Risk, Disaster and Humanitarian Careers Discovery Evening 2025

About the event

The UCL Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction's annual career discovery event is your chance to explore career paths in risk, disaster, business continuity, and humanitarian sectors. Undergraduate and postgraduate students, alumni and professionals across all levels will connect directly with organisations offering roles in these fields. Employers will showcase opportunities in their organisations and engage with students in a relaxed, one-on-one setting.

• Who can attend: Open to UCL and external undergraduate and postgraduate students; alumni and professionals seeking new opportunities.
• Cost: Attendance is free, but registration is required.
• Time: The event runs from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Drop in at any time to visit exhibitor stalls and speak with representatives.
• Tickets: If you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket to reduce waste.

What to expect

Explore career opportunities and pathways by visiting stands from commercial organisations, international NGOs, public sector agencies, and academic institutions. Learn about job vacancies, volunteering roles, and internship programmes—many with global reach.

This year, we’ll also feature dedicated stalls from UCL RDR’s Master’s programmes and UCL Careers, offering expert guidance on further study and career development. Meet RDR alumni and current PhD students, who will share insights into their career journeys and answer your questions.

Exhibitors' stalls

British Red Cross

The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. It is part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters, and individual emergencies. It helps vulnerable people in the UK and abroad prepare for, withstand, and recover from emergencies in their own communities.

• Website: www.redcross.org.uk
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/british-red-cross/

Cabinet Office/COBR

COBR or COBRA is shorthand for the Civil Contingencies Committee that is convened to handle matters of national emergency or major disruption. Its purpose is to coordinate different departments and agencies in response to such emergencies. COBR is the acronym for Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms, a series of rooms located in the Cabinet Office in 70 Whitehall.

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/cabinet-office

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL)

CNWL is an NHS provider of mental health, sexual health, physical health, addictions, eating disorder, and learning disability services. It primarily offers care in the community but also provides hospital-based and residential services, as well as healthcare in prisons in London and surrounding areas.

Horizonscan

Horizonscan is a team of business continuity, resilience, and crisis management experts. They build long-term partnerships with businesses to increase their ability to handle disruptive events. Their consultants bring real-world experience from careers in emergency services to corporate security management.

Howden

Howden is the 5th largest employee-owned business in the UK and one of the largest insurance groups in the world. They manage premiums on behalf of millions of clients spanning 100 countries.

Lockton

Lockton is the world’s largest independent insurance broker, focusing on exceptional client service and expertise across insurance, employee benefits consulting, and risk management. It operates in over 140 locations globally and employs more than 12,500 colleagues.

Marico Marine

Marico Marine is an independent marine consultancy providing solutions for ports, harbours, shipping, and energy sectors worldwide. It specialises in risk assessments for marine and maritime safety, protecting life, the environment, property, and business continuity.

Met Office

The Met Office combines weather and climate science with expert insights to help people make decisions based on the weather and changing climate. It collects and analyses massive amounts of data daily, using cutting-edge technology to provide actionable insights.

Moody’s Insurance Solutions

For over 30 years, Moody’s RMS has led the transformation of the catastrophe risk industry, helping organisations make better decisions to improve human and environmental outcomes. Their risk management solutions include advanced modelling, analytics, and insights to build resilience against extreme weather and climate change.

• Website: www.rms.com/careers/graduates
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/rms/

Needhams 1834

Needhams 1834 is a risk and resilience consultancy that has been working internationally since 1996. It is a small, bespoke consultancy catering to high-end, high-risk clients.

NHS England – London

NHS England – London provides oversight and leadership for NHS services in the region, serving a population of approximately 8.17 million. It works with Integrated Care Boards, GP Practices, acute trusts, and other stakeholders. It is a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

NHS South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB)

SEL ICB is an NHS statutory organisation working with NHS bodies and local authorities in its area to improve outcomes, tackle inequalities, and enhance productivity. It is also a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

Oxfam

Oxfam is a global movement dedicated to ending poverty. Its Volunteer Resourcing and Experience Coordinator will be presenting volunteer roles and pathways into working with Oxfam.

Start Network

Start Network consists of over 90 non-governmental organisations across five continents. They focus on tackling systemic issues in the humanitarian sector, promoting locally led action, innovation, and early and rapid financing to enable effective responses to crises.

Verisk

Verisk provides analytic insights that transform industries, focusing on risk assessment and resilience. It employs advanced technologies to offer precision, speed, and scale in risk management solutions. In 2023, Verisk received Great Place to Work® certification for its outstanding workplace culture.

AXA

AXA EssentiALL provides inclusive insurance for low- and middle-income households globally, serving 14m+ policyholders with tailored solutions in health, life, property, and speciality insurance.

Find out more: https://www.axa.com/en/commitments/axa-essentiall-inclusive-insurance

JBA Risk Management

JBA Risk Management maps and models hydrometeorological hazards for insurers, NGOs, and more. Employee-owned, they aim for Net Zero.

Find out more: https://www.jbarisk.com/

Linklaters (Business Continuity Section)

Linklaters' global Risk and Resilience team supports clients in managing complex, interconnected risks. They specialise in enterprise risk, focusing on governance, transparency, and accountability across businesses.

Find out more: https://www.linklaters.com/en/client-services/risk-and-resilience

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme develops future leaders in local councils. Graduates gain hands-on experience, a competitive salary, and a Level 7 leadership qualification.

Find out more: https://www.local.gov.uk/impact-local-government-graduate-programme-cand...

Ealing Council

Ealing Council serves west London's fourth-largest borough, delivering services like housing, social care, emergency management, and climate adaptation. A great place to start a career in impactful local work.

Risk and Disaster Reduction Master's stand

Our taught and research master's programmes provide students with the opportunity to explore the characterisation, quantification, management and reduction of risk and disasters, along with their associated impacts, from a diverse range of scientific, technical, socio-economic, political, environmental, ethical and cultural perspectives.

Risk and Disaster Reduction MRes

This research-intensive programme addresses the global need for experts trained to analyse and solve complex issues relating to risk and disaster resilience.

• Find out more

Risk and Disaster Science MSc

This programme aims to meet the growing need for experts trained in disaster science in sectors ranging from finance and insurance to humanitarian response.

• Find out more

Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc

Students in this programme are equipped with evidence and tools to navigate uncertainty and enhance resilience, combining critical thinking, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and technical skills.

• Find out more

Alumni

Candice O’Real

Graduating from the Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc in 2023, Candice works as an Emergency Management Officer for Ealing Council.

Libby Kay

Libby graduated from the Global Humanitarian Studies BSc in 2024. She is a National Management Trainee in the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP). The NGDP is the only graduate scheme for local government and has a high record of success with many graduates moving into management positions in councils after they complete the scheme.

Sophia Barry

Working at Action for Stammering Children, Sophia graduated from the Global Humanitarian Studies BSc in 2024. She can share her insights into routes in the charity sector, early careers, and the fundraising sector.

Tabea Zimmerman

Tabea Zimmerman is a Graduate Trainee Emergency Planning and Resilience Consultant at Essex County Council, having graduated from the Risk, Disaster and Resilience MSc programme in 2022.

Other stands

UCL Careers

UCL Careers will be on hand to answer all your career queries, big or small.

Humanitarian Policy and Practise MSc

Are you interested in understanding the complexity of humanitarian crises, and learning how to shape more ethically and politically sensitive responses in humanitarian contexts? Working alongside interdisciplinary experts at UCL, you’ll reflect on current policies, practices and political dynamics, and explore how to identify and shape forms of humanitarian responses suited to contemporary and future challenges.

• Humanitarian Policy and Practice MSc