Team Leader - HEROS 2 Programme

Overview 

The HEROS 2 Programme is one of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) largest and most strategically significant programmes. It is designed to deliver rapid, high-quality humanitarian and stabilisation support in response to global crises, often within hours or days.  

At its core, HEROS 2 provides five critical capabilities: 

• Early Warning and Risk Analysis (EWAR): Continuous monitoring and analysis of emerging risks, producing timely insights and bespoke reports to inform FCDO decision-making and crisis planning.  

• Humanitarian Deployments: Rapid mobilisation of technical experts and operational teams to support emergency response, ensuring readiness for surge deployments under severe time constraints.  

• Conflict and Security Deployments: Provision of stabilisation expertise and operational support in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, aligned with FCDO’s conflict programming priorities.  

• Humanitarian Procurement and Logistics: Fast-track procurement and delivery of essential goods and services, maintaining compliance and quality assurance while meeting urgent operational needs. Also, warehouse management.   

• Deployments into UN Systems: Placement of UK-funded specialists within UN agencies to strengthen multilateral humanitarian response and coordination.  
  

HEROS 2 will work closely with FCDO’s Humanitarian & Migration and Conflict departments, ensuring joined-up delivery across policy and operational priorities. The programme is underpinned by robust governance, risk management, and performance frameworks, while leveraging technology and innovation to enhance efficiency and value for money. Its ability to respond rapidly to crises, combined with strategic oversight of large-scale operations, makes HEROS 2 a cornerstone of the UK’s global humanitarian and stabilisation capability. 

Role Purpose 

Lead one of FCDO’s largest humanitarian and conflict programmes (c. £200m), ensuring rapid, high-quality delivery across multiple components.  The role demands strategic oversight, operational agility, and strong stakeholder engagement with FCDO’s Humanitarian & Migration and Conflict departments. The Team Leader will ensure readiness to respond to emergencies within hours or days, while maintaining compliance and performance standards. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Stakeholder Engagement 

  1. Act as primary interface with FCDO, ensuring timely reporting and responsiveness.  

• Team Management 

  1. Lead large, multi-disciplinary teams across thematic areas, fostering collaboration and performance under pressure.  

  2. Provide overall management and accountability for HEROS 2 delivery, including financial oversight.  

  3. Ensure alignment with FCDO objectives and contractual obligations.  

• Rapid Response Coordination 

  1. Oversight of surge deployments and emergency procurement/logistics under severe time constraints.  

• Strategic Planning & Risk Management 

  1. Oversee EWAR outputs, conflict/security deployments, and humanitarian advisory services.  

  2. Maintain robust risk frameworks and compliance with HMG guidance.  

  3. Support continuous improvement  

Essential Requirements 

• At least SC and preferably DV-cleared  

• British citizen/passport  

• Experience of FCDO humanitarian programming including leadership positions  

• Experience leading large teams for delivery of major programmes (e.g. £30m+)  

• Deep understanding of humanitarian deployments, procurement, and surge logistics.  

• Familiarity with conflict programming and early warning analysis.  

• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and management skills.  

• At least 15 years of directly relevant work experience  

Desirable Experience 

• Experience as a team leader of FCDO major programmes on a commercial contract 

• Substantial experience of FCDO conflict programming  

• Former FCDO staff member or comparable role  

• Experience of managing surge deployment teams  

• Experience of oversight of research or early warning analysis teams 

• Prior experience with HSOT or similar mechanism 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.