Regional Safety and Security Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 26 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Background

Working as a member of the regional team and under the direct supervision of the Regional Safety & Security Director (RSSD), the Regional Humanitarian Access & Security Coordinator (RHASC) will support the delivery of consistent and high-quality access and security management across West Africa region. They will support the RSSD in providing technical support to meet the needs of country programs in the region and ensuring compliance with IRC’s internal standards and policies. The RHASC will lead regional capacity strengthening, learning and development initiatives for safety, security and access management for IRC staff and partner organizations. The candidate will be required to travel extensively and frequently throughout the West Africa region

Major Responsibilities

• Ensure consistency in the approach to safety, security and humanitarian access management across the region while ensuring flexibility for contextualization. This may include suggesting improvements to key processes, guidelines, and tools.
• Provide technical advice and direct support to Country Programs on safety & security risk management, trends, processes, and best practices.
• Assist field leaders in implementing security risk management plans including identifying, mitigating and managing risks.
• Support Country Programs to maintain a high level of operational and programmatic preparedness in anticipation of contextual changes, including the development of contingency plans.
• As required, support Country Programs in critical incident management.
• Support initiatives across the region to integrate Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) in safety, security and humanitarian access management. Ensure safety and security risk management efforts at the field level are inclusive of staff with diverse social identities and backgrounds.
• Ensure that IRC partners receive support in security risk management including leveraging IRC’s systems, tools and best practices as relevant.
• In cooperation with Access team support the development of humanitarian access strategies in field locations ensuring alignment with global guidance and standards.
• Advise on and support efforts at the field-level to enhance the IRC’s reputation, image and acceptance within the community and amongst relevant stakeholders.
• In coordination with the RSSD, monitor and support adherence to the IRC’s humanitarian access and security policy, principles, standards, and requirements.
• Ensure safety and security risk management processes and best practices are inclusive of gender and LGBTQ+ specific risks and gender equality and diversity is embedded into such processes
• Ensure that IRC partners receive security management support benefiting from internal systems and best practices relevant to their operations and operating contexts;
• Recommend measures for field sites to improve compliance with the IRC’s humanitarian access and security, policy, principles, standards and requirements. Monitor progress and make recommendations to the RSSD on additional support that may be required.
• Travel to country programs to provide gap coverage, support the Humanitarian Access and Security team with key projects or during the onset of an emergency and/or in support of entry to additional countries in WA
• Deputize for RSSD when needed.

Training, Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Identify regional learning and development needs, informed by the country programs in order to continue delivering high-quality, durable and contextually relevant programming
• Design and facilitate the delivery of learning programs to support staff in country programs to gain the knowledge and skills they require to achieve programmatic and organizational objectives and improve the capacity of IRC staff in safety & security risk management and humanitarian access.
• Tailor training and capacity building materials for remote management use and/or delivery.
• Assess and monitor the impact of capacity-building initiatives.
• Contribute to the recruitment of Humanitarian Access and Safety & Security staff across country programs. This may include designing technical tests and participating in recruitment interviews.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Regional Safety & Security Director

Position directly supervises: None

Indirect Reporting: None

Key Internal Relationships: Country Access & Security Leads, Deputy Directors for Operations, Country HR Directors, Regional HR Director, Regional Context Analyst, Regional GEDI Director, Chief Safety and Security Officer, Director of Safety and Security Development

External: Partner organizations, peer humanitarian agencies, training providers, specialized networks and forums.

Job Requirements

• At least 8 years of progressive experience in safety & security risk management roles in humanitarian contexts, of which at least a minimum of 3 years should have been at a senior management level.
• A willingness and ability to travel approximately 60% of the time throughout the WA region.
• Demonstrable competence in management of severe incidents
• 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
• Position requires flexibility and the capacity to deal with ambiguity in extremely stressful situations.
• Experience or exposure to humanitarian operations and emergency relief is a must with a preferable focus on risk and crisis management.
• Ability to coordinate and partner with regional and local stakeholders either directly or remotely.
• Sound working knowledge of humanitarian security and a commitment to humanitarian principles.
• Self-motivated and able to work effectively without close supervision.
• English and French fluency required.
• Computer literacy in MS Office packages, such as Word, Excel, and Outlook. ArcGis and Power

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our
company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.