Field Operations Manager

Company: Global Support and Development
Location: Charlotte
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

Unable to provide sponsorship at this time. Only considering persons eligible to work in the United States. Ready to lead on the front lines of disaster preparedness and response? Global Support and Development (GSD) is seeking a high-impact Field Operations Manager to join our mission-driven team in Charlotte, N.C. GSD fills gaps between local needs and innovative disaster solutions across the Caribbean, Central America, and the Pacific. In this pivotal role, you’ll be the bridge between steady-state planning and acute field operations, serving as a decisive leader and liaison who ensures our teams can focus on what matters most: saving lives and building community resilience! If you are a seasoned professional with a problem-solving mindset and the grit to thrive in dynamic, post-disaster environments—including on our dedicated humanitarian vessel—we want to hear from you. GSD offers a comprehensive benefits package to include: Up to 25 days of accrued vacation Up to 80 hours of annual sick leave Up to 80 hours of Military Pay and 30 Days Differential Medical, Dental and Vision (GSD covers monthly premium) Group Life and AD&D Coverage (GSD covers monthly premium) Retirement (Pre and Post Tax Options) and a Company Match Matches on Qualified 529 Plans Up to 14 Paid Holidays BACKGROUND: Global Support and Development (GSD ) is a humanitarian organization whose mission is to work with regional, national, and local communities across the Caribbean, Central America and Pacific for resilience to crisis through rapid response, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation. GSD began as an impromptu response to Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015. Since our founding, we have worked with a number of regional, national and local communities and supported various international and United States domestic disaster response and preparedness efforts. Our first response defined the core of GSD’s DNA as an organization – to work with communities – led by their needs, filling the gaps they have identified, while leveraging unique approaches and capabilities with an innovation mindset. By integrating our team’s diverse skill sets and resources into local responses, we provide rapid response assistance to affected communities in coordination with regional, national, and local community partners. We work to support and strengthen local capacity through disaster preparedness initiatives, including innovation and climate adaptation, to reduce the impact disasters and the climate crisis have on communities. PURPOSE OF POSITION: The Field Operations Manager (FOM) possesses the experience, competencies, and skill set necessary to facilitate effective operation of diverse teams in steady state and field during dynamic, sometimes acute emergency, contexts. They should understand all GSD team functions including Response and Preparedness, Capabilities, Partnerships, external communications, Information, MEAL, Logistics, and Health, have strong organizational understanding and skills, and embody key leadership characteristics. During GSD response activities, the FOM may take on a response role as Team Leader or Assistant Team Leader, coordinating, leading, and managing GSD staff to a common response outcome. While the Team Lead focuses on operational planning, coordination, external partner relations, and high-level safety decisions, the Assistant Team Leader focuses on internal day-to-day team activities and field level execution. As the primary point of contact for partners and associates of GSD, the FOM serves as the liaison between t he team and other stakeholders, ensuring the Field Operations and GSD response teams can focus on their work on site of GSD operations. The FOM has authority to make decisions in the field, and is responsible for team safety and security. When not in the field, they continue ongoing work streams, focus on operational planning for engagements or responses, build capacity of colleagues in the Field Operations section, and support the development of efficient processes across GSD. E SSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Develop, implement, and execute plans, processes, and projects in support of departmental strategy, maximizing efficient use of resources and ensuring shared vision; Support budgetary planning, control, and analysis for Field Operations; Provide effective leadership, planning, and support for multi-disciplinary teams including Response Specialists and other internal members, to ensure effective implementation of engagements and responses; Collaborate with the Director of Field Operations and other senior leadership (Director of Operations and Planning, Director of Partnerships, etc.) to plan effective responses to partner requests for capacity strengthening and disaster response; Assign tasks, roles, and responsibilities within the team, recruiting relevant support and expertise needed from within GSD, or externally as appropriate; monitoring progress, and identifying solutions to obstacles faced by the team or team members; Ensure appropriate adaptation of team activities to dynamic contexts in the field, while remaining in line with partner requests and management’s direction; Identify and propose solutions to operational challenges in the field; Proactively monitor and assess the safety and security of the team when in the field, liaising closely with GSD’s Safety and Security team, and reporting any concerns or incidents to the Director of Field Operations and the Director of Safety and Security; Establish and maintain positive relationships to facilitate effective coordination with partners and other stakeholders in the field, including government representatives, community leaders, other INGOs and local NGOs, and UN agencies. This will be expected to be documented and reported back to the organization; Represent GSD externally with diverse stakeholders; Ensure appropriate monitoring and reporting of team activities to facilitate effective MEAL activities, in collaboration with the MEAL Manager; Lead documentation of activities, including writing after action reports and contributing to relevant lessons learning activities to inform future engagements and responses; Provide effective coordination and communication both within the Field Operations Team, and within the wider GSD team, to minimize internal misunderstandings, and to help manage and respond to any miscommunications effectively and professionally; Ensure continuity of given work streams throughout planning, implementation, and close-out processes, and, as appropriate, provide thorough handover to ensure effective continuation of activities; Prompt and action GSD’s core values of accountability, humility, and integrity in all work we conduct; Promote good stewardship of financial and other resources to achieve maximum benefit to those impacted by disaster or at risk of impact; and Perform other duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS: Required Experience: Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in managing disaster response or humanitarian emergency response programs and teams; Two (2) or more years of supervisory experience; and Proven experience developing programs and teams. Education: Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred; or Equivalent experience and training. Professional Licenses/Certifications: Certification in project management is desired. Knowledge/Skills: Demonstrated skills and experience designing and implementing programs and strategic, operational design and delivery of activities; Proven capacity in project management, staff management, multi-tasking and prioritization, time management, intercultural communication, partner engagement, and diplomacy; Experience managing teams in safety-sensitive and fast-paced environments; Excellent communication skills, both internally and externally, written and verbal; Innovative and creative problem solver; Proven ability to contribute both independently and as a member of a diverse team, including the ability to effectively utilize team members with disparate skillsets and experiences pursuing multidisciplinary activities; Comfortable actively listening to new and different perspectives of crisis-affected communities, stakeholders, and team members, maintaining effective dialogues and team collaboration, and ensuring feedback is incorporated into GSD operations and team activities; Shows awareness of strengths and weaknesses, and their impact on others and the team, and recognizes skills of other team members and how they complement the team; Inspires others by clearly articulating and demonstrating the values, core purpose and principles that underpin humanitarian work and of GSD, and speaks out clearly for GSD values and principles; Maintains broad strategic perspective at the same time as awareness of detail of a situation, and exercises judgment and effective analysis in challenging situations even in the absence of specific guidance; Demonstrated ability to understand the political and cultural context in operational areas, able to apply lenses of protection, humanitarian principles, gender, diversity, and inclusion aspects within a disaster response, promotes and ensures compliance with humanitarian standards and principles that inform behavior of staff; Discernment for confidentiality in relation to organizational, partner, and donor activities and communications; Experience leading diverse teams into complex, post-disaster situations; Effective communication skills, both internally and externally, written and verbal; Ability to effectively utilize diverse team members with a wide range of skill sets and competencies in service of achieving the team’s objective, and must be comfortable addressing conflicts in a professional and constructive manner; Strong organizational skills and the ability to rapidly shift tasks; Experience working and/or traveling domestically and internationally; and Working knowledge of Spanish and/or French desired. WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: At this time, GSD is not offering sponsorship and is only accepting applications from persons eligible to work in the United States; and Routine domestic and international travel up to 60% is required. GSD prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of all of our staff members. All employees are expected to follow strict safety protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required and adherence to safety regulations (maritime, and other), to mitigate risks. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and North Carolina state law, GSD will provide reasonable accommodation for a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship or a direct threat to the health and/or safety of the individual or others. These working conditions and physical demands are described to provide a clear understanding of the nature of the role, including the essential deployment responsibilities that may be necessary, to ensure that potential candidates are well-prepared for the challenging and demanding nature of the duties and realities of disaster response work. GSD is not able to reasonably predict when or whether it will become necessary to deploy an employee in this position for disaster response work. Such decisions are made as circumstances arise to meet organizational needs, and employees in this role are therefore expected to be able to fulfill disaster response work responsibilities. Working Conditions During Non-Deployment Periods Work is performed in an office setting and is generally sedentary, but may involve movement (e.g., walking, standing or otherwise being mobile throughout the office) for brief periods of time; Ability to use hands, reach, and independently lift and move items weighing up to 50 pounds, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects; Ability to bend and stoop; Ability to sit and view a computer screen for extended periods of time; Ability to demonstrate manual dexterity to operate computer and other office equipment; Ability to communicate effectively with others. Working Conditions During Deployment Periods (Including Rapid Response) May be regularly exposed to and required to work in varying outdoor weather conditions, including extreme heat or cold, heavy rainfall, and other extreme weather events; May be required to engage in irregular travel and / or work schedules, which may include extended hours exceeding 8 or 12 hours in a day for prolonged periods outside of the control of the individual; While wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) which is required and provided by GSD: Work may be conducted near moving mechanical parts, which could include exposure to loud noises; Work may be conducted near and include potential exposure to fumes, airborne particles, and toxic or caustic chemicals; or Work may be conducted in areas that include exposure to the risk of electrical shock or vibration. Ability to obtain necessary travel documents and fulfill any other travel requirements (including an active passport, visa requirements, vaccinations, etc.); This role may include deployments to support natural disaster response efforts within hazardous, dynamic, and unstable environments (economically/environmentally) in pre- and post- disaster scenarios, which could include, among other conditions: lack of access to medical care, exposure to critical incidents (including severe injury, death, traumatic encounters, and/or mental strain), and uncommon sleeping arrangements (i.e. not in a hotel, could include close living quarters and cohabitation); GSD’s nutritional environment contains milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat products. Ability to make dietary accommodations may be limited. Potential exposure to food borne allergens; and Employees may be required for this role to work upon our Humanitarian Vessel for up to 30 consecutive days. The vessel’s working environment entails performing in conditions inherent to vessel travel, including but not limited to: steep and narrow stairs and living spaces, close quarters including cohabitation, sharp surfaces, metal gangways and ladders, heavy doors, European-type plugs and wiring (220-240v, 60Hz) which cannot support all American appliances, in addition to bright and flashing lights, loud noises, nuts and shellfish exposure, poor weather, movements which can trigger motion sickness, and / or limited access to hospital / definitive care. This setting involves various sea conditions, including but not limited to rough seas, adverse weather, and potential for sea sickness. Physical Demands During Non-Deployment Periods Ability to perform work indoors in an office environment; Ability to work a varied schedule to complete projects and meet deadlines in response to changing demands; Ability to travel to attend meetings, industry or professional association conferences and stay overnight as required. Physical Demands During Deployment Periods Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) for up to 50% of the time; Ability to regularly engage in manual dexterity; [FOR VESSEL] Essential physical requirements (depending on job description requirements) may also include climbing, balancing, reaching or stretching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling; Ability to frequently move lift, push, pull, carry items weighing up to 50 pounds for various needs; Ability to observe details at a close range (within a few feet of the observer), and the ability to communicate information and ideas so that others will understand (must also be able to exchange accurate information in these situations); Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. This job description reflects an assignment of essential functions. It does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Other duties and tasks may be assigned to this job at GSD’s discretion. Work Authorization Requirements: GSD participates in E-verify, an internet-based system that allows employers to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. Our participation in E-Verify is in compliance with federal law and is limited to the use of E-Verify for employment eligibility verification only. We do not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. Notwithstanding, employment is conditional upon validity of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). This job description is a summary rather than a detailed list of the duties performed. The essential functions, knowledge, skills, and working conditions may change along with business needs. This job description does not constitute a contract between employer and employee as employment is at will. Global Support and Development provides reasonable accommodations to assist qualified individuals in order to perform the essential functions their job requires. GSD is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and embraces all candidates regardless of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. GSD promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all candidate selections.

Keywords: Global Support and Development, Charlotte , Field Operations Manager, Manufacturing , Charlotte, North Carolina