Senior Security and Access Coordinator

Background

The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian international NGOs, provides relief, rehabilitation and development support to vulnerable people and communities over 30 countries. We began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali region and are currently providing assistance to Ethiopians and refugees in six regions in Ethiopia, implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

Job Overview/Summary:

Under the direct supervision of the Country Director and technical supervision (Management in Partnership) of Regional Safety & Security Director, the Senior Security and Access Coordinator will be responsible for overall security matters and access aspects of IRC Country program in Ethiopia. The major focus of this role is to enable the country program and its staff to securely and safely deliver programs in a complex environment, and to proactively identify and address deficiencies and risks. The position will be part of the Senior Management Team (SMT) of the country program and will contribute in the growth of IRC’s overall profile and portfolio in the country by devising and employing efficient and effective strategies and policies for ensure operational continuity and quality delivery of programs.

Major Responsibilities:

The Senior Security and Access Coordinator will perform major responsibilities outlined under three key areas below:

Safety & Security

• Promote the development of appropriate security information networks relevant to all IRC teams working in Ethiopia
• Responsible to be a full and active part of Country Senior Management discussions on programs, strategies, operations
• Make strategic input to Programs and Grants in designing new programs and project proposals to donors
• Support managers/teams in collecting and disseminating relevant security information thus enabling line management to manage security and safety effectively. This includes the security level and its implication
• Act as a close advisor to CD on context and security analysis in order to help decision making
• Support staff in methods ensuring security information is recorded and analyzed regularly, and help management provide regular, concise and clear written security updates
• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new IRC programs in new geographic areas, and regular assessment reviews for existing locations.
• Make sure that at least once a year, a dedicated meeting is organized at SMT level to discuss IRC risk appetite for each location.
• Work with SMT, Technical Coordinators and the Grants team to ensure security budgets and staffing levels are in alignment with the assessed levels of risk in each location.
• Attend relevant security meetings led by the Security Coordinator
• Design and deliver security management training to all field office senior staff and security focal points
• Design and supervise the implementation of awareness training strategy for all staff, and SMT
• Undertake regular program site assessments of IRC new locations or existing program facing context change
• Monitor the Review of the security plans and policies by the Security Coordinator
• Maintain an updated list and contacts with focal points across the programs
• Liaise with other agency security focal points, including NGOs, UN and local authorities concerned for security related issues
• Develop weekly security update and progress reports for submission to Country Director and Regional Safety & Security Director
• Maintain confidentiality, impartiality and neutrality in all aspects of security arrangements
• Develop periodic context analysis (internal and external) including: incident maps, stakeholder analysis, review of existing security management arrangements and capacity assessment

Crisis Preparedness and Response:

• Coordinate with Program and Operational departments to develop operational and programmatic contingency plans that respond to identified crisis scenarios.
• Build capacity of in-country Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) as well as Safety and Security Management Teams (SSMTs – Field Based).
• Maintain up-to-date evacuation plan for international staff
• Ensure that the Security Contingency plan is taken up to date by the Security Coordinator and perfectly implemented
• In case of severe incident involving death of staff, kidnapping, massive extraction or evacuation of staff: directly contact the RSSD to develop an action plan in link with the Sop Critical incident management.
• Make sure that the proof of life document are up to date and stored in a safe way
• Participate in global working groups around Duty of Care topics where relevant and possible with workloads

Access/Liaison

• Build relationship with multiple local stakeholders, formal and informal, govt and community, connecting with opposing armed groups (if possible). 
• Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites throughout Ethiopia
• Train and guide the field coordinators on access and acceptance strategies
• With Emergency Response Coordinator, is responsible for developing country wide access strategy for emergencies
• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to local context and include overarching community engagement components.
• Work to ensure that IRC, its mission, and work in the areas of operations is known and accepted.
• Compile and submit regular reports that track incidents and trends in humanitarian access and local security contexts within the IRC’s area of operation.
• Pro-actively collaborate with key members of the leadership, operations and program leads to ensure that the humanitarian access and security management strategies are appropriately aligned with response priorities across all locations.
• Implementing access/negotiations training in all field sites
• Works closely with the program team to do the follow up of the SAP goals and to identify new areas of work
• Do actor mapping for each field sites and updates them regularly
• Work closely with the Field Coordinators to understand the local dynamic and the potential impact/opportunities for programs
• Maintain a network of IRC security focal points in the country program as well as with external professional contacts and counterparts.