Field Safety Adviser

Field Safety Adviser

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Field Safety Adviser takes on the role of leading, coordinating and providing appropriate guidance  related to security management within an office.
The incumbent maintains contact with other UN agencies, NGOs, implementing partners, government partners in the area to facilitate the operation.
The incumbent directly supervises general service staff in the office, and reports to the Head of Office.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- Country operations receive practical and well-reasoned security advice and support toward helping ensure an appropriate level of safety for UNHCR¿s staff and operations and compliance with security guidelines and procedures.
- UNHCR benefits from effective relationships with host country law enforcement agencies and the UN Security Management System.
- Staff are aware of threats/risks and how to respond to them, understand and comply with guidelines and procedures.
- Security management is efficient, well-coordinated and consistent with policies and procedures.

Responsibility

- Advise and support the Representative or Head of Office in managing staff safety and security of UNHCR staff, partners, operations, premises and refugees or persons of concern.
- Undertake periodic security assessments in close co-operation with UNHCR senior staff members and interagency partners, analysing security factors and levels of risk related to UNHCR activities and programmes.
- Evaluate existing security measures to determine their appropriateness and identify areas needing improvement.  Follow up with actions to oversee or implement those improvements.
- Assist in ensuring compliance with Minimum Operational Safety Standards (MOSS) and Minimum Operational Residential Safety Standards (MORSS).
- Assist in the development of plans for evacuation, medical evacuation and other contingencies. 
- In cooperation with UNHCR senior staff members, ensure that security measures are fully integrated into operational planning, including budgetary provisions, at the earliest stages of development.
- Participate and support in activities to advise on programme criticality assessment process.
- As a member of a multi-functional team, contribute to efforts to ensure the physical protection and security of refugees and other persons of concern by providing security assessments, analysis and advice in developing and implementing effective strategies which underpin the responsibilities of the host state.
- Develop and maintain relationships with security-related actors, including host government law enforcement authorities and other stakeholders  to ensure effective information sharing; provide regular feedback and analysis to country managers.
- Maintain close co-operation with staff of  the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), ensuring UNHCR's understanding of applicable requirements, cooperating in security assessments and planning and supporting UNDSS understanding of agency requirements.
- Support UNHCR staff serving as members of the country Security Management Team (SMT), or Area Security Management Team (ASMT), Area Security Coordinators (ASC) and Wardens.
- Provide country-relevant security advice and training to UNHCR staff, and where appropriate, to staff of  NGOs and implementing partners in areas including, inter alia, preparation for and conduct of  road  missions, radio telecommunications  and  responding to specific threats within the environment.
- Conduct rehearsals and practical exercises to ensure that staff are familiar with contingency plans and can implement them confidently in an emergency.
- Prepare periodic analytical reports on security in accordance with UN and UNHCR standard operating procedures, sharing with managers in the country of assignment and FSS.
- Maintain linkages with the Staff Welfare Section, and the Medical Service, referring cases as required.
- Undertake other security-related functions or responsibilities as delegated by the supervisor.

Authority

- Provide security-related advice, in written and oral form, to the manager and other staff
- Advise on, and upon approval, implement, needed mitigating measures.
- Participate in criticality assessments.
- Represent UNHCR in interagency working groups and attend SMT or ASMT meetings as an observer.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- University Degree with a focus on security management and/or related disciplines (business administration, political/social science, international relations). Also relevant would be military or police academy degree (at Officer level).
- Minimum 8 years of previous relevant job experience including 2 years security risk management experience in an international capacity.
- Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

(In offices where the working language is not English, excellent knowledge of UN working language of duty station ans working knowledge of English)

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Proven competences in security analysis.
- Excellent communication skills, written and oral
- Negotiating skills
- Relevant training an asset C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X002L3 - Innovation and Creativity Level 3
X003L3 - Technological Awareness Level 3
X004L3 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 3
X009L3 - Change Capability and Adaptability Level 3
X006L3 - Policy Development & Research Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3
X008L3 - Stakeholder Management Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3 The incumbent will be required to make situational analysis and proposals on staff safety procedures and have knowledge on the installation and maintenance of security equipment including protective equipment. Also s/he will have to take the lead and work independently on security concepts, plans and SOPs for different locations, including Office, staff accommodation, voluntary repatriation centers, warehouses, etc. Thus experience in providing safety and security related advise in the large-scale operation, with multiple locations and large numbers of staff/PoC is a plus.
The incumbent will need to be able to respond to potentially life threatening situations and make appropriate advice on limited or incomplete information or during dangerous situations. Demonstrated previous experience in high-risk security operations is highly desirable.
He/she will have to be able to engage United Nations Department Security and Safety (UNDSS) staff in the field and represent UNHCR in inter-agency security cell coordination meetings. Thus demonstrated previous experience in representing the Organization at various high level fora is a must.
The incumbent needs to be able to operate in a fluid and often rapidly changing operational environment; thus flexible in the outlook for provision of due support to the program delivery.
This function will support over 100 staff working in a remote yet high risk environment.
Strong technical and interpersonal skills and flexibility in undertaking the diverse functions of the position will furthermore be needed to work towards meeting the strategic objectives of the operation.
Strong analytical and good communications skills, including strong drafting/reporting skills (in English), are absolutely necessary for this position
The candidate should demonstrate solid managerial skills to be able to provide guidance and supervision to the well-experienced locally recruited staff. Pakistan is continuously engaged, in one form or another, in a complex emergency with an influx of refugees, conflict and natural disaster internal displacement situation and management of large refugee populations. The operation in Peshawar takes place in a tense and fluid security environment where both armed conflict and terrorism are being faced by the United Nations and international organisations. Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the administrative centre and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated in a large valley near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, close to the Pak-Afghan border. Known as "City on the Frontier", Peshawar's strategic location on the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia has made it one of the most culturally vibrant and lively cities in the greater region. Peshawar is irrigated by various canals of the Kabul River and by its right tributary, the Bara River. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities. In the last three decades, there has been a significant increase in urban population, in part due to internal migration of people in search of better employment opportunities, education, and services, and in part because of the influx of Afghans and other people displaced by military operations and civil unrest in neighbouring regions. Peshawar is the major educational, political and business center of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Peshawar UNCHR Office is located in Gul Mohar lane. The address of UNHCR SOP is House No. 01, Gul Mohar Lane, University Town, Peshawar.
Due to the tense security situation, International staff are required to stay in a UNHCR guesthouse with movement to office only by Armoured vehicles.
The medical facilities in Peshawar and Quetta are not up to UN standards. In-case of emergency or regular check-up HR staff has a list of UN doctors for Pakistan. The threat landscape in KP/FATA has evolved drastically with growing cooperation between different militant groups and regrouping of the Pakistani Taliban. As the ISIS defeat in Syria and Iraq looks imminent, the group will likely seek bases elsewhere and will follow a strategy of decentralised jihad. Pakistani KP/FATA soil will remain an attractive arena for ISIS. Pakistan`s policy of defeating militancy has had a significant impact on the operational capability of militant groups. However, it is likely that violence will surge once again. The operating environment in KP/FATA will likely continue to be generally restrictive for UNHCR, with a limited access to those of UNHCR concern in the field.  The overall security situation in UNHCR Peshawar Sub-Office AOR will likely remain unstable, volatile and dynamic. The military Operation ¿Zarb-i-Azab¿ was launched in June 2014 in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) to flush out the militants from the safe heavens reported at NWA, including the Haqqani terrorist Network. In December 2014 the attack on Army Public School in Peshawar forced the GoP to come up with National Action Plan (NAP) to strictly address the militancy and terrorism. After series of deadly terrorist attacks of February 2017, Pakistan Army launched Operation ¿Radd-ul-Fasaad¿ across the country, with the main focus, inter alia, on the terrorist hideouts and cashes in KP/FATA. GoP will continue further implementation of National Action Plan to target terrorism in KP/FATA, primarily through increased Law Enforcement Agencies¿ (LEA) activities. In the meantime, the underlying causes of conflict and militancy will likely remain high. The trend of attacks and threats targeting mainly LEAs officials, facilities, religious minorities continue. Incidents¿ statistics show that focus shifts towards softer targets, i.e. civilians, so public places will become issue of the serious concern. TTP group remained a major factor of instability in the area. 2016-2017 witnessed the significant rise of Jamaatul Ahrar (JA), offshoot of TTP.   Proximity of Afghanistan, continuous instability there, repeated attacks from both sides of the border, high levels of crime will likely have a direct impact on the overall security environment in the mid-term.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the Addendum 2 to the March 2017 Compendium is Wednesday 31 May 2017 (midnight Geneva time).