The Venezuelan Red Cross (CRV) is a humanitarian organization whose mandate is to save lives and improve the conditions of vulnerable people. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, it provides timely assistance in emergencies, disasters, and other humanitarian crises.
Guided by its Fundamental Principles—Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality—the CRV acts as an auxiliary to public authorities in the humanitarian field, working to reduce human suffering without distinction of race, gender, religion, or ideology. Its work encompasses emergency medical care, strengthening community resilience, first aid training, disaster response, and the promotion of health and well-being.
Through a network of highly committed volunteers, the CRV efficiently and effectively mobilizes resources to be present where and when they are most needed. Its work is based on solidarity, respect for human dignity, and a commitment to protecting life in all its forms.
If you want to be part of the team and make a difference, we invite you to join us.
How can you make a difference? Key functions / Responsibilities
The Shelter Officer is responsible for coordinating comprehensive care, organization, and distribution of essential supplies (non-food items – NFI) for both affected families already in temporary shelters and those affected families who remain scattered in communities or informal settlements, ensuring that aid arrives equitably and under humanitarian standards.
He/She will be in charge of:
- Lead mobile field brigades to map, identify, and census earthquake-affected families who are not in official shelters (e.g., people sleeping in yards, streets, cars, or relatives’ homes).
- Assess the urgent household needs of these dispersed families to prevent them from being excluded from humanitarian assistance.
- Plan and implement differentiated distribution strategies for non-food items (hygiene kits, kitchen kits, sleeping mats, blankets, water containers and mosquito nets):
- Ensure that delivery criteria prioritize the most vulnerable groups (breastfeeding mothers, older adults, people with reduced mobility) in both modalities.
- Supervise and organize coexistence, order and basic services in the temporary shelters assigned to the project, promoting internal committees with the families housed there.
- To serve as a technical liaison to channel the needs identified in collective spaces to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) or Health team of the Red Cross.
- Maintain a consolidated and strict record of beneficiaries (differentiating between refugee population and community/dispersed population) to avoid duplication of deliveries.
- Report daily to the Logistics Officer the stock outflows and project the needs for supplies according to the censuses of the dispersed families detected in the field.
- Promote the application of the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in all activities in the area.
- Perform other tasks assigned by your immediate superiors to ensure the fulfillment of organizational objectives.
Report
The Shelter Officer will report to the Project Leader
Workplace
Caracas, with availability to travel nationwide.
To qualify as a builder of the Venezuelan humanitarian system, you must meet the following requirements:
- University degree in Social Work, Social Sciences, Administration, Humanitarian Logistics or related fields.
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience in community assistance projects, mass distribution of supplies or management of camps/shelters in contexts of vulnerability or disasters.
- Handling the standards of the Sphere Manual (chapters on Collective Settlements and Non-Food Items).
- Experience applying rapid census methodologies or socioeconomic data collection in emergencies.
- Knowledge of program monitoring and evaluation methodologies.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
- Ability to prepare technical and operational reports.
- Fluency in Spanish. Basic knowledge of English is desirable.
- Commitment to the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
- High sense of responsibility, professional ethics and confidentiality.
How to apply
Only a shortlist of candidates will be contacted to advance to the next phase of the selection process. Candidates will be asked to speak with their previous direct reports/line managers before proceeding to interviews.
All those interested in applying for the position and who meet all or most of the requirements for the role should send their CV to the email address:Â postulaciones@cruzrojavenezolana.org
The email subject line should say:
Shelter_Caracas Officer
CVs received without the title assigned to the call will be discarded.
Please review the professional requirements to be eligible.