Each year, the Swedish Red Cross (SRC) hires about 100 people to work internationally. They implement our bilateral projects and support the activities of our Red Cross and Red Crescent movement partners, namely the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC). All our international staff are called delegates.

Types of delegates

Field Staff Delegates work on SRC's bilateral projects. Usually these delegates work as Country Representatives, Program Managers, and specialists within thematic areas. While part of the SRC International Department, they are based in field offices outside Sweden. As a Field Staff Delegate, you report directly to the SRC's headquarters in Stockholm. Assignments typically last one year, with possible extensions. Field Staff Delegates who work as specialists may have shorter assignments.

Seconded Delegates support our partners like the ICRC and IFRC. They are sometimes referred to as Staff on Loan (SoL or StoL). Seconded delegates include both generalists, early in their humanitarian careers, and technical specialists, working in areas like Health, Water and Sanitation (WaSH) and Protection, with previous experience from the humanitarian sector. Though recruited by the Swedish Red Cross, they report directly to the receiving organization. Assignments typically last one to two years.

SRC also supports the RCRC movement with Rapid Response Delegates to support sudden onset emergency responses. These missions usually last from five weeks to three months. Rapid Response Delegates are deployed to any part of the movement (SRC, IFRC, ICRC or another National Society), and they typically work with Health, WaSH or emergency operations management and may be part of our Emergency Response Units (ERU). To be deployed as a Rapid Response Delegate, you must be part of the SRC Delegate pool and be ready to leave for mission on short notice, usually within a few days after receiving a mission proposal, but sometimes within 48 hours.

Recruitment of Delegates

All SRC Delegates must go through a recruitment process. Recruitments may be to a specific position, or to the SRC Delegate pool.

Field Staff Delegates and Seconded Delegates to IFRC on long term assignments are recruited via recruitment processes for specific vacancies to be filled in the field. We advertise these positions here on our external SRC website. For shorter missions (up to maximum six months), a position may be offered to a member of the SRC Delegate pool, who has already been recruited into the pool.

Rapid Response Delegates and Seconded Delegates to ICRC, are first recruited to the SRC or the ICRC Delegate pool, for the possibility to be offered an international assignment that matches their profile and availability. Recruitments to the SRC Surge pool are made by SRC, and opportunities to join specific pools are advertised periodically on our website.

ICRC recruitments specifically

Recruitments to the ICRC Delegate pool are done jointly between the SRC and the ICRC, based on the needs of ICRC and the capacity of SRC. These opportunities are advertised here on the SRC external website or on the ICRC Career Site. To become an SRC Seconded Delegate to the ICRC you must be a Swedish Citizen or a permanent resident in Sweden.
To read more about working as a Staff on Loan with ICRC, visit: Staff on loan from national societies (icrc.org)

Recruitment process

All applications must be submitted to recruitment campaigns via this website. After the deadline, applicants are evaluated based on the criteria in the vacancy announcement. Those who best meet these criteria will be contacted by our recruitment team. All other applicants will receive a message informing them that they were not selected.

The recruitment process begins with written tests and may include Cute-E aptitude tests, written technical competency tests, and/or language tests, depending on the position. Candidates with excellent test results will move on to interviews. These are conducted in either one or two rounds and involve interviewers from the SRC International Department and SRC International HR team. When recruiting Seconded Delegates, interviews may also take place with the partner organisation that will be receiving the selected candidate.

Due to high application volumes, only interviewed candidates receive personalized feedback.

Selected candidates undergo a background check before an employment offer. As the Swedish Red Cross is part of the Inter-Agency Scheme for the Disclosure of Safeguarding-related Misconduct, one of the three references given must be from the candidate`s current or most recent employer. Final candidates are also screened against EU and UN sanction lists.

Health Delegates who will be working with patients in the field are required to submit a Certificate of Good Standing, verifying that they have a valid license to practice medicine before starting an international assignment.

Candidates applying to work with the Swedish Red Cross as Staff on Loan to the ICRC must provide a police record check for working abroad.

Interested in learning more?

For more information on working with SRC as a delegate, you are welcome to check out our Delegate Handbook.
Opportunities to learn more about becoming a Delegate with SRC will be published on our Website and on our LinkedIn Page – give it a follow!

To view vacancies at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies visit their websites. ICRC job site and IFRC job site.