ERT Safety & Security Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC Emergency Response Team (ERT) staff is expected to be deployed in the field, either in an emergency or roving capacity, for 65% of the time and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification; emergency deployments take precedence over other duties.

Members of the ERT are deployed to either support 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. The ERT is 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 ERT – Emergency Safety & Security Coordinator (ESS Co) will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of IRC’s Safety and Security Policies during EHAU-led emergency deployments. They will work with the ERT – Emergency Safety & Security Senior Coordinator (ESS Snr Co) and the EHAU Senior Director of People & Operations in Emergencies, to ensure that organizational security policies and procedures are adapted to the specific context of each emergency response, adequate and known to staff. The ESS Co will conduct training on site for staff and others (external security providers) and facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate security management responses including plans and Standard Operating Procedures that fits IRC’s policy and standards. They 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 ESS Co is also expected to support in developing humanitarian access strategies, knowledge and operational concepts, in link with the ESS Snr Co and the Humanitarian Access team, in order to ensure emergency responses also take into account humanitarian access challenges.

Major Responsibilities:

Emergency Response

Safety and Security Management Planning

• Conduct Security Risks Assessments of the environment and provide prioritized recommendations for context specific security management requirements to their respective deployment supervisor as well as to their respective technical supervisor. Execute all approved recommendations.

• Lead on overall management and implementation of IRC’s Safety and Security Policies during EHAU-led emergency responses (i.e., new Country Programs) with the support of the ESS Snr Co.

• Ensure sustainability and compliance of IRC’s Safety & Security management systems during EHAU led emergency responses in order to ensure appropriate handover to Country Programs/Region.

• Coordinate and collaborate with the ESS Snr Co, Country and Regional Safety & Security staff on overall management and implementation of IRC’s Safety & Security Policies during Country Program/Region led emergency responses.

• 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 responses.

• Construct a suitable communications infrastructure to allow the emergency response teams 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.

• In cooperation with other IRC functions among the emergency response and country office teams, ensure safety and security cost are included into proposals.

• Identify, recruit, and train new security staff for new country programs, when appropriate ensure mentoring/capacity building of existing country office security staff.

• Ensure sustainability of the safety and security management systems and appropriate handover to Country Office Security Focal Point.

Building Acceptance to empower and expand humanitarian programming

• Within each response build with key team members, a humanitarian access approach/strategy where applicable, and liaise with the ERT Country Director/Emergency Team Leader.to ensure that appropriate staff time is allocated to achieve implementation, follow up and effectiveness analysis of the plan.

• Develop ongoing relationships with community elders and other power brokers within response areas of intervention. Work both internally and externally to ensure that IRC, its mission and work in the areas of intervention 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 the ERT Country Director/Emergency Team Leader, liaise with relevant security actors.

• Coordinate with the ESS Snr. Co and the Humanitarian Access Department in order to implement, support and guide any field humanitarian access initiatives with IRC’s tools, policies and protocols.

Partnerships

• Support in the delivery of IRC S&S L&D framework towards IRC partners in emergency contexts.

• Keep records on trainings and report data to EHAU, regional and global security teams as required.

• Ensure the quality, accountability and consistency in emergency S&S work led by IRC’s local and national partners by providing technical assistance, training and socializing systems and tools.

• Review partner technical tools, reports, and data; recommend adaptations or process improvements as required.

• Adapt IRC direct implementation emergency tools and systems for partner use in line with identified needs and requests.

• Champion a culture of effective and respective partnerships across the Emergency S&S team.

Monitoring, Analysis and Supervision.

• Identify, establish and manage context appropriate approach to ensure 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 or weekly contextual updates, as needed, to the deployment supervisor as well as technical supervisor.

• 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 designated Regional Safety & Security Director and fulfil reporting requirements

• Report to the ESS Snr Co and/or Regional Safety & Security Director on all technical and contextual safety and security issues

Emergency Roadmap and Emergency S&S resources

• Support the ESS Snr. Co in ensuring that the S&S content in the roadmap is always updated and aligns with the Global S&S standards.

• Participate in any cross-cutting working group on the roadmap as requested by the ESS Snr. Co

Emergency Preparedness

• Work with the EHAU and high risks country programs to implement security emergency preparedness through in-country training, mentoring and remote technical support.

• Support standardization of emergency S&S systems/practices, systematization of data sharing, and centralized emergency S&S knowledge management.

• Support the coordination and upkeeping of S&S emergency response resources including but not limited to emergency rapid needs assessment tools and technical tools.

• Participate in and contribute to security content for EHAU training and conferences.

Team Culture

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with EHAU, the Global S&S Department and regional colleagues and continually promote a culture of partnership and collaboration.

• Cultivate and maintain a positive, collaborative, safe and protective work environment, while additionally setting an example of ‘One IRC’-way of working within the team, EHAU and the wider organization.

• Contribute to efforts across EHAU to promote gender equality, diversity and more inclusive practice across our programming and our ways of working.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years of non-profit or NGO work experience within international humanitarian assistance programs with demonstrated successes in planning, organizing and managing Safety and security in complex and volatile environments. Ability to commit to deployment within 72 hours of notification of assignment for a minimum of 6 and up to 12 weeks at a time;

• 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.

• Multi-lingual skills mandatory – with priority placed on French and Arabic

**Standard of Professional Conduct:**The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.