Director of Science and Technology

About the role

The Director of Science and Technology provides strategic leadership for ICMP's global scientific and technical capabilities required to locate, recover, document, account for, and identify missing persons. The role ensures scientific excellence underpins ICMP's mandate to secure families' rights to truth, justice and reparations.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Science and Technology Program and act as principal advisor on scientific and technical matters.
• Develop and implement ICMP's scientific strategy and lead the Standing Capacity for Crisis Response.
• Oversee forensic archaeology, anthropology, DNA laboratories, research and development, and ensure compliance with quality, ethics and international standards.
• Drive scientific innovation, adopt emerging technologies and advanced methodologies.
• Lead capacity‑building partnerships with governments, forensic institutions, academic and research organisations.
• Supervise, mentor and represent multidisciplinary scientific teams in international forums.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree in a relevant scientific or forensic field (e.g., anthropology, biology, genetics, archaeology).
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience, including senior scientific/forensic leadership.
• Extensive expertise in DNA science for human identification and broad forensic science knowledge.
• Proven experience leading scientific teams and developing methods.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English; additional languages desirable.

Required skills

• Forensic archaeology
• Forensic anthropology
• DNA testing and kinship analysis
• Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

What we offer

• Fixed‑term professional staff position at E8 grade on the ICMP salary scale.
• Generous paid leave and extensive health‑insurance benefits for the incumbent and eligible dependents.
• Expatriate allowances.