Senior Lead, Emergency Response

Position description

The Community You Will Join:

At Airbnb.org, we are on a mission to create the future of emergency housing in times of crisis. We partner with nonprofits and government agencies to provide housing in times of crisis.

Our partners are essential to our success: they identify and vet beneficiaries, provide case management, conduct public outreach, surface powerful impact stories, and often serve as liaisons to government entities. They also collaborate with us on communications, PR, and policy efforts—all while operating under the intense pressure and urgency of emergency response.

Within 24 hours of every emergency response activation, our objectives are to begin providing housing, ensure the public knows how to access support, engage the media with clear messaging, and equip partners with the tools and knowledge they need to carry out beneficiary vetting, intake and case management.

The Difference You Will Make:

The Emergency Response Lead will oversee Airbnb.org’s global Emergency Response program, driving the strategy, execution, and impact of our disaster response work. This senior role is responsible for leading the team that mobilizes to provide housing for people affected by disasters, working with our nonprofit partners and government agencies so that we can activate effectively, and scaling our ability to respond effectively across geographies. These activities need to dovetail seamlessly with other cross-functional workstreams during a response, such as communications, fundraising, community engagement and government relations.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in disaster response and humanitarian operations, combined with strong leadership skills and the ability to scale complex programs. This role is highly cross-functional, requiring close collaboration with operations, product, partnerships, communications, and crisis management teams. Global experience and languages will be highly valuable.

A Typical Day:

• Program Leadership:Own the global vision, strategy, and execution of Airbnb.org’s Emergency Response program.
• Response Management:Lead Airbnb.org’s response to disasters, ensuring rapid mobilization, effective coordination, and measurable impact.
• Team Leadership:Manage, coach, and grow a high-performing Emergency Response team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
• Scaling & Systems:Work with Operations team to design and implement scalable processes, tools, and frameworks to expand Airbnb.org’s ability to respond across multiple regions and types of disasters.
• Partnerships:Work with Partnerships team to cultivate and manage relationships with NGOs, governments, and humanitarian organizations to strengthen collaboration and maximize impact.
• Cross-functional Collaboration:Work closely with Airbnb.org’s operations, customer support, tech/product, and marketing and communications teams, as well as with Airbnb Inc’s crisis management teams, to ensure seamless integration of response efforts.
• Monitoring & Evaluation:Establish and track KPIs, ensuring accountability, learning, and continuous improvement in response efforts.
• Representation:Act as a spokesperson and relationship-builder for Airbnb.org in external forums with partners, government agencies, and industry organizations.

Your Expertise:

• 12+ years of professional experience, including at least 5 years in disaster response, humanitarian aid, or emergency management, in the US and in other regions.
• 6+ years of experience leading a team and managing complex, cross-functional programs.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian systems, disaster response protocols, and partnerships with NGOs, governments, and international organizations.
• Experience designing and scaling programs or systems across multiple geographies.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility with diverse partners.
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to operate effectively under pressure.
  • Preferred unique skill-sets
    • Experience working in both nonprofit and cross-sector environments.
    • Familiarity with housing, displacement, or shelter programs.
    • Multilingual capabilities

Your Location:

This position is US – Remote Eligible. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites, as agreed to with your manager. While the position is Remote Eligible, you must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity.Click here for the up-to-date list of excluded states. This list is continuously evolving, so please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list If your position is employed by another Airbnb entity, your recruiter will inform you what states you are eligible to work from.

Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:

Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

We strive to also provide a disability inclusive Application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at:[email protected]. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process.

We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application.