Islāmābād, Pakistan
Humanitarian & Development Leader | Strategic Leadership | Organisational Agility | Emergency Response | Program Management | Change Management Experienced leader with 25+ years in the humanitarian and development sector, driving strategic leadership, organisational effectiveness, and leadership development. Proven track record in managing country and regional operations, long-term development programmes, and large-scale humanitarian emergency responses in complex settings across Asia and East Africa. Worked with leading international organisations including Oxfam, Save the Children, Qatar Charity, and Islamic Relief Worldwide. Skilled in programme design, emergency preparedness, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building. Passionate about fostering agility, innovation, and impact-driven solutions.
Strategic Leadership in Disaster Preparedness: - Develop and implement global disaster preparedness and response strategies that are aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives and best practice within the sector. - Identify priorities for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction through assessments of prevailing/ frequent disaster risks, vulnerabilities and capacities. - Provide technical leadership and support to Islamic Relief country offices and local partners in strengthening disaster preparedness planning ensuring integration of locally driven, climate adaptive and inclusive approaches - Develop and implement Surge roster to enable the rapid mobilisation of qualified personnel to meet urgent response needs during an emergency. - To mainstream anticipatory action across the organisation through development of position paper, development and rollout of the framework, establishment of the Community of Practice (CoP), and capacity building of the country offices. Coordination and Partnership: - Build and promote partnerships with local, national and international agencies, Government ministries, humanitarian networks and civil society organisations - Serve as primary focal point for disaster preparedness with external partners, donors and relevant authorities - Represent the organisation in appropriate forums and discussions on disaster preparedness, anticipatory actions, DRR and localisation. Training and Capacity Building: - Develop training materials/customise existing materials on disaster preparedness and anticipatory action. - Build capacity of country offices and local partners in presence and non-presence countries on disaster preparedness and anticipatory action.
- Led on execution of scaleup plan including organisational restructuring and transformation of systems and procedures. - Led on delivery of GBP 55 million in the last two years including a historical UNDP funded large scale cash and community infrastructure project under its ABADEI programme. - Led on developing new funding partnerships with WHO, WFP, UNHCR, and SIDA. - Leading on execution of decentralisation process - Initiated Leadership development programme, young professionals development programme
• Provided strategic leadership to the country programme with a turnover of more than $10M/year and wide range of humanitarian and development interventions across the country. • Represented Islamic Relief at all levels in-country • Delivered effective programmes according to the Country Programme and Regional Strategies • Facilitated professional and systematic communication and cooperation between the different parts of the IR family to ensure maximum impact of the organisation’s work • Led, managed and developed staff in order to ensure that the country office is capable of fully achieving its agreed targets
• Management of humanitarian response, preparedness and risk reduction programming • Successfully managed an 18 month flood rehabilitation programme worth £20 Million • Led on 5 years strategic planning and operationalization process • Designed and secured funding for disaster preparedness planning focusing on capacity building of ERT and community/University volunteers, stock piling, guidelines for minimum functional requirements, and linking with national and provincial authorities. • Part of IDP task force, Refugee Task Force and IRP’s alternate focal point for Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF). Member of PHF’s Executive Committee and alternate representative at HCT in the capacity of interim CD. • Established strong and regular coordination enabling securing funding from DFID, ECHO, OCHA and UN Agencies for different emergencies. • As the Team Leader for Regional Disaster Response Team, I was deployed to Myanmar as “Head of Mission” to lead short term (three months) humanitarian response to the sectarian conflict in Rakhine state.
• Represented Islamic Relief at all levels in the country • Strengthened IR’s relations with the wider humanitarian and development community to consolidate and develop the visibility and image of the organisation • Initiated delivery of effective programmes according to the Country Programme and Regional Strategies • Facilitated professional and systematic communication and cooperation between the different parts of the IR family to ensure maximum impact of the organisation’s work • Led, managed and developed staff in order to ensure that the country office is capable of fully achieving its agreed targets • Finalized country strategy (2011-2015) and annual business plan for 2013.
• Responsible for Operational management of humanitarian programmes (Response, Recovery and Rehabilitation) across Pakistan and in line with strategic priorities • Ensured Country Level Disaster Risk Reduction Plans (DRRP) were in place and updated on a regular basis, provide technical support to Area Managers and Programme Coordinators for DRR in respective programmes. • Secured additional funds from institutional donors (USAID funded RAPDI funds, UN Agencies) for humanitarian programmes and provided leadership to the proposal development. • Line managed Programme Coordinator of Malakand Programme, Humanitarian staff and other Emergency Managers hired for humanitarian programme • Promoted and supported the humanitarian department’s commitment to inter-agency coordination by networking with UN clusters, INGOs, NGOs, government and other networks and stakeholders