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Humanitarian Jobs in Quebec (NOW HIRING)

Theirc

Director, IRC Canada

Montreal, QC

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by ...

VIA

Senior Software Engineer, Mobile

Montreal, QC · On-site

CA$125K - CA$165K/yr

The Department of War, government agencies, and global enterprises depend on VIA to disrupt corruption, defend critical infrastructure, and deliver humanitarian aid. VIA's products span agentic AI ...

All JobsHumanitarian JobsHumanitarian Jobs in Quebec

Humanitarian information

See Quebec salary details

$19.5K

$57.2K

$118.5K

How much do humanitarian jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for humanitarian in Quebec is $57,169.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $35,500.00 and $66,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are humanitarians?

Humanitarians are individuals who dedicate their time, skills, or resources to improving the well-being of others, especially people affected by crises such as natural disasters, conflicts, or poverty. They work to provide relief and support to vulnerable communities through organizations, non-profits, or volunteer efforts. Humanitarians can serve in a variety of roles, including delivering aid, advocating for human rights, or coordinating emergency response. Their main goal is to alleviate suffering and promote human dignity without discrimination.

What is a humanitarian career?

A humanitarian career involves working to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations affected by crises such as conflicts, natural disasters, or poverty. These roles often require skills in emergency response, project management, and cross-cultural communication, and may involve working in challenging environments for organizations like NGOs, UN agencies, or aid groups.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Humanitarian, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Humanitarian, you need a strong background in international relations, project management, and cultural competency, often supported by a relevant degree or field experience. Familiarity with data collection tools, humanitarian standards (such as Sphere), and languages commonly spoken in crisis regions is highly valuable. Outstanding soft skills include adaptability, resilience, and effective cross-cultural communication. These skills and qualities are essential for delivering aid, building trust with communities, and navigating the challenges of crisis settings.

What are some common challenges Humanitarians face when working in the field, and how can these be addressed?

Humanitarians often encounter challenges such as working in unstable or resource-constrained environments, managing cross-cultural communication, and responding quickly to evolving crises. These challenges require adaptability, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to work effectively under pressure. Building resilience, participating in ongoing training, and fostering strong teamwork are essential strategies for overcoming these obstacles and delivering effective aid.

How to get into humanitarian work?

To pursue a career as a humanitarian, gaining relevant education such as degrees in international relations, social work, or development studies is helpful. Volunteering or working with NGOs, developing language skills, and obtaining certifications like first aid or project management can improve employability. Experience in crisis zones or underserved communities is often valued by employers in this field.

Do humanitarians get paid?

Humanitarians can be paid or volunteer, depending on the organization and role. Paid positions often include salaries and benefits, especially in international agencies or NGOs, while many humanitarian volunteers work without pay. Compensation varies based on experience, location, and the specific organization.

What Do Humanitarians Do?

Humanitarians devote their time and energy to promoting human welfare and assisting other people in need. You do not necessarily need a job to be a humanitarian. For example, volunteering at a homeless shelter or donating time and money to end hunger or to support refugees or human rights agencies are also humanitarian acts. However, there are also many jobs that can be classified as “humanitarian” jobs. These range from being a volunteer coordinator for a local charity to working as a physician for an international aid organization such as Doctors Without Borders. The responsibilities of a humanitarian range greatly depending on the position and work requirements.

What are examples of humanitarian jobs?

Humanitarian jobs include roles such as aid workers, relief coordinators, emergency response specialists, and development officers. These positions often require skills in project management, cross-cultural communication, and knowledge of international aid protocols, and may involve working in challenging environments to support vulnerable populations.

What is the difference between Humanitarian vs Social Worker?

AspectHumanitarianSocial Worker
Required CredentialsRelevant degrees (e.g., International Development, Humanitarian Studies), certifications in emergency responseSocial work degree (BSW, MSW), licensure
Work EnvironmentFieldwork in disaster zones, refugee camps, developing countriesCommunity settings, hospitals, schools, government agencies
Employer & IndustryNGOs, international agencies, relief organizationsGovernment agencies, healthcare facilities, non-profits
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles in emergency and international aidSupporting individuals and communities in social services

While both Humanitarians and Social Workers aim to improve lives, Humanitarians focus on emergency relief and international aid in crisis zones, often working abroad. Social Workers typically serve local communities, providing ongoing support in social services. Their credentials, work environments, and employer types differ, reflecting their distinct roles within the broader field of helping professions.

More about Humanitarian jobs
What job categories do people searching Humanitarian jobs in Quebec look for? The top searched job categories for Humanitarian jobs in Quebec are:
Humanitarian jobs near you
Infographic showing various Humanitarian job openings in Quebec as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, and 4% Part Time. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $57,169 per year, or $27.5 per hour.

Director, IRC Canada

Theirc

Montreal, QC

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago

Job description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

IRC is establishing a presence in Canada and aims to strengthen its global mission through expanding its engagement with Canadian partners.

Job Overview / Summary

IRC Canada is seeking an experienced humanitarian leader with an entrepreneurial mindset to drive IRC Canada's market entry and establish its presence in Canada. The Director of IRC Canada is a senior leadership role and the primary driver of IRC Canada's operational delivery, advocacy, and thought leadership agenda. Reporting to the President of IRC Canada, the Director leads day-to-day operations, external engagement, and strategy execution. The Director works closely with the Director of Donor Engagement, Senior Director of USA Philanthropy, and VP for Policy and Advocacy to advance IRC Canada's fundraising, advocacy, and communications agenda.

Major Responsibilities

Strategy and Management

  • Lead IRC Canada's day-to-day operations and overall strategy, ensuring coherence with IRC's global priorities; report on delivery against key performance indicators to the President.
  • Lead the day-to-day operations of IRC Canada, including the entity set-up and start-up workplan across legal, finance, people and culture, governance, and operations workstreams and project cycle management.
  • Oversee IRC Canada people management and office operations; support recruitment and implement performance standards in coordination with People and Culture
  • Maintain cross-functional coordination between IRC inc departments: e.g. AMU, Finance, Technical Excellence, and country and regional teams to mobilize IRC's global resources behind Canada priorities.

Public and Institutional Fundraising

  • In collaboration with IRC HQ departments, develop a cohesive IRC Canada's whole-of-Canada institutional engagement strategy including public and private donors.
  • Support development of the GAC donor engagement strategy and high-value and private fundraising strategy in coordination with IRC HQ department leads.
  • Works in close collaboration with the Senior GAC Advisor and Senior Director of USA Philanthropy to ensure coherence, inform targets, and collaborate on ongoing relationship management.
  • Supports growing the pipeline of donors for IRC Canada.

Stakeholder Engagement and External Representation

  • Serve as a credible and compelling advocate for IRC's programming to Canadian audiences, including donors, policymakers and media.
  • Leads IRC Canada's Ottawa advocacy and thought leadership, serving as the primary institutional voice with GAC and policy platforms, engaging as a technical peer on program quality, evidence, and sector reform.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with the Canadian NGO community, government counterparts, and relevant networks, including peer INGO Canada offices, Cooperation Canada, and the Humanitarian Coalition ecosystem.

Governance and Accountability

  • Support the President in ensuring IRC Canada meets its statutory, regulatory, and governance obligations, including CRA requirements.
  • Establish IRC Canada's HR systems and processes for the Canadian context, ensuring compliance with Canadian employment law in coordination with People and Culture and external counsel.
  • Ensures effective financial and operational controls and oversees IRC Canada's operational risk management.
  • Reviews financial reporting to track progress against objectives; escalates issues to the President and adapts delivery plans.
  • Support IRC Canada Board engagement.

Job Requirements

Essential Experience

  • Self starter with 15 + years leadership experience in an international NGO, humanitarian organisation, government, or equivalent institution, with direct exposure to humanitarian programming, policy, and operations.
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with a demonstrated ability to deliver in conditions of ambiguity and limited resources. Proven ability to drive operational delivery and execute complex cross-functional workplan
  • Demonstrated experience winning and stewarding large public and private grants and influencing policy change.
  • Track record of institutional engagement and business development in the Canadian donor landscape.
  • Experience in policy, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement at senior levels in the Canadian context. Able to hold peer-level conversations on programming quality, cost-effectiveness, evidence, and policy.

Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications

  • Deep substantive knowledge of humanitarian programming. Is able to engage credibly on sector reform, cost-effectiveness, localisation, evidence, and IRC's programmatic offer across health, protection, economic recovery, and related areas.
  • Strong understanding of the Canadian institutional donor landscape, including GAC's humanitarian and development bureaus, and the broader Canadian NGO ecosystem.
  • Bilingual in French and English. Working proficiency in both languages required; able to engage across government, civil society, media, and donor audiences in either language.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams in lean, entrepreneurial environments.
  • Deep, demonstrable commitment to IRC's mission and values, including diversity, equality and inclusion.

Desirable

  • Existing senior relationships across GAC, Canadian government, and the Canadian humanitarian and development ecosystem.
  • Experience working within or alongside IRC; familiarity with IRC's global structure, programs, and internal navigation is an advantage.
  • Understanding of Quebec dynamics and the francophone Canadian context.
  • Experience as a board member or in a governance role within a registered Canadian charity.

Compensation:(150,000-185,000 CAD). Ranges are based onvarious factorsincluding the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidateexperienceand skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Description du poste

L'IRC etablit une presence au Canada et cherche a renforcer sa mission globale en developpant son engagement aupres des partenaires canadiens.

Apercu du poste / Resume

IRC Canada recherche un leader humanitaire experimente, dote d'un esprit entrepreneurial, pour piloter l'entree sur le marche canadien et etablir la presence d'IRC Canada. Le/laDirecteur.riced'IRC Canada occupe un role de direction senior et est le principal moteur de la mise en uvre operationnelle, du plaidoyer et de l'agenda de leadership eclaire d'IRC Canada. Relevant du President d'IRC Canada, le/laDirecteur.ricedirige les operations quotidiennes, l'engagement externe et l'execution de la strategie. Il ou elle travaille en etroite collaboration avec le Directeur de l'engagement des donateurs, le Directeur principal de la philanthropie aux Etats-Unis et le Vice-president des politiques et du plaidoyer pour faire avancer l'agenda de collecte de fonds, de plaidoyer et de communications d'IRC Canada.

Principalesresponsabilites

Strategieet gestion

  • Diriger les operations quotidiennes et la strategie globale d'IRC Canada, en assurant la coherence avec les priorites globales de l'IRC ; rendre compte des resultats par rapport aux indicateurs cles de performance au President.

  • Superviser les operations quotidiennes d'IRC Canada, notamment la mise en place de l'entite et le plan de demarrage dans les domaines juridique, financier, ressources humaines et culture, gouvernance, et operations, ainsi que la gestion du cycle de projets.

  • Superviser la gestion des ressources humaines et les operations de bureau d'IRC Canada ; soutenir le recrutement et mettre en uvre des normes de performance en coordination avec les equipesPeople&Culture.

  • Assurer la coordination interfonctionnelle entre les departements d'IRC Inc. : ex. AMU, Finances, Excellence technique, et les equipes regionales et nationales, afin de mobiliser les ressources mondiales de l'IRC au service des priorites canadiennes.

Collecte de fonds publique et institutionnelle

  • En collaboration avec les departements du siege de l'IRC, developper une strategie coherente d'engagement institutionnel pancanadien d'IRC Canada, incluant les donateurs publics et prives.

  • Soutenir l'elaboration de la strategie d'engagement aupres des donateurs d'AMC et de la strategie de collecte de fonds aupres des donateurs de grande valeur et prives, en coordination avec les responsables des departements du siege de l'IRC.

  • Travailler en etroite collaboration avec le Conseiller principal AMC et le Directeur principal de la philanthropie aux Etats-Unis pour assurer la coherence, definir les objectifs et collaborer a la gestion continue des relations.

  • Contribuer a la croissance du pipeline de donateurs pour IRC Canada.

Engagement des parties prenantes et representation externe

  • Servir de defenseur credible et convaincant des programmes de l'IRC aupres des publics canadiens, notamment les donateurs, les decideurs politiques et les medias.

  • Piloter le plaidoyer et le leadership eclaire d'IRC Canada a Ottawa, en agissant comme voix institutionnelle principale aupres d'AMC et des plateformes politiques, et en s'engageant comme pair technique sur la qualite des programmes, les donnees probantes et la reforme du secteur.

  • Construire et entretenir des relations solides avec la communaute des ONG canadiennes, les homologues gouvernementaux et les reseaux pertinents, notamment les bureaux canadiens d'OING homologues, Cooperation Canada et l'ecosysteme de la Coalition humanitaire.

Gouvernanceetresponsabilisation

  • Soutenir le President pour s'assurer qu'IRC Canada respecte ses obligations legales, reglementaires et de gouvernance, y compris les exigences de l'ARC.

  • Mettre en place les systemes et processus RH d'IRC Canada adaptes au contexte canadien, en assurant la conformite avec le droit du travail canadien, en coordination avec les equipes People & Culture et les conseillers juridiques externes.

  • Assurer des controles financiers et operationnels efficaces et superviser la gestion des risques operationnels d'IRC Canada.

  • Examiner les rapports financiers pour suivre les progres par rapport aux objectifs ; escalader les problemes au President et adapter les plans de mise en uvre.

  • Soutenir l'engagement du Conseil d'administration d'IRC Canada.

Exigences du poste

Experienceessentielle

  • Profil autonome et proactif, avec plus de 15 ans d'experience en leadership au sein d'une ONG internationale, d'une organisation humanitaire, d'une institution gouvernementale ou equivalente, avec une exposition directe a la programmation humanitaire, aux politiques et aux operations.

  • Esprit entrepreneurial avec une capacite demontree a livrer dans des conditions d'ambiguite et de ressources limitees. Capacite averee a piloter la mise en uvre operationnelle et a executer des plans de travail complexes et transversaux.

  • Experience demontree dans l'obtention et la gestion de grandes subventions publiques et privees, ainsi que dans l'influence sur les changements de politique.

  • Antecedents d'engagement institutionnel et de developpement des affaires dans le paysage des donateurs canadiens.

  • Experience en politique, plaidoyer et engagement des parties prenantes a des niveaux superieurs dans le contexte canadien. Capacite a tenir des conversations entre pairs sur la qualite des programmes, la rentabilite, les donnees probantes et la politique.

Competences,connaissanceset qualifications

  • Connaissance approfondie de la programmation humanitaire. Capacite a s'engager de maniere credible sur la reforme du secteur, la rentabilite, la localisation, les donnees probantes et l'offre programmatique de l'IRC dans les domaines de la sante, de la protection, de la relance economique et des domaines connexes.

  • Solide comprehension du paysage des donateurs institutionnels canadiens, notamment les directions humanitaires et de developpement d'AMC, et l'ecosysteme plus large des ONG canadiennes.

  • Bilingue francais-anglais. Maitrise operationnelledesdeux langues requise; capacite a s'engager aupres des gouvernements, de la societe civile, des medias et des audiences de donateurs dans l'une ou l'autre langue.

  • Capacite demontree a constituer et diriger des equipes performantes dans des environnementslean?? et entrepreneuriaux.

  • Engagement profond et demontre envers la mission et les valeurs de l'IRC, notamment la diversite, l'equite et l'inclusion.

Atouts

  • Relations seniors existantes aupres d'AMC, du gouvernement canadien et de l'ecosysteme humanitaire et de developpement cana...

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