Country Director Bangladesh

What we are looking for

NRC is looking for a Country Director to join the Bangladesh mission. The role holder will be responsible for providing both strategic direction and operational leadership, including maintaining a coordinated approach in the country management group to strategy, fundraising (against a background of declining resources), evidence-based advocacy, and support to the humanitarian coordination system.

If you are an experienced and seasoned leader with a track record of developing and integrating distinctive strategies; with strong coordination, networking, and stakeholder management skills; the ability to inspire and influence others; and successful experience building and leading collaborative, engaging, and effective teams, then this is the role for you!

What you will do

• Country strategy development and execution.
• National representation and coordination.
• Safety and security of staff.
• Country-level advocacy.
• Resource allocation and mobilisation.
• Cost efficiency and quality, including implementation of control mechanisms.
• Ensure structures and systems are adequate and in place.
• Staff learning, training, and development.
• We highly encourage you to learn more about the role: please review the full Job Description here.

What you will bring

• Senior Management / Country Director experience in humanitarian/recovery context.
• Advocacy exposure.
• Emergency setting understanding.
• Strong representation skills. 
• Complex and volatile context exposure.
• English fluency, both written and verbal.

What makes this position attractive?

• The opportunity to work in the steadily growing NRC mission of Bangladesh that has scaled up since inception in 2018 to respond to the Rohingya influx, and that has an increasingly growing portfolio and funding. NRC interventions are used to increase the acceptance of humanitarian assistance amongst Rohingya and Bangladeshi populations.
• 2026 marks nine years since violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, when over 742,000 Rohingya men, women, and children fled across the border into neighbouring Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Today, more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees currently live in 33 highly congested camps across Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, making it one of the largest and most densely populated refugee settlements in the world. 
• With humanitarian funding decreasing and operational space becoming more constrained, needs remain acute while opportunities for durable solutions remain limited. Local integration challenges arise from socio-economic pressures, resource constraints, and social tensions. Addressing these issues needs comprehensive international support, sustained humanitarian aid, and collaboration between the Bangladeshi government, regional and global stakeholders.
• NRC provides lifesaving, multisectoral assistance and works towards self-reliance and durable solutions of both Rohingya refugees and host communities affected by the refugee crisis, operating in 25 Rohingya camps and 8 unions in the Teknaf and Ukhiya Upazilas of Cox’s Bazar. NRC Bangladesh reached over 150,000 project participants in 2025.
• Bangladesh remains highly disaster-prone while hosting approximately one million Rohingya refugees. The situation is now considered a protracted crisis, where displacement and recurring climate-related shocks intersect with limited humanitarian access and ongoing political pressure for repatriation. The broader humanitarian context is characterised by multiple localised emergencies, high vulnerability, and acute poverty.
• NRC Bangladesh currently operates in Cox’s Bazar, Ukhiya, and Dhaka. NRC interventions are grounded in humanitarian principles, which guide efforts to increase acceptance of humanitarian assistance among Rohingya refugees and host communities, and to facilitate access.
• In addition to the existing Rohingya refugee response, NRC’s integrated activities are addressing the impacts of displacement from climate change in Cox’s Bazar, in the North-East and South-West parts of Bangladesh. As of 2022, NRC is working to respond to severe floods in Sylhet. Bangladesh is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries while also hosting nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees. This is considered a protracted emergency in which displacement and recurrent climate disasters combine.
• Meaningful work that responds to the diverse needs, priorities, and concerns raised by beneficiary communities. The current context is set against a backdrop of continued conflict in Rakhine State, steady attenuation of humanitarian access, and political pressure to repatriate refugees. This is characterised by multiple localised emergencies adversely affecting communities and populations with low levels of resilience, high vulnerability, and acute poverty.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• Learn more about NRC’s operation in Bangladesh here.

What we offer

• Dhaka, Bangladesh duty station.
• 24-month contract duration.
• Frequent travel.
• Grade 12 in NRC’s International Salary Scale, with accompanying terms and conditions. NRC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
• NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
• We think outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.
• Find out more about the benefits of working for NRC.

Important information about the application process

• Internal candidates:- log in with your official NRC email address or click on Opportunity Marketplace.
• When creating your profile, include your full name as per your passport.
• Apply by completing all the system-required fields of your experience, employment history, and education in your application.
• Ensure to attach your latest CV.
• Submit your application and CV in English.
• Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. NRC is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role and you meet most, but not all the requirements, we encourage you to apply anyway.
• Applications that do not meet the minimum standards in terms of experience or qualifications will generally not be considered.
• Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We receive many applicants for each vacant position. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to give detailed feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
• For any genuine queries, please email us at aela.recruitment@nrc.no with “Country Director Bangladesh” as the subject line. This email address is for queries only. Applications will not be accepted via email.
• Please note that NRC does not request any fees in connection with its recruitment processes.

Why NRC?

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. Our 15,000 staff work in crises across 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year.

Watch this short video to see NRC in action.

NRC works in Cox’s Bazar in response to the Rohingya crisis, and in areas such as Sylhet in the north-east addressing the impacts of climate change. Alongside partners, our integrated operations include shelter and water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), responding to weather-related emergencies, ensuring education continuity through in-person and digital learning, and scaling up information counselling for refugees and host Bangladeshis, reaching over 150,000 people per year. Our approach to humanitarian action focuses on principled aid delivery and promotes the agency and dignity of impacted populations.

We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. Are you one of those people? If you are, NRC offers you the opportunity to:

• Do demanding and professional work, often in challenging contexts.
• Join a work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility.
• Be part of a welcoming and supportive community committed to human dignity.

Learn more about NRC here.