Save the Children
Job Title: Safety and Security Officer
Team / Programme: Safety and Security
Location: Nairobi (with frequent travel to field locations
Grade: 4
Contract Length: TBC
Child Safeguarding: Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently(e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking / vetting process staff.
Role Purpose: To reduce the risks posed to the programme, personnel and assets of Save the Children in Somalia/SL Country Office.
This will include ongoing threat assessment and advising on risk management; the maintenance of appropriate guidelines; and ensuring that field working practices are robust and that all staff are aware of, trained in, and adhere to these policies and procedures.
Integral to the posting is the ability to work successfully with field teams to cultivate capacity and motivation, thereby ensuring field-based responsibility for security analysis and management
Scope of Role:
Reports to: Safety and Security Manager
Dimensions: Save the Children has a unified presence in Somalia and Somaliland since January 2010 and is working in the thematic areas of education (including skills training for youth), child survival (health, nutrition & livelihood), protection and emergency responses.
Save the children has an operation in Somaliland, Puntland and South Central Somali with a current staff complement of approximately 370 staff and current expenditure of approximately GBP 30 million each year.
Number of direct reports: None
Key Areas of Accountability:
Supports the Safety and Security Manager to:
- Ensure the Somalia/Somaliland area offices comply with all Save the Children Management Operating Standards and Standard Operating Procedures
- Ensure the Somalia/Somaliland area offices maintain effective and consistent communication system and efficiency of available communication equipment
Information, Assessment & Analysis
- Preparation & delivery of high quality reports, analysis and security alerts both verbal and written. By gathering information from a variety of sources, the Security Officer will produce analysis of the security situation in Somaliland with particular reference to how it affects SCI staff, assets and operations. This information and analysis will be used for: (a)Written and oral security briefing (b) Production of advisories for specific threats (c) Generating immediate security warnings/alerts and Incorporation it into security trainings
- Monitor the security environment and recommend adjustments to security policies and procedures as appropriate
- Ensure that incident report forms are properly compiled by staff and submitted to country office online reporting profile
- Monitor and provide support to working practices within context of safety and security risks and alert the SM if inappropriate decisions are impacting on the safety and security of the team or external perception of the organization, thereby creating security risks
Training
- Maintain security briefing materials and provide orientation for incoming or newly appointed SC staff
- Support the provision of security training to SC staff and partners. Trainings are likely to include personal safety and security, medical, communications, guard force and drivers but will also include other higher-level security trainings. Full training will be given to the post holder to enable them to deliver such trainings (although any prior training experience will be looked upon favorably).
- Support Area security focal points and contribute to their capacity to conduct threat assessments and security briefings for visitors
Incident Response
- The successful candidate will support in SCI incident response procedures. This will include identifying current risks, incident reporting, monitoring current security regulations and responding to critical incidents.
Staff Tracking
- SC receives a number of visitors, and has a large number of staff and partner agencies. These visitors & staff require briefing, providing with visitors briefing note, movements tracking for national staff and Internationals, given security updates and on occasion escorted in the field. These duties will require close liaison and cooperation with SCI admin, logistics and management staff.
- Advise on safe movement of staff, e.g. support the logistics in ensuring proper vehicle management procedures, adequate safety and communications equipment in vehicles, and training of drivers in established procedures and requisite skills
- Assist with threat risk assessments process of field missions to programme areas and potential programme areas; report on findings and advise on necessary improvements through established Risk Assessment format.
Communication, Liaison & Representation
- Provide recommendations to SC staff as to ways in which they can effectively reach out to, gain acceptance from and improve their image in host communities
- Ensure that regular security meetings are conducted with relevant SC staff; attend external security meetings as appropriate
- Interaction with local Govt, NGOs, Civil Society groups, community members, security forces- SPU commanders, police stations and division commander, UNDSS, and armed groups as required.
- Other security duties as directed by the Security Manager (SM)
Competencies and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Delivering Results (Skilled)
- Delivers timely and appropriate results using available resources
- Takes responsibility for their work and its impact on others
- Plans, prioritises and performs tasks well without needing direct supervision
- Understands the link between their work and the organisation’s objectives
Problem solving and decision making (Skilled)
- Gathers the right information and uses critical thinking to make effective and timely decisions
- Stays with a problem or challenge until a solution is reached or is no longer reasonably attainable.
- Knows when to involve others in a decision
- Demonstrates awareness of the wider external influences that impact on decision making
- Simplifies processes and procedures wherever possible
Applying Technical and Professional Expertise (Skilled)
- Makes decisions based on professional expertise and experience without deferring unnecessarily to others
- Shares knowledge and best practice on technical solutions so that others can make best use of that expertise
- Actively seeks new ways to develop the application of technical and professional standards within the team
Networking (Skilled)
- Actively participates in networks to access and contribute to good practice
- Gathers and distributes organisational intelligence
- Maintains and develops a range of contacts and keeps them informed
- Knows what is needed from contacts and what they need to benefit from the relationship too
Working effectively with others (Skilled)
- Actively listens to new and different perspectives and experiences of those they work with
- Proactively supports team members and trusts their capabilities
- Demonstrates understanding of their skills and how they complement those of others within diverse teams and groups
Clarifies their role and responsibilities within the team to maximise impact
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field
- Formal security qualification
- Minimum 2 years practical field experience in security management (e.g. military, police, or direct INGO security management) in challenging or insecure environments, with good knowledge of personnel and organisational security issues, threat/risk assessment, security management and awareness;
- A clear understanding of the philosophy and mode of operation of NGOs in Somalia
- The candidate must have a well-established information network within Somalia
- Experience in liaising with civilian, police and military government authorities, as well as with regional, national and international institutions
- Experience of incident reporting, information collation and analysis functions
- Ability to balance demands of beneficiary and security actors while maintaining appropriate contextual NGO security advice and coordination
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and pragmatism
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
- Ability to present complex information in a concise and compelling manner
- A high degree of common sense and a genuine interest in people.
- Excellent planning, coordination and reporting skills, with the ability to organize a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities
- Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, in the event of emergencies
- Willingness to work and travel throughout Somalia/Somaliland
- Competency in Internet and Microsoft Office systems including Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Fluency in English, both written and spoken
- Commitment to Save the Children International’s global policies and values.
Desirable
- A formal security qualification or appropriate security management training
- Experience in security provision in emergency response
- Background in large international non-governmental organisation or other international relief/development body.
- Access and other database/mapping systems
- written and verbal communication in Somali language is an added advantage
How to Apply:
Interested candidates are required to submit a CV and mandatory cover letter quoting the Job Title and Vacancy Announcement No. SCI/SOM/30/15 on the subject line.
The file name of the CV and attachments must be the applicants name and sent to Somalia.vacancies@savethechildren.org.
Applications close on 29th October 2015.