Safety Officer

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a qualified Safety Officer for our operations in our Dollo Ado Field Office.

Overall purpose of the role

Safety Officer will oversee safety matters directly or indirectly related to all DRC personnel, assets, and programs within the Area. This includes assuring Safety Risk Management System (SRMS) and responsibility for planning, implementing, monitoring, and reporting measures required to ensure safe delivery of aid. S/he will also supervise Guards and coordinate day-to-day movement and transportation, as per standards operation procedures, rules, and regulations.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

In coordination with the Dollo Ado Area Manager and Safety / Access coordinator based in Addis, the Safety Officer should achieve the overall and specific position objectives and will perform the following tasks and undertake the following responsibilities:

• Conduct drafts of required assessments including Context Assessments, and participate in field missions and undertake safety risk assessments.
• Develop Safety Plans including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Local Safety Rules (LSR), Safety Briefings, Safety Advisories, and Site Evaluation Checklist (SES) based on Safety Assessments
• Ensure all staff adhere to safety policies and rules.
• Keep Record of Emergency Data (RED) list updated and ensure all new staff will submit their forms
• Lead in identifying and minimizing potential safety risks to staff, partners, assets, and operations/programs.
• Update and brief all DRC staff regarding security and context situations.
• Contribute to the development of operational and programmatic contingency plans that respond to different emergency scenarios.
• Actively support the Safety and Access coordinator to ensure and monitor compliance with Minimum Operating Safety Standards (MOSS)
• Provide detailed information to AM to make GO or NO-GO decision
• Conduct safety inspections of field sites to establish and implement corrective measures
• Maintained safety upgrade plans and develop a Safety Improvement Plan (SIP) based on the needs in the DRC office and field.
• Establish phone trees, alert rosters, and alert procedures; ensure the timely dissemination of relevant safety information to all field staff and NGO partners or UN and build a strong network with Safety-related stakeholders: local authorities, NGO and UN Safety staff,
• Build and maintain contacts with relevant actors in the field, in order to ensure organizational acceptance and awareness of safety concerns.
• Ensure monitoring that all visitors are searched, registered, and escorted in the area office and other facilities.
• Follow up with the Supply Chain on weekly movement plan for staff and provide safety clearance accordingly
• Monitor area office guards and drivers’ capacity and report to the Area Manager any risks
• Ensure proper filing of all vehicle and guards room documents including logbooks for vehicles, visitors, and others.
• Respond to and/or assist the Safety and Access coordinator to respond to any Safety Incident or accident in the field involving any DRC staff, vehicle, asset, or program and report immediately.
• Ensure all vehicles are equipped as per required standards and SOPs.
• Ensure required safety equipment and communications equipment are identified, acquired, and maintained in good working condition.
• Assess safety training needs; plan, organize, and document relevant safety trainings.
• Create and conduct safety briefings and training for all personnel and visitors; design and run regular safety drills.
• Any other duties as requested by Area Manager and Safety and Access coordinator

Experience and technical competencies:

• Having a Bachelor's degree and 2 years of relevant working experience. 5 years of relevant work experience (Safety or Risk Management) may be considered in the absence of a full Bachelor's Degree.
• Previous experiences with humanitarian organizations in similar fields are an advantage.
• Good reporting and communication skills; ability to coordinate staff, create work schedules and work plan
• Good working knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Excel), and email/Teams, and the internet.
• Ability to build relationships with local authorities, good organizational skills and ethics.
• Ability to work under pressure and be flexible in working hours.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Stable, moral, and robust character and a good team player.
• High personal and professional integrity.
• Proven commitment to accountability practices.

 EDUCATION: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)

• Having a Bachelor's degree and 2 years of relevant working experience. 5 years of relevant work experience (Safety or Risk Management) may be considered in the absence of a full Bachelor's Degree.
• Any Safety Trainings are an advantage.

LANGUAGE: (indicate Fluency level)

• Fluency in written and spoken Local language
• Advanced Level in English.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies: 

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 

Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Contract length: 6 Months

Contract Type: National Contract

Band: H2 – Non-Management

Designation of Duty Station: Dollo Ado

Start date:  1 December 2025

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National employees

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: November 13, 2025

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.

Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels. In light of this, women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply to bridge the gendergap.
Equal Opportunities: DRC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability status, religion, ethnic origin, colour, race, marital status, or other protected characteristics

We strongly encourage female candidates to apply for the position!

We encourage only qualified Ethiopian Nations to apply. DRC considers all applicants based on merit.