The humanitarian sector is shifting to a new reality. Digital services are now mission critical for us in almost all parts of our operations. We depend on them as those we serve depend on us.
Our IT Service and Operations area is looking for a manager who puts the mission first and can involve and include global perspectives. You create engagement and foster collaboration, display openness, and curiosity, understanding and appreciation with an honest desire to deliver globally efficient support to DRC end users.
Be the one to make our digital innovation deliver lasting value for the communities we serve!
Who are we?
The Danish Refugee Council is working in hotspots in more than 30 countries. While over the past years, we have had a tremendous growth internationally, 2025 was a seismic shift to our sector and DRC. Successfully adopting technology and AI for efficiency is now more critical than ever. We must deliver the needed platforms for our colleagues to collaborate globally irrespective time and place, a robust and expanding ERP platform in Microsoft Dynamics, and do so while safeguarding business continuity and information security for the organisation and the people we assist.
In headquarters in Denmark, the global IT department consists of 40 colleagues in three teams with additional regional presence in Amman, Nairobi, and Dakar.
As Head of IT Service and Operations, you will lead a team of 11 employees of whom two work remotely from Poland. Your staff includes IT System Administrators, Cloud Consultants, Microsoft 365 specialist, Security specialists, IT supporters and Student Workers.
You lead the Global IT Service & Operation coordination group - and leverage this to align on technology, tools, and process standards. You report to the Global Head of IT.
About the job
With your team and peers in Global IT Management, you will drive professionalisation and globalisation of the IT organisation. Our focus is that management structures are well defined, mandated, collaborative, functional & efficient, and driving strategic execution. Your main responsibilities will be to:
Deliver an ambitious IT security programme to strengthen DRC security monitoring and response.
Drive further consolidation of IT service management tools and processes including successful global roll-out of new IT Service Management tool.
Bring our data into the future with Power BI and AI adoption.
Define operational plans for improvement across global infrastructure including cloud, connectivity, and hardware solutions.
Manage key vendors, attracting commercial interest and optimising our global IT licenses.
Maintain global Microsoft 365 infrastructure for 6,000+ users.
Attract and retain highly motivated and qualified IT staff with a leadership style aligned with the DRC culture and values.
Engage as partner to stakeholders outside of the IT organisation, installing confidence with our deliverable, transparency in our approach, and aiding their safeguarding of data on people we protect.
About you
You have strong people skills from leading a IT Service & Operations area within an international organisation and the necessary technical and process knowledge to drive services which meet the basic IT requirements of a large organisation operating in the most difficult environments. You can leverage key IT service management tools and methodologies (ITIL, SAFe®) and to turn challenge into opportunity – with colleagues within and outside the IT organisation.
All employees should master DRC's core competencies: Communicating, Taking the lead, Collaborating, Striving for excellence, and Demonstrating integrity.
Moreover, we also expect the following:
Required
A relevant academic degree.
Managerial experience from similar position in IT Service Management.
Customer focus and drive for cross cultural collaboration and engagement.
Open and inclusive management style.
Demonstrated ability in coaching and developing both experienced employees as well as bringing less experienced employees fast to strong performance levels.
Strong technical expertise
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Desirable
Knowledge of the ITIL framework and experience from ITIL implementation projects.
SAFe® certification.
IT Security certification.
NGO-experience.
Knowledge of French and Danish.
We offer
A great workplace easily accessible by public transport. While we trust that meeting physically strengthens common culture, innovation power, relationships, and collaboration, we offer the opportunity to flexibly work from home when the tasks do not require presence in the office. We are a global organisation where virtual is the norm.
Contract length: Permanent.
Workplace: Lyngbyvej 100, Copenhagen, Denmark
Start date: When the right candidate is identified.
Salary and conditions will be in accordance with the agreement between DRC and Lederaftalen (management agreement) which is available at lederne.dk. This is contractually a national position for which local Danish terms and conditions apply.
Application process
All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV in English. Apply online at job.drc.ngo.
Closing date for applications: 15 March 2026.
Further information
For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Steffen Kølbek (steffen.koelbek@drc.ngo), CIO and Global Head of IT.
For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.