Safety Advisor

DRC Iraq is seeking a Safety Advisor for operations in Central-South Iraq. The ideal candidate possesses outstanding interpersonal skills; analytical capability; a background in safety operations with NGOs; experience in building capacity of national staff and professional humility in the face of challenged contexts 

 

Danish Refugee Council is a leading protection agency pursuing our mandate to protect and promote durable solutions to displacement-affected populations on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), DRC apply a regional approach with operational presence in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Iraq. 

Present in Iraq since 2003, DRC is today operational in the Kurdish governorates, in and around Baghdad and in several South-Central governorates. Focused both on the influx of Syrian refugees and the current IDP crisis, DRC is providing assistance in a range of sectors including Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Protection, Livelihoods, Emergency Response (including food security, cash, and NFIs), WASH, Shelter and Mine Action. The Iraq programme presently employs some 450 national staff and 45 international staff, and is growing to meet new, emerging needs associated with ongoing and recent conflict in multiple locations. 

 

About the job 

The Safety Advisor is responsible for overseeing the safe conduct of accessing existing and future areas of operation in Central-South Iraq (currently consisting of the governorates of Baghdad, Saladin, Diyala, Al-Anbar, Karbala and Najaf). The Safety Advisor will provide regular, practical analysis and work closely with national safety staff to build professional capacities. 

 

• Provide timely and practical safety information to the head of office and staff which includes analysis identifying key personal safety aspects, implications on access (present and future) and possible impacts on organizational reputation. 

• Consult with the Head of Office and other staff members as necessary to discuss the safety situation of potential distribution sites and other areas targeted for programming. 

• Draft succinct advisories, guidance letters, addendum commentary to external reports and other ad hoc documentation to raise awareness and effectively inform operations.  

• Effectively convey procedures to staff and supervise their implementation. 

• Mentor national safety staff on the subject of reporting and advanced analysis products, in particular access-focused assessments. 

• Build national staff capacity in order to produce desktop, site and area assessments using DRC templates.  

• Establish a reliable network of safety information resources that includes other professionals in external agencies and open sources.  

• Establish and update, as needed, operational safety systems based on standard operating procedures, contingency plans and other procedural documentation, and monitor staff compliance with these. 

• In concert with Baghdad Head of Office and safety staff, regularly assess safety levels at all field offices and ensure minimum operating safety standards (MOSS) are met or exceeded. 

• Conduct and document safety assessments as required of office spaces, guesthouses and warehouses and oversee implementation of mitigation measures.  

• Support the incident management team in all safety-related issues, particularly in cases of emergency and serve as a standing member of the incident management team. Assist with the implementation of the CIMP (Critical Incident Management Plan). 

• Become familiar with / instruct DRC Iraq’s Personal Safety Awareness Training (PSAT) and provide constructive inputs on improving the modules in concert with Safety Advisor, Iraq. 

• Assess outsourced training needs and coordinate with the necessary entities to meet these needs.  

• Any other duties as directed by the Head of Office HoO and Iraq Safety Advisor  

 

To be successful in this role you must have: 

 

Essential qualifications and experience:  

• University degree in relevant discipline (political science, peace & conflict studies, history, etc.). 

• Minimum of one year of experience with international NGOs and a commitment to humanitarian principles. 

• Naturally inquisitive with strong analytical skills with commensurate writing ability to provide practical conflict analysis that effectively enables safe access. 

• Professional humility in the face of the demanding, unpredictable contexts of Central-South Iraq. 

• Experience writing access / safety-related situational analysis. 

• Strong interpersonal skills, able to work with a wide variety of team members with a positive collaborative approach to work across sectors and support functions.  

• Experience creating productive networks and foster working relationships within and outside of the agency. 

• Experience in hostile environments / conflict- affected areas.  

• Naturally proactive with foresight, inclined to take initiative within guidance provided by managers.  

• Possesses and inspires esprit de corps amongst national and international staff members. 

• Well-versed in data collection/management. 

• Experience in building capacity of national staff and professional humility in the face of challenged contexts. 

• Experience of writing safety advisories, standard operating procedures or other safety documents. 

• Exposure working and living in Iraq and/or the Middle East. 

• A highly functional understanding of the cultural and political context of Iraq and/or the Middle East. 

• One year of working in emergency response and/or post-emergency settings.  

• Fluency in English; Knowledge of Arabic highly desirable. 

 

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 act in line with our vision and values.  

 

DRC will offer the successful applicant a 6 month contract subject to extension based on performance and funding. You must be available to start work in August 2017 and be willing to live and work in Iraq. 

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.ngo under Vacancies. This position will be placed at A14 of DRC’s salary scale, depending on qualifications and experience. The R&R cycle for this position is every 6 weeks.  

 

Interested? Then apply for this position by clicking on the apply button. All applications must include a cover letter explaining your motivation for applying for this position and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English. Applications without a cover/motivation letter will not be considered. 

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk  

Applications close 29 June 2017.  

 

Need further information? 

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