public health contexts
- Failing to address remote work readiness—not demonstrating how you'll manage communication, self-motivation, and time-zone challenges in a distributed team
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to International Rescue Committee (IRC)!