Physiotherapists
Open for applications on 15 January 2026The German Red Cross (GRC) provides essential humanitarian support worldwide for people affected by crisis situations. Should the need for urgent deployment of delegates arise due to disasters or crises, German Red Cross utilises its humanitarian personnel pool (GRCReady) to alert and deploy qualified experts within 72 hours.
Physiotherapists’ role
The German Red Cross is expanding the surge capacity of its Physiotherapists Pool and welcomes applications from qualified, licensed physiotherapists who have the skills and expertise to be deployed as delegates in an emergency response anywhere in the world for a minimum of six weeks and up to three months.
As a physiotherapist deployed internationally, you will provide essential rehabilitation services to patients with trauma, fractures, burns, and other injuries in a Red Cross Red Crescent Emergency Field Hospital (RCEH), which is equivalent to a WHO EMT Type 2 facility. The RCEH has the capacity to manage up to 7 major or 15 minor operations per day. The German Red Cross is one of six Red Cross Societies that maintain an emergency field hospital on standby for disaster response. You can find a 360-degree view of an emergency field hospital here. Our German-language page provides additional information about the facility.
When deployed with the German Red Cross, you will work as part of an international team under the leadership of a Head Nurse or Team Leader. You will carry out medical duties according to professional standards to ensure safe, high-quality care. Close collaboration with both international and local healthcare personnel is essential, and your role will likely include supervising, mentoring, and training national physiotherapists and other health professionals. While some tasks may resemble those in your regular hospital work environment, others will differ depending on the specific deployment context.
Your field of activity will include establishing and managing early rehabilitation services. Commonly required skills include assessment of injuries, deliver functional rehabilitation, manage pain, support mobility with assistive devices, and work to prevent long-term disability. You will furthermore coordinate referrals from the rehabilitation service to other services.
Please note that the technical equipment available to you, as well as the setup of medical facilities, may differ significantly from what you are accustomed to in your home country, although they do meet international WHO standards.
Your profile
Does the following profile sound like you? If yes, we encourage you to apply and look forward to guiding you through the admission process.
- You are available for deployment for a minimum duration of six weeks within the coming two years.
- You have completed your professional qualification as a physiotherapist.
- You hold a valid licence and have practised as a physiotherapist within the last two years.
- You have at least three years of post-qualification clinical working experience in physiotherapy including the treatment of fractures, spinal cord injuries, amputations, brain injuries, burns, soft tissue injury and nerve injuries.
- You have experience in the training and/or mentoring of health personnel.
- You can work autonomously but collaborate well within a multidisciplinary team.
- You enjoy working with people from diverse cultures and can communicate with them in an effective, respectful, and courteous manner.
- You are keen to optimise clinical processes and are open to improvising when necessary.
- Your English level is C1 or higher. Further languages are an asset.
- You preferably have previous international work experience in a low-resource setting e.g. assignments, internships, and volunteer work.
- Previous voluntary or work experience within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is an asset.
Application process
Pool opens: 15 January 2026
Pool closes: Open until filled (not closing before 11 PM Geneva time on 15 February 2026)
Applications from German Red Cross volunteers and staff members who meet the criteria are particularly welcome. All applicants will be notified whether they have been short-listed.
To apply, please complete the following steps:
Step 1: Register here
Step 2: Enter the join code “PHY_2026” and follow the instructions you receive by email
If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact surge(at)drk(dot)de
The German Red Cross offers a one-week introductory training for new pool members. For certain countries of assignment, additional security training is provided.
Please note that this is an application process to join our humanitarian personnel pool, not for a specific physiotherapist position at German Red Cross. Please also note that we cannot guarantee a deployment. The deployment of physiotherapists is not particularly common. However, on occasion, this does happen following natural disasters and crises. Since we cannot foresee when a deployment from the German Red Cross Emergency Field Hospital will be required, the members of the humanitarian personnel pool have regular employment relationships in hospitals or other medical facilities and are released by their employers for an assignment with the German Red Cross when needed. International assignments are paid by the German Red Cross and are not voluntary positions.
Surge deployments usually do not last longer than three months. If you are looking for longer-term employment opportunities with German Red Cross, please check our careers page.
For more information on our humanitarian personnel pool, GRCReady, please click here.
