Humanitarian Access and Safety Specialist

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Background

Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and  the Danish Demining Group (DDG), has had an operational presence in Nigeria since 2015. DRC Nigeria is the largest DRC country mission in the West Africa region and one of the largest DRC country missions globally. Currently, DRC delivers life-saving assistance and protection to vulnerable, conflict-affected populations including internally displaced persons, returnees and host communities in the areas of armed violence reduction, humanitarian mine action, livelihoods, nutrition and food security, protection, shelter and non-food items (NFI) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in 30+ Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in northeast Nigeria.

Purpose

This role is intended for a citizen of Borno State, preferably with both a humanitarian background and ideally with experience of working in a Safety and Security role who is looking for the next step in his/her career.  We are looking for a professional with a proven track record with at least four years of experience in the security capacity and 2-years working in the humanitarian sector within Nigeria

The Humanitarian Access and Safety Specialist’s responsibilities are to aid in the management and implementation of the DRC Safety Risk Management System (SRMS) within the DRC Nigeria areas of intervention.

This encompasses monitoring the overall safety and security risk situation in DRC operational areas of intervention, aiding in the design and implementation of effective safety risk management solutions, gathers and analyses information to support effective safety risk management, operational support with monitoring, training and capacity development for field staff.  Lastly, a key element of the role is to act and provide sound and timely advice to senior DRC staff and management to support the safe and efficient delivery of program activities in the designated areas of programming while the Humanitarian Access and Safety Advisor is absent.

This position is a technical one, requiring a consistent previous experience in a similar position. This position also requires solid knowledge in Safety and security management. This position also requires a full professional proficiency in English language.    

1. Key Responsibilities:
   1. Humanitarian Access Management:

• Implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites throughout DRC Nigeria areas of intervention.
• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to the local context and include overarching community engagement components.
• Ensure that the DRC Nigeria field teams conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with relevant actors in all areas of intervention and in line with the humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, and duty of care principles.
• Work to ensure that the DRC Nigeria Mission, its mandate and work in the areas of operations is known and accepted.
• Work to encourage stakeholders to work with the DRC Nigeria Mission in ensuring that staff and programs are safe and allowed to continue humanitarian activities in each area of intervention.
• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new DRC Nigeria programs in new geographic areas, and regular assessment reviews for existing locations as directed by the Humanitarian Access and Safety Advisor.
• Assist in the continued development of humanitarian access and safety teams and activities across the Missions areas of intervention.
• Contribute to developing and implementing guidelines for humanitarian access and engagement with external stakeholders.
• Oversee and advise on the implementation and review of tailored acceptance strategies.
• Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically.
• Enhance the DRC Nigeria image and acceptance within the community and amongst stakeholders by providing guidance on visibility strategies.
• Work with appropriate DRC Nigeria program teams, including HR, to ensure timely and appropriate follow-up to violations of DRC Code of Conduct, in addition to operational breaches to humanitarian principles.
  1. Safety Risk Management:
• Oversee and provide technical support to implement all safety and security policies, plans and procedures for staff safety, operational security and program continuity in DRC Nigeria areas of intervention, existing and new, as directed by the Humanitarian Access and Safety Advisor.
• Aid in the evaluation, review, and update the safety management plans on a regular basis in compliance with the DRC Nigeria and Global safety standards and policies and requirements as directed by the Humanitarian Access and Safety Advisor.
• Work with Area and Base Managers to develop, consolidate and implement operating procedures and contingency plans.
• Assist in the development of and maintain a strategic network with the Safety Focal Points at field offices and program sites.
• Assist in the evaluation and review of the critical incident management plans for all DRC Nigeria field offices and ensure that the practical preparations are in place and known to all staff involved.
• Oversee safety risk assessments of prospective offices and guest houses.  Follow up on the safety improvement plans to ensure compliance with the safety standards and policies.
• Ensure continual assessments of equipment, and the protocols by which that equipment is used, to ensure that minimal conditions for safety are being met.
• Provide and implement best possible solutions for use of equipment to facilitate communication between staff in line with the country communications plan and DRC Nigeria’s operations room.
• Ensure safety and security protocols, reporting mechanisms, and capacity building initiative account for gender-specific risks, staff profiles and background, and are sensitive to local contexts.
• Ensure that incident and crisis / critical incident management protocols are known by the different teams that may be implicated.
  1. Networking and Liaison:
• Organize and ensure DRC Nigeria offices keep and maintain a network of key informants and interlocutors at field level to ensure timely and accrete information sharing.
• Identify, create and maintain a network with INGO/UN and other humanitarian access and safety/security specialists suitable for Nigeria.
  1. Context Understanding and Reporting
• Compile and submit monthly reports that track incidents and trends in humanitarian access and local security contexts within the DRC areas of intervention.
• Submit daily and monthly contextual updates as needed to the Humanitarian Access and Safety Advisor and relevant field and program management staff.
• Work closely with DRC Nigeria field teams to ensure all incidents are followed up with an official Safety Incident Report (SIR).
• Monitor the operating environment in Nigeria, identify new threats, assess the level of vulnerabilities to the DRC Nigeria and recommend mitigation.
• Contribute to local-level conflict sensitivity analysis and macro-level analysis of trends within the Nigerian security context.
• Provide credible information and contextual understanding of localized and country-wide security situations and incidents along with appropriate advice to DRC field and program staff.
  1. Training and Capacity Building:
• Assist in the Identification of safety, security and access learning and development needs for country program staff.
• Assist in the provision of regular trainings for all DRC Nigeria program staff on the humanitarian principles and the in-country PAST and HEIST workshops.
• Assist in the delivery of safety and security related capacity building and training of the DRC Nigeria Safety Department.

1. Desirables

• Tertiary education (Bachelor minimum) in Security Operations, Management, Communication, Criminology, Public Administration or related field.
• Computer skills (primarily MS Office applications), especially Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• 4-years’ experience working with international agencies or multinational business.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Stable, moral and robust character and a good team-player.
• Excellent communication skills, calm and a good sense of humour.
• Proven commitment to accountability practices.
• Ability to comprehend security related subjects as threats/risk management, security management, personal and organizational security awareness.
• Competent and literate in English, verbal and written, with a sound knowledge of technical expressions.

Demonstrative experience in INGO/NGO or UN field (operations) with experience of safety and security

1. Required Qualifications

• Tertiary education (Bachelor minimum) in Security Operations, Management, Communication, Criminology, Public Administration or related field.
• Computer skills (primarily MS Office applications), especially Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• 4-years’ experience working with international agencies or multinational business.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Stable, moral and robust character and a good team-player.
• Excellent communication skills, calm and a good sense of humour.
• Proven commitment to accountability practices.
• Ability to comprehend security related subjects as threats/risk management, security management, personal and organizational security awareness.
• Competent and literate in English, verbal and written, with a sound knowledge of technical expressions.

Demonstrative experience in INGO/NGO or UN field (operations) with experience of safety and security

1. Application Process

Are you interested? Then apply for this position on line: www.drc.dk/about-drc/vacancies/current-vacancies. All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in English.

DRC provides equal opportunity in employment and prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

DRC encourages all applicants to apply and does not practice any discrimination in any recruitment process.

Applications close on the 02nd of June 2021 at midnight (GMT-time). Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

Due to the urgency of the position, DRC has the right to recruit a candidate who matches the required profile before the above deadline.