He founded the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and, as a leading member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), represented the organisation when it received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.
[2] In 1992, MAG established its headquarters in Cockermouth, Cumbria; McGrath's former wife Debbie and brother Lou joined the management team.
He was Senior Programme Manager for emergency response with Save the Children UK from 2007 until 2012 and then joined the International NGO Mercy Corps in February 2013 as Country Director North Syria & Turkey and in 2016 the Senior Director Migration Response Mercy Corps based in Turkey, Greece and the Balkans.
[citation needed] directing high volume cross-border food aid to besieged and displaced civilians throughout North Syria but primarily in Aleppo province.
[9] His lectures and writing on humanitarian response to asymmetric warfare, based on his experiences in Syria, have challenged many established approaches in the sector.