About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and committed Deputy CEO (Operations & Field Leadership) to oversee and lead our operations in Greece, with a particular focus on our community-led aid distributions, outreach, and advocacy in Chios. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong operational oversight, team-building, community and local stakeholder coordination, partnership management, and flexibility in a rapidly shifting humanitarian context.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Deputy CEO will ensure our Greece operations are effective, safe, accountable, and responsive to the needs identified on the ground. You will act as the CEO’s deputy and step in during their absence, ensuring organisational continuity and stability. This is a freelance position, where the individual is expected to deliver on outcomes agreed with the CEO for the contract period. However, we are also looking for the right someone with a flexible approach to adapt to the needs of the organisation, and who is interested in developing the role further with the CEO.

While the primary focus of this role is Greece, you will also contribute to remote support for our team inside Gaza and collaborate with teams and partners in Cairo on logistics, distributions, cross-country planning, raising awareness, and amplifying the voices and experiences of the communities we work alongside. For this reason we are seeking candidates who are able to travel internationally, although we understand not all applicants may have the possibility of travel based on personal circumstances and we will still consider such applicants and not discriminate on this basis. Travel expenses are reimbursed as much as can be facilitated, including accommodation and transportation when outside Greece for work-related purposes.

This role involves a balanced mix of strategy, coordination, logistics, field work, community-led outreach, advocacy, awareness-raising, and relationship-building, and requires a practical, grounded, and community-centred approach.

Training, mentoring, and Continuous Professional Development opportunities will be available to support growth and development, with guidance from the CEO and wider team as appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

Oversee and manage daily operational delivery in Greece, with a primary focus on community-led aid distributions on Chios, including food, hygiene items, and other essential supplies. Build, train and support a high-performing, compassionate team, with a strong focus on community volunteers and individuals from the displaced communities we work alongside.
Oversee procurement including sourcing supplies, assessing costs, maintaining transparency, and ensuring spending aligns with budgets, programme needs, and organisational values.
Lead on logistics in Greece, including van maintenance, site logistics, rental agreements, supply storage, and the management of key operational relationships (including container yards, suppliers, community actors, and local authorities).
Ensure the smooth running of the general helpline and strengthen RBB’s awareness, presence, and ability to respond across Chios and the wider Greek context.
Work with partners, supporters, and stakeholders to secure in-kind aid, practical assistance, and other forms of support aligned with identified needs.
Budget management and support to the CEO with financial oversight, including receipts, invoicing, cost tracking, and maintaining clear expenditure records.
Deliver accurate and timely regular internal reporting, providing operational updates, financial notes, field insights, and community feedback for the CEO, team members, and (where required) the Board. Support donor and partner updates to ensure accuracy and accountability.
Lead on recruiting, onboarding, training and day to day management of field staff and community volunteers, ensuring people feel supported, informed, included, and that work is delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with safeguarding practices.
Work closely with the field team to gather accurate updates, information, and community perspectives that inform reporting, communications, and operational decision-making.
Participate in regular meetings with the CEO, team members, and (when required) the Board, sharing key developments and offering strategic and operational recommendations.
Handle emergency situations on Chios as they arise, including emergencies arising from contextual changes, and emergencies related to requests for help via the helpline.
Ensure a safe working environment and uphold RBB’s policies, procedures, and safeguarding guidelines and reporting practices. Model and promote a supportive team culture, encouraging healthy boundaries, and helping maintain the emotional and physical safety of staff, volunteers, and community members, including mediation and conflict resolution where needed.
Strategic and Organisational Support

Be ready to step into leadership responsibilities when the CEO is unavailable, in a deputy CEO capacity, ensuring continuity of decisions, safeguarding, and day-to-day operations.
Support organisational development, planning, and strengthening organizational processes, including related to safeguarding, accountability, and community involvement to ensure meaningful community engagement and that people with lived experiences remain central to decision-making.
Support the CEO with strategic priorities, including cross-country coordination, long-term planning, and alignment across Greece, Cairo, and Gaza.
Support the CEO and fundraising team (if available) by providing field updates, identifying emerging needs, contributing to proposals, supporting events and crowdfunding campaigns, and ensuring supporters receive accurate information on priorities and gaps. Identify opportunities to expand, adapt, or re-establish services in Greece based on emerging priorities, gaps in support, and feedback from displaced communities.
Collaborate with colleagues, partners and teams in Cairo and provide remote operational support to our team inside Gaza, supporting with distributions, logistics coordination, planning, raising awareness, while upholding RBB’s community-led values and ways of working across all locations and amplifying community voices across contexts.
Representation and Communications

Represent Refugee Biriyani & Bananas in meetings with funders, partners, community groups, local authorities, and other stakeholders in Greece, ensuring RBB’s values, community-led approach, and dignity-focused practices are upheld.
Support the CEO and, where relevant, other members of the RBB team in external representation, including public engagements and representation connected to programmes outside Greece if needed.
Maintain clear, respectful, and responsive communication with displaced community members who contact RBB for information, support, or referrals, ensuring they receive timely and dignified responses.
Collaborate with the communications team (if available) to provide accurate, timely field updates, content, and information from Greece to support social media, campaigns, fundraising, and awareness-raising. Where no communications support is available, create responsible, ethical content independently, ensuring dignity, context, and the centring of community voices. Gather information, stories, and field insights to support awareness-raising, ethical storytelling, and content creation, ensuring dignity, accuracy, and that community voices remain central.
Contribute to community-led advocacy and awareness work by highlighting emerging needs, sharing insights from the ground, and responsibly supporting the amplification of voices and lived experiences from Greece, Cairo, and Gaza in a way that strengthens alignment of campaigns and informs proposals, supporter updates, and public communications.
Provide support for meetings, events, or organisational activities in the UK or other locations, when required, in coordination with the CEO and wider RBB team.
Essential Requirements

Core Experience
3–5 years in field-based humanitarian work, grassroots aid delivery, or similar frontline roles. Direct experience working in Greece, or displacement contexts is preferred.
Relevant educational/professional background (social sciences, migration studies, social work, public health, medical, community work, logistics, safeguarding).
Experience with case work, accompaniment, or person-centred support.
Knowledge of safeguarding frameworks and experience maintaining a safe working environment and upholding NGO policies, procedures, and safeguarding guidelines and reporting practices.
Experience working with grassroots networks or community organisers, including delivering training, onboarding, or volunteer development.
Operational Experience
Hands-on experience with aid distributions, including logistics coordination, procurement and supplier engagement.
Experience negotiating site access and liaising with authorities, landlords, suppliers.
Experience working alongside displaced communities with sensitivity and respect.
Experience with community engagement, outreach, advocacy.
Experience supporting basic financial processes, such as cost tracking, maintaining receipts, managing small budgets, and preparing clear expenditure notes for reporting.
Experience across multiple project sites or multi-location programmes.
Digital, Communications & Fundraising

Strong digital and computing skills (email, spreadsheets, cloud systems).
Experience using Canva, CapCut, and mobile content tools.
Competence with Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Mailchimp.
Experience supporting fundraising (proposals, appeals, crowdfunding, updates).
Strong fluency in English (spoken and written), with clear, accurate, sensitive communication.
Other Essentials
Willingness to be based in Chios or Athens, with travel across Greece.
Valid driving licence (manual vehicles and vans).
Must ensure own legal right to live and work in Greece, including visas, permits, tax obligations, and insurance for freelance work. This is a freelance/contractor role, and the contractor is responsible for their own tax declarations and social insurance contributions in the country where they are resident.
Strong leadership and team-building skills.
Excellent organisational and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to stay calm under pressure and make grounded decisions.
Integrity, accountability, and commitment to ethical storytelling.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Awareness of personal and team wellbeing, with the ability to identify early signs of stress or burnout, promote healthy boundaries and supportive working practices, and make appropriate referrals or signpost team members to wellbeing resources, training, or support systems when needed.

Desirable Requirements

Experience in border, conflict, or displacement contexts globally.
Experience working in Egypt, Gaza, or similar contexts.
Experience using encrypted communication tools (Signal, ProtonMail).
Familiarity with coordination platforms (Slack, Asana).
Additional languages: Arabic, Greek, Farsi, Dari, Bangla, French, Somali, Kurdish, Urdu, Pashto.
Existing networks within solidarity groups, community organisers, or grassroots networks.
Knowledge of UK charity structures and governance, or a willingness to learn.
First aid and basic life support training, or willingness to obtain it.
Training or experience in conflict resolution and mediation.
Familiarity with simple accounting or bookkeeping tools, such as Xero, QuickBooks, or similar.
Experience in advocacy, community listening, awareness-raising, or media engagement.

You can apply for this role by sending your CV and cover letter outlining your suitability and motivation to. When writing your cover letter please answer the following guiding questions:

How do you describe “community-led action” in your own words? (Provide examples of community-led action that you have been part of if possible.)
Please tell us about a time when you had to show leadership in a group and what challenges did you face?
What is your main motivation for applying for this role and what challenges do you expect to face?
Please send your CV and cover letter by email with the subject line:
RBB Deputy CEO (Operations & Field Leadership Application)