HSOT Director (Team Leader) (Maternity Cover)

About Palladium:

Operating in over 50 countries, Palladium is a global consulting and implementation company working in partnership with governments, businesses, investors, and communities to design and deliver solutions that create lasting positive impact. We address some of the world’s most complex challenges across infrastructure, economic growth and natural capital, health, energy, climate and environment, and digital transformation—strengthening systems, institutions, and markets to support inclusive and sustainable development. Our more than 2,200 staff worldwide work as trusted advisors across diverse contexts, combining deep technical expertise, implementation techniques, and innovative technology to deliver locally informed, client-focused solutions that help organisations achieve measurable, sustainable impact.

Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.

This Opportunity:

The Humanitarian and Stabilisation Operations Team (HSOT) delivers the Humanitarian Emergency Response Operations and Stabilisation (HEROS) programme on behalf of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). HSOT provides the operational expertise, technical advice and deployable expertise needed to support the UK's response to humanitarian crises, conflict and instability.

Palladium is seeking a HSOT Director (Team Leader) to provide overall leadership of HSOT, ensuring the delivery of high-quality and responsive humanitarian and stabilisation services that meet client needs and contractual commitments. The Director serves as the senior representative to FCDO and is accountable for programme performance, strategic direction, emergency response leadership, people leadership, governance and continuous improvement. The role ensures HSOT remains a trusted, effective and innovative partner to FCDO, delivering value for money and high-quality humanitarian outcomes.

Please note this role is a full-time 12-month maternity cover and is expected to commence in February 2027. Appointment to this role will also require client approval.

Location:

The position will be based in Palladium’s London office with regular engagement at client offices. Please note that applicants must have the right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Palladium follows a hybrid working model, with three days in the office and two days remote.

Reporting and Supervision:

The HSOT Director (Team Leader) will report to the HSOT Programme Director
This role will directly supervise 5 direct reports, plus indirect oversight over all programme staff

Primary Responsibilities:

Client & Stakeholder Management

Serve as the senior FCDO relationship lead, building trusted partnerships, anticipating priorities, and providing strategic advice on humanitarian and stabilisation issues
Maintain client confidence, manage sensitive issues, and represent HSOT with senior government, multilateral, and humanitarian stakeholders

Strategic Leadership

Provide overall leadership and direction for HSOT, ensuring alignment with client priorities and humanitarian needs
Drive programme evolution, innovation, impact, and value for money

Service Delivery & Performance

Lead delivery of high-quality, integrated services across HSOT
Strengthen performance, collaboration, and service quality through continuous improvement, learning, and innovation

Emergency Leadership & Response

Provide senior oversight of humanitarian responses, ensuring rapid, effective, and scalable delivery
Support decision-making, maintain response readiness, and strengthen capability through lessons learned

People Leadership

Lead and develop a high-performing leadership team and programme culture
Set clear expectations, ensure accountability, address performance issues, and support staff wellbeing

Governance, Risk & Contract Management

Hold accountability for contract performance, KPIs, governance, compliance, and risk management
Oversee financial performance, resource utilisation, operational controls, and service continuity

Essential Criteria:

Significant experience leading large, complex humanitarian, stabilisation or international development programmes
Extensive humanitarian experience, including leadership roles in crisis-affected and complex operating environments, with substantial experience in the field
Extensive experience leading humanitarian response operations and crisis-management activities
Significant experience working with, or on behalf of, major institutional donors, particularly FCDO and/or the wider UK Government system, including the management of senior client relationships
Demonstrated experience leading large and complex teams, including Senior Leadership Teams, through periods of operational pressure, uncertainty and change
Strong track record of performance management, organisational leadership and fostering high-performing teams
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams and deliver integrated services across multiple functions and capabilities
Strong experience managing programme performance, governance, risk and financial accountability
Excellent strategic leadership, judgement and decision-making skills
Experience operating effectively in complex, rapidly changing and high-pressure environments
Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills
Eligibility to obtain and maintain the security clearance required for the role. As a minimum, candidates must be eligible for Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance; eligibility for Security Check (SC) clearance is desirable

Desirable Criteria:

Experience overseeing large-scale deployment, surge or technical assistance mechanisms
Experience working in multilateral organisations, including UN agencies and international humanitarian partners
Experience driving innovation and the practical application of technology, data or digital tools within humanitarian, stabilisation or emergency response programmes
Formal programme, portfolio or project management qualifications

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made during the recruitment process (due to disability, neurodiversity, or for any other circumstance), please email our team atand we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.