Response Technology Operations Director

Position Summary Description

World Central Kitchen uses the power of food to nourish communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK has served more than 400 million meals around the world, pioneering a model that is fast, locally driven, and dignified.

WCK operates with an “embrace chaos mindset”, we show up when others can’t or won’t, and we adapt in real-time to meet the needs of the communities we serve. We’re looking for leaders who thrive in this environment: resourceful, resilient, and driven by the fierce urgency of the mission.

The Director, Response Technology Operations leads WCK’s Response Technology and Data teams, ensuring frontline responders have access to the technology tools, data, and infrastructure they need to conduct safe, efficient, and informed relief operations. This role balances reactive support during activations with proactive development of systems and processes that improve how WCK responds to crises.

Reporting to the VP, Response Technology, the Director serves as the operational leader for the function — managing day-to-day team operations, triaging and prioritizing work, and ensuring the team delivers reliable, responsive support to field teams around the world. This is a hands‑on leadership role that requires both strategic thinking and willingness to roll up sleeves during high‑intensity response periods.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Lead and develop a team of managers and engineers across Response Technology and Response Data functions
• Manage day‑to‑day operations, ensuring the team is responsive to field needs and aligned on priorities
• Work with the VP to triage incoming requests, balance competing priorities, and allocate team capacity
• Build a cohesive team culture that embodies WCK’s values — adaptability, collaboration, and urgency
• Own hiring, performance management, and professional development for direct reports

Frontline Support & Activation Readiness

• Ensure field teams have reliable access to technology tools, data systems, infrastructure and training during responses
• Serve as the escalation point for technology issues during active responses, coordinating rapid resolution
• Maintain operational readiness — on‑call coverage, activation protocols, and surge capacity planning
• Travel to activations as needed to provide direct support and gather firsthand feedback on field needs
• Coordinate with Response Operations, Response Security, and Community Response during activations

Response Support Platform

• Support the PM, Response Support Platform in operationalizing implementation across Response Technology Operations
• Partner with the Director of Knowledge Management to ensure RT processes and workflows are documented in the KMS
• Establish feedback loops to capture lessons learned from activations and integrate them into platform improvements
• Model, draft, and propose playbooks, policies, and SOPs that will be embedded in the Response Support Platform
• Ensure the team is prepared to adopt and leverage new platform capabilities as they come online

Project Management & Delivery

• Oversee scoping of technology and data needs within Response Operations, translating operational requirements into actionable projects
• Manage delivery of technology initiatives — whether working with internal teams, external vendors, or Enterprise Technology
• Track project timelines, dependencies, and risks; elevate blockers and ensure commitments are met
• Continuously identify opportunities to leverage technology for efficiency gains — both for frontline teams and for the RT support model

Technology Assets & Infrastructure

• Oversee deployable technology asset inventory, ensuring accurate records are maintained
• Ensure equipment is properly maintained, tested, and kept deployment‑ready
• Oversee procurement of technology assets as necessary, coordinating with relevant stakeholders
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve response technology tools, systems, and infrastructure

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Enterprise Technology on engineering governance, architecture decisions, and technical standards
• Collaborate with Response Operations leadership to understand…