The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) operates in complex and often high-risk environments in support of peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development programmes. In line with the United Nations Security Management System (UNSMS) UNOPS requires personnel to complete Safe and Secure Approaches in Field Environments (SSAFE) training prior to, or during, deployment to medium- and high-risk duty stations (in all cases such training is mandated by Security Risk Management Measures SMR-M). SSAFE courses managed and facilitated by UNOPS in Copenhagen include the Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) as an integral part of the course (with separate certification). 

UNOPS seeks to establish a retainer contract with a certified SSAFE Instructor to provide flexible, on-demand delivery of the UNOPS SSAFE training in the Copenhagen, Denmark, region.

The purpose of this retainer contract is to ensure rapid access to qualified SSAFE/IFAK instructional capacity to support UNOPS operational requirements, including staff deployments, project start-ups, emergency responses, and refresher training needs.

Under the technical oversight of the UNOPS SSAFE Course Director and the administrative supervision of UNOPS (Security Unit), the SSAFE Instructor will undertake the following tasks on an as-needed basis:

1. Training Delivery:

• Deliver SSAFE/IFAK courses in accordance with UNDSS Training and Development Section (TDS) approved curricula as co-facilitator.
• Facilitate adult-learning, scenario-based training, including tabletop and practical exercises.
• Adjust scenarios to reflect changing threat environments and cohort requirements without altering approved core curriculum content.
• Deliver training in the Copenhagen, Denmark, region. A minimum of four combined SSAFE/IFAK courses and two standalone IFAK courses shall be held per year.

2. Training Management & Compliance:

• Ensure strict adherence to UNSMS training standards, UNOPS policies, and safeguarding requirements.
• Coordinate with UNOPS SSAFE Course Director and UNDSS TDS counterparts on:
• Participant eligibility and prerequisites
• Training schedules and logistics
• Medical and safety considerations during training
• Maintain accurate training records, attendance lists, and certification documentation.

3. Assessment & Reporting:

• Conduct participant assessments in line with SSAFE requirements
• Submit post-training reports to UNOPS, including:
• Number and category of participants trained
• Key observations and risk-awareness gaps
• Recommendations for refresher or follow-up training
• Immediately flag any serious security or welfare concerns identified during training.

4. Surge & Advisory Support:

• Provide short-notice deployment support for emergency or surge training needs
• Contribute advisory inputs to UNOPS security preparedness activities where directly linked to SSAFE/IFAK training outcomes

• Advanced level university degree (Master's or equivalent) in security studies, emergency management, international relations, military, law enforcement, or a related field.
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's Degree or equivalent) in a relevant field will be accepted in lieu of a Master's degree, provided there are an additional two years of qualifying experience, for a total of seven years of experience required.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of relevant professional experience with a Master’s degree in security, humanitarian, military, law enforcement, or emergency response fields.
• At least five years of experience within the UNSMS is required
• Proven experience in delivering trainings to multicultural audiences
• Prior field experience in medium to high-risk duty stations is highly desirable

Mandatory Certification:

• Valid UNDSS-certified SSAFE Instructor accreditation is required
• Valid First Aid / Trauma Care certification (e.g. IFAK, TCCC-aligned civilian equivalent) is required

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. 
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.