The International Rescue Committee is a global humanitarian aid, relief and development nongovernmental organization.
Position Summary
The Regional Safety and Security Advisor reduces the vulnerability of IRC staff and programs to the threats and dangers present or arising in IRC’s operating environments, serving as a technical resource to regional and country program management and staff – providing risk assessment and analysis, security awareness training, security management technical support, safety and security guidance, and timely advisory information. Directly reporting to the Regional Director, the RSSA is a key member of IRC’s ACME regional management team and of the Safety and Security function organization-wide. Key relationships include: Regional Director; Director international Safety and Security, Deputy Regional Director; Country Directors; Deputy Country Directors, Operations; RSSA in other regions;
Under the direct and broad guidance of the Regional Director and under the technical supervision of the Director International Safety and Security (DISS), the RSSA has a substantial level of autonomy in execution of responsibilities. S/he will work with country teams in all countries of the region to ensure that organizational security policies and procedures are responsive to the context, adequate to the security environment, and known to staff; and that security plans and measures are developed and maintained current and appropriate to changing security environments. The RSSA will conduct training on-site for both security management staff and other staff, and will regularly provide expert security management advice to all levels of IRC staff in the region, focusing on awareness, planning, practice, management and training in operational safety and security issues. S/he will assess IRC’s operating environments; recommend security measures, policies and procedures; support the implementation of security management plans; and provide follow-up on IRC security policies and reporting systems.
The RSSA will maintain contextual knowledge of all countries in the region, including awareness of early warning advisories affecting security situations, and will travel regularly to all countries in the region, on very short notice if necessary. Crucially, the RSSA will mentor and build IRC staff and counterpart capacities to operate more safely and more effectively and contribute actively to reducing IRC’s operational vulnerabilities while optimizing access.
Specific Responsibilities
Field Security Management Planning and Compliance:
- Ensure that each country program in the region has current, complete, accurate and adequate security management plans on file at IRC headquarters in New York, the regional office in Nairobi, and each field site of the respective country program, and that each plan is revised and updated as needed but not less than once per year.
- Country security management approaches, planning, policies and procedures are in compliance with IRC’s organizational policy, procedure and minimum operating standards.
- Provide security management documents template as required, and provide support, advice and feedback as offices develop or revise country or field office specific SMPs.
- Direct security plan and documents revisions when there is significant change in the security environment.
- Inform RD, DISS, DRD and CDs of any areas of concern, non-compliance, or potential or suspected violations.
Security Orientation & Training:
- Proactively develop security orientation packages for incoming staff and visitors, and monitor compliance with the security orientation policy.
- Support each country program team in ensuring that each new employee, visitor and country staff returning to the program – international or national – receives a safety and security orientation within 48 hours of arrival in-country. Provide a framework for field security orientations and ensure that IRC Connect security information is up-to-date and utilized.
- Through close complementary liaison with the IRC Safety and Security function, HR NY and country program operations teams, ensure that every new international employee receives an appropriate security briefing packet and, when possible, a briefing on personal security, IRC security policies and the relevant country-specific security management plan.
- Create and deliver, in collaboration with the Director International Safety and Security, a security training program that reaches a maximum number of national and international staff. Keep useful records on staff training and report at least annually on training performed at all levels.
- Participate actively in the design and delivery of worldwide safety and security trainings organized by IRC at international level.
- Assist country program offices in arranging ad hoc security training workshops appropriate to security environments.
- Assist in recruitment, selection and orientation processes for international and national security staff.
Advisory & Monitoring Services:
- Monitor all communications from country programs related to security incidents and planning, and provide timely feedback.
- Make a minimum of two visits per year to each country in the region to monitor security preparedness and security management. Provide a follow-up report with clear findings and actionable recommendations after each visit.
- Develop and maintain a database of security incidents in the region.
- Generate monthly activity reports on security, including database analyses, new threats, responses, vulnerabilities and any relevant lessons learned from security and safety incidents.
- Generate a daily report on security incidents, analysis, and possible cause and effect on IRC staff, assets and programs.
- Any other reporting requested by the DISS
- Maintain the network of IRC Security Focal Points at each country program office and conduct bi-weekly update calls with country DDOs and security focal points.
Liaison and Networking:
- Maintaining a network of IRC security focal points in the country programs as well as external professional contacts and counterparts, monitor the security environment in the region, identify new threats, assess IRC vulnerabilities and recommend possible responses.
- Provide timely feedback on questions and technical assistance requests from country programs.
- Monitor and provide support and reporting on NGO field security initiatives as required.
- Identify, create and maintain a network with NGO/UN and other security specialists suitable for the region.
- Facilitate regional NGO security coordination through networking, collaboration and coordination with humanitarian actors.
Regional Context Analysis and Early Warning:
- Provide credible information and contextual analysis of localized and regional security situations and incidents along with appropriate advice to IRC managers.
- Ensure daily provision of latest security events and analysis to the region and the Director of International safety and Security.
- As part of a regional early warning system, understand the salient issues for country programs and update the Regional Director and relevant Country Director(s) as operating contexts and security circumstances dictate.
Field Security Assessments:
- Conduct field security assessments examining security management issues related to IRC staff, assets, offices, residences, field sites, projects and partnerships, and compile reports with findings and recommendations.
Emergency Response and Crisis Management:
- As required, support and advise the senior managers (RD, DISS, …) during critical incident.
- Assist with the security component (situation analysis and background information, security assessments) of the Emergency Response Team deployments in the region.
Requirements
Education:
- University degree in a field relevant to security management in a humanitarian assistance context
Professional qualifications:
- Minimum 4-6 years of non-profit or NGO work experience in international safety and security, humanitarian assistance programs, with demonstrated capabilities in planning, organizing and executing security management operations.
- Police/military experience in peacekeeping settings will be considered an asset.
- Demonstrated understanding of humanitarian principles, codes of conduct, and NGO organizational culture.
- Demonstrated context understanding of dynamics in Afghanistan, Pakistan mandatory
- Proven analytical skills
- Thorough familiarity with principles and current approaches to permissive/acceptance models of security management.
- Skilled in influencing and obtaining cooperation of individuals not under supervisory control; able to work as member of multinational team and manage a variety of external and internal relationships to achieve results.
- Advanced knowledge of communications technology, including VHF, HF radio systems, satellite communications, cell phone mediums, etc.
- Substantial and demonstrated prior experience as a trainer, with an effective adult learner training style and the ability to develop, implement, facilitate and impart learning to a wide range of audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge through mentoring and other non-formal methods.
- Ability to quickly gain a comprehensive understanding of various local, regional, country and international factors that contribute to changes in security environments and risk levels.
- Ability to prepare and present, on short notice, clear analyses of security incidents, political events and their ramifications for IRC operations.
- Position requires flexibility and the capacity to deal with ambiguity in stressful situations.
- Self-motivated and able to work effectively without close supervision.
- Fluency in English are mandatory.
- Willingness and ability to travel approximately 40% of time.
- Prior experience in the regional context preferred.
More Information
- Job City Nairobi
