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Emergency Safety and Security Coordinator - External Emergency Roster

San Salvador | Guatemala City | Belize City | Tegucigalpa

  • Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
  • Location: San Salvador | Guatemala City | Belize City | Tegucigalpa
  • Grade: Mid level - Mid level
  • Occupational Groups:
    • International Relations
    • Medical Practitioners
    • Security policy
    • Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
    • Security and Safety
    • Emergency Aid and Response
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background/IRC Summary:  

The IRCs Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit (EPRU) leads or oversees IRCs global emergency preparedness and response activities. The mission of the EPRU is to help meet the immediate survival needs and reduce suffering in conflict or disaster affected populations during the acute phase of an emergency. The EPRU also works in protracted emergencies, where the risk to life may be reduced but the population is still subjected to rights abuses and a lack of basic services.

The IRCs fulltime Emergency Response Team (ERT) is a standing team of specialized professionals ready to deploy to an emergency within 72 hours. The ERT is supplemented by personnel drawn from the IRCs Emergency Internal and External Rosters.

Job Overview/Summary:

External Emergency Roster Staff are deployed to support either existing country programs in their emergency response, or to initiate a new program in the crisis zone. The overall responsibility of the team is to rapidly and effectively design, develop and manage the IRC’s on-site humanitarian response to meet the immediate needs of the affected population. Response personnel are also responsible for supporting the transfer of responsibilities and knowledge to the long-term staff to ensure the continuity of IRC programming and operations. 


The Emergency Safety and Security Coordinator (ESSC) will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of IRC’s Safety and Security Policies during emergency deployments.  The Emergency Safety and Security Coordinator will work with the Deputy Director, Emergency Response, to ensure that organizational security policies and procedures are adapted to the specific context of each response, adequate and known to staff. The ESSC will conduct training on site for staff and others (external security providers) and facilitate development and implementation of appropriate security plans and Standard Operating Procedures. S/he will provide expert security advice to all levels of IRC staff working in the emergency response including security updates, travel advisories, and incident management. The position reports to the ERT Field Director responsible for each deployment/response, and to the Deputy Director, Response Management for non-field deployments. The position also reports to the Director International Safety and Security for all technical matters related to S&S.


Major Responsibilities:

Safety and Security Management Planning

  • Conduct assessments of the risk environment and provide prioritized recommendations for context specific security management requirements to the ERT Field Director. Execute all approved recommendations.
  • Based on the outcomes of the risk assessment; produce, roll out and maintain updated security management planning policies for the IRC ERT / Country Team, ensuring compliance to global IRC safety and security standards.
  • Establish and ensure maintenance of all IRC S&S management framework components including incident reporting and trend analysis systems to inform program design and implementation, staff movement, and contingency responeses.
  • Construct a suitable communications infrastructure to allow the ERT Team to communicate appropriately.  Using this infrastructure implement context appropriate movement control protocols.
  • Train staff on IRC safety and security management policy, approaches, systems and practices specific to response. Monitor compliance, suggesting refreshers or reassignments where required.

Building Acceptance to empower and expand humanitarian programming

  • Within each response build with key team members, a community outreach and acceptance plan, and liaise with the ERT Field Director to ensure that appropriate staff time is allocated to achieve implementation, follow up and effectiveness analyzis of the plan.
  • Develop ongoing relationships with community elders and other power brokers within response regions. Work both internally and externally to ensure that IRC, its mission and work in the region is known and accepted.  Encourage stakeholders to work with the IRC in ensuring that staff and programs are safe and allowed to continue humanitarian activities. Liaise with program staff to ensure stakeholders feedback are informing program design and implementation.
  • Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new IRC programs in new geographic areas, and technical input in the writing of new program proposals as required;
  • In coordination with ERT Field Director, liaise with relevant security actors
  • Ensure monitoring of the context preparing and disseminating daily update and context brief while deployed


Monitoring, Analysis and Supervision

  • Identify, recruit, and train new security staff for new country programs
  • Identify, establish and manage context appropriate approach to assure IRC facilities are secure – i.e. third party security companies or directly hired IRC security watchmen.
  • Compile and submit security reporting that track incidents and trends within the IRC’s area of operation.  Submit daily contextual updates as needed to the ERT Field Director
  • Ensure all incidents and accidents are followed up with an official written report, which is then shared with relevant stakeholders and filed appropriately. Ensure also that final incident reports are provided when IRC is closing the case.
  • Coordinate regularly with the concerned Regional Safety and Security Advisor, and fulfill reporting requirements.
  • Report to Director International Safety and Security on all technical and contextual safety and Security issues 

Job Requirements:

  • At least five years of experience designing and coordinating corporate security for international organizations working in high risk contexts, with at least two years of that experience in the Northern Central America, preferably El Salvador.
  • Ability to commit to deployment within 72 hours of notification of assignment for a minimum of 6 and up to 12 weeks
  • Understanding of humanitarian principles, codes of conduct and ideally, specific sub-sector work linked to NGO field operations contexts
  • Advanced level knowledge of communications technology, including VHF, HF radio systems, satellite communications, cell phone mediums, etc.
  • Substantial and documented, prior experience as a trainer and training skills – the ability to develop, implement, facilitate and impart learning to a wide range of audiences.
  • Ability to gain a precise understanding of the various local, regional, country and international policies, operational positions and interactions, providing clear dynamic briefings and analysis of given and unfolding security and political situations when they occur.
  • Fluent in Spanish and intermediate level English.
This vacancy is now closed.
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