Senior Humanitarian Access Safety and Security Manager

The Senior Humanitarian Access, Safety & Security Manager supports safe, effective and efficient access to and by people in need of humanitarian assistance. The role ensures access and security risks are identified and mitigated, provides capacity building to teams, and deputizes for the Senior HASS Coordinator when requested.

Responsibilities

• Identify barriers to access and support the HASS and program teams in developing mitigation strategies.
• Provide technical support to program teams in assessing the suitability of establishing operations in new locations.
• Develop relationships with local authorities as needed and other power brokers within IRC’s implementation areas.
• Promote and support the integration of humanitarian access approaches into program design and implementation.
• Constantly monitor available sources to collect, compile and report information to the Senior HASS Coordinator including incidents and trends pertinent to humanitarian access in areas of operations.
• Support key field management teams to develop and implement community engagement strategies that promote acceptance and access.
• Support the Senior HASS Coordinator to ensure that IRC’s visibility strategy and profile support principled humanitarian access.
• Provide technical support to the field offices and program teams on all policies, procedures, guidelines and planning for staff safety, and program continuity in Ukraine.
• Contribute to the development of and updating of Security Risk Assessments (SRA) for field sites.
• Contribute to the development and updating of Field Security Management Plans (SMP), including all associated contingency plans and SOPs.
• Monitor the rollout and implementation of SOPs and contingency plans at a field level ensuring compliance.
• Ensure effective security risk management plans for cross-border access to field sites, principally through border crossings to/from Moldova.
• Ensure contingency plans for hibernation, relocation, and evacuation are known to field staff and exercise regularly.
• Ensure that all program locations and routes are routinely assessed by the HASS team to identify access and security risks in a timely manner.
• Ensure all field locations meet requirements for safety and security supplies and equipment including hibernation kits, first aid kits and emergency communications.
• Ensure the emergency warden systems in field locations are fit-for-purpose and tested regularly.
• As requested by field teams, conduct risk assessments in new geographic locations identified for program implementation.
• Deploy alongside program teams to high-risk areas and establish deployment protocols commensurate to the risk assessed.
• Conduct field visits to all IRC field offices and cover HASS teams gaps when requested.
• Deputize the Senior Humanitarian Access, Safety & Security Coordinator as requested.
• Liaise with the HASSM to jointly draft the annual capacity building plan based on the key risks faced by frontline staff.
• Support the delivery of training to field staff; deliver trainings as needed and relevant.
• Support the Senior HASS Coordinator to identify the capacity-building needs of the HASS team based on the needed capacities and skills to ensure safe, secure and principled humanitarian access.
• Provide on-the-job capacity building for the HASS team through mentoring, coaching, and guidance.
• Support the HASS team to strengthen and expand the capacity of field teams to prepare and respond in a timely manner to emerging emergencies.
• Support the HASS team to deliver staff awareness and training sessions.
• Support the Senior HASS Coordinator to develop and deliver training on Critical Incident Management.
• In coordination with the Senior HASS Coordinator, develop a plan to promote national talent within the team to assume more responsibility.
• Monitor open sources and available information to identify changes in the context of heightened tensions.
• Support the Senior HASS Coordinator in ensuring field teams are appropriately advised of the risk environment, and preparedness actions are implemented.
• Support the HASS team to compile regular context updates to monitor issues that could impact program delivery.
• Work closely with the HASS team to ensure all incidents and accidents are reported on IRC’s online system within 48 hours of the incident occurring.
• Support the Senior HASS Coordinator in scenario planning exercises.

Requirements

• A University degree in a subject relevant to humanitarian action or security such as International Relations or Political Science.
• Minimum of 5 years humanitarian safety, security and access management experience with an INGO, including demonstrated capability in planning, organizing and executing security operations in the field.
• Demonstrated security leadership skills including operating independently with limited oversight.
• Demonstrated experience managing safety, security and humanitarian access across multiple high-risk or conflict-affected country contexts is required.
• Strong understanding of the humanitarian principles required.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating and expanding humanitarian access in active conflict / frontline environments.
• Knowledge of communications technology including satellite communications.
• Strong experience as a trainer.
• Ability to provide dynamic verbal and written briefings on short notice.
• Able to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively to internal and external stakeholders.
• Exceptional organizational and coordination skills.
• Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively represent IRC at forums and with external stakeholders.
• Experience working successfully with local stakeholders such as local and international NGOs and government with sensitivity and diplomacy.
• Knowledge of GIS and Google Earth is desirable.
• Fluency in English required.
• This role requires at least 40% travel within Ukraine and therefore will not be suitable for applicants that are not willing or able to deploy to field locations regularly.

Skills

• Humanitarian Safety Management
• Security operations planning
• Security Leadership
• Humanitarian Access
• Conflict Zone Security
• Humanitarian Principles
• Negotiation in Conflict Zones
• Satellite Communication
• Training Delivery
• Verbal Briefing
• Written Briefing
• Organizational Coordination
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Relationship Building
• Local Stakeholder Collaboration
• GIS
• Google Earth Engine

Languages

English