ROLE PURPOSE

The Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Manager will report to and work closely with the Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Director (HASSD) to implement the country HASS strategy and objectives agreed with the SLT and GSS. The role will strengthen collaboration with other functions, conduct safety and security assessments, make recommendations, and support their implementation across country programmes. The HASSM will help implement Save the Children’s Safety and Security Policy and Standards and Duty of Care Policy, drive improvements in safety and security management, and support compliance with Minimum Standards. The post holder will also promote the organisation’s security ethos and, while on assignment, play a key role in building the capacity of Safety and Security Focal Points and field-based HASS teams.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Engage country programme management and staff at all levels to promote adoption of, and compliance with, Save the Children’s Safety and Security Policy and Standards.
• Conduct quarterly Security Risk Assessments for all field offices, emergency responses and humanitarian operations, and share findings with operations leadership.
• Support implementation of, and compliance with, Save the Children’s Safety and Security Policy and Standards in coordination with HASS field teams, Area Directors and Field Managers.
• Develop and deliver safety and security capacity-building training for Country Office and field office staff, in line with HASS Department training plans.
• Provide safety and security management advice, guidance and support to field offices, emergency teams and incident management teams.
• Support emergency responses across operational areas and coordinate with the humanitarian team to assign a Safety and Security Focal Point for each emergency response project.
• Provide technical guidance to field offices on implementing action plans related to the safety and security management framework, SOPs, arrangements and improvement plans.
• Review country and programme security guidelines and recommend improvements to security management plans, evacuation contingency plans and standard operating procedures, in line with Save the Children’s Policy and Standards.
• Promote team-led development of safety and security plans and guidelines to strengthen ownership and compliance.
• Ensure safety and security are integrated into programme design and operations from the earliest planning stages.
• Promote appointment of a Safety and Security Focal Point in each programme, reporting to the SMT, and advise on minimum training standards based on the country security context. Support capacity-building for each focal point according to programme needs.
• Promote safety and security as a standing SMT agenda item and support establishment of a core Crisis Management Team.
• Contribute to new project kick-off meetings by analysing the context and security situation in project locations, presenting updated Security Risk Assessments, and updating security risks in the PART.

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Planning and Preparation:

• Ensure compliance with, and alignment to, SCI Key Performance Indicators.
• Prepare, manage and report on the SCI security budget.
• Work with the HASSD to review existing CO safety and security policies and procedures, assess their functionality across the Country Office, and identify improvements, including incident monitoring and communications, staff movement, and security risk assessments.
• Support CO and field office leadership teams in preparing for major events and critical security incidents.
• Prepare and update CO and field office safety and security management plans, and support development of field plans aligned with CO and supporting Country Office plans.
• Work closely with the Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Director on emergency planning, including country and field office emergency plans, contingency plans, relocation and evacuation plans, and staff headcounts.
• Conduct security awareness training in line with SCI policies and procedures, in coordination with the Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Director and relevant teams.
• Support the selection of security focal points and ensure they receive appropriate training.
• Oversee regular assessments of SCI and international staff residences and advise on required security measures or relocation.
• Establish and maintain a consolidated residence map, assistance response plan, and emergency alert and response system.
• Work with Area Directors, HPIs and relevant field programme teams to update background documentation and analysis for context assessments, develop actor and stakeholder mapping, and maintain an operations stakeholder map.
• Work with the Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Director and Area Directors to develop safety and security scenario planning, including triggers for hibernation, relocation and evacuation of international staff under threat in high-risk situations.
• Ensure appropriate and adequate contingency and emergency planning, including incident management, crisis management and HERP.
• Promote a culture of safety and security planning, including effective journey planning in line with core safety and security principles.

Procedures and Protocols:

• Develop, implement and maintain SCI international safety and security protocols, including emergency medical and evacuation procedures, coordinating with supporting Country Offices as needed.
• Engage with HASS colleagues and external organisations to gather and analyse information on the security environment and develop context-specific standard operating procedures for programme implementation.
• Ensure effective communication systems are in place, including communication trees, mobile phones and Thuraya networks.
• Update and maintain written transportation and movement protocols to institutionalise procedures.
• Develop and maintain a Go/No-Go area map in collaboration with Field Senior Management Teams and monitor staff compliance with approved safety and security measures.

Act in a Crisis:

• Support Field Senior Management Teams during crises or emergencies by advising on possible response options and actions.
• Immediately notify the Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Director, DCD Operations, Operations Director and Country Office of events that affect, or may affect, staff safety and security or cause asset damage.
• incidents.
• Provide the Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Director with regular updates on the security situation and actions taken to mitigate identified threats.
• Support emergency evacuations in coordination with Area Directors, HPIs and the Humanitarian Access and Safety and Security Director.
• Investigate security incidents and ensure appropriate follow-up.
• Report security incidents promptly, in line with SCI protocols and using the online reporting system.

Capacity-building and gap-filling:

• Support Field Office teams to strengthen safety and security capacity and provide deployable support during exceptional circumstances. Key responsibilities include:
• Develop and deliver training modules that address identified knowledge gaps within field offices and implementing partners, strengthening local safety and security capacity.
• Deliver HEAT and related safety and security training, including fire safety and first aid, where required.
• Identify gaps in field office security management and planning and support resourcing and implementation of improvements.
• Identify external training opportunities for field office programme, safety and security teams.
• Support Safety and Security Officers in mentoring new and junior staff to strengthen recruitment, onboarding and professional development.
• Develop effective Standard Operating Procedures and support their implementation.
• Ensure movement control procedures are implemented effectively across all offices.
• Coordinate with the HASS team to develop contingency plans for major events and critical incidents, share best practices, ensure consistency, and build implementing partners’ safety and security capacity.

Deploy at short notice to support operations in any SCI programme area or temporarily cover vacant safety and security roles, under the Country Office line management structure.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Relevant professional qualification in security, safety or risk management, together with proven experience in a similar senior security management role.
• 5 years of relevant experience with NGOs or similar
• Expertise in current safety and security practices and issues affecting aid work globally.
• Previous experience as an NGO Humanitarian Access/ Security Adviser/Manager
• Fluent in English (written and spoken).
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at all levels, establish information and security networks, and coordinate with country authorities, none state actors, international organisations security forums and local NGOs.
• Experience of working in high-risk areas contexts.  Self-motivated with the ability to work autonomously in a highly stressful and challenging environments and circumstances.
• Proven ability to undertake Security Risk assessments. 
• Proven, hands-on experience managing security incidents and crises at field or country office level, including activation of incident/crisis management plans, coordination of the response, and post-incident review.
• Proven experience designing and delivering safety and security training programmes to national and international staff, including assessing training needs and evaluating training effectiveness.
• Strong technical safety and security management skills (e.g. security risk assessment methodologies, security communications and incident-reporting systems), combined with demonstrated ability to transfer this expertise and build technical capacity within a national team through structured coaching and mentoring.
• Be willing to attend training as directed and implement the outcomes of the training attended.
• Ability to formulate and communicate analysis of a changing security environment.
• Proven skills in concise and succinct report writing.  Ability to prioritise security related tasks and complete reports to deadlines.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Proven knowledge of MS office applications and IT literacy and capacity to learn and use other packages.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children.  In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin all aspects of the job.   Commitment to Save the Children child protection policy.

Desirable: 

• Degree in Security Risk Management, Crisis/Disaster Management or a related field.
• HEAT, First Aid & Health & Safety Training and/or qualifications
• Operational experience in post war / disaster affected environments with NGO, Military or police background.
• Recognised training/facilitation certification (e.g. Training of Trainers, HEAT Trainer).

Additional language(s) – ideally perfect English and Arabic

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.