Job Title: Roving Security Humanitarian Operations Specialist, Action Aid

Job Family: Humanitarian

Directorate/Cluster: Humanitarian

Unit/Team: International Humanitarian Action & Resilience Team (IHART)

Entry Salary: Grade E

Contract Type: Fixed Term – 31/12/2025

Location: Global Secretariat Hub in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, or AA Country Office where appropriate

Budget Holder: Yes

Reports to (incl matrix reporting): Direct: Head of IHART; Matrix: Global Safety and Security Lead;

In-country deployments: Country Director

Application closing date: 25/04/2022

ROLE OVERVIEW

  • Leads on humanitarian operational safety and security to slow and rapid onset humanitarian emergencies in line with ActionAid’s global staff safety and security policy and external safety and security policies and best practice.
  • Supports the operational delivery and coordination of humanitarian operational safety and security for Red and Orange Alert level emergency responses.
  • Provides humanitarian operational safety and security inputs in strategic fundraising efforts and multi-country proposal development in close collaboration with proposal development and fundraising functions as well as support on multi-country humanitarian safety and security investments.
  • Supports monitoring, evaluation and learning as required with regards to humanitarian operational safety and security across ActionAid’s humanitarian programmes and responses to strengthen ActionAid’s operational safety and security capacity in humanitarian preparedness and response in line with our feminist humanitarian signature, ActionAid’s global staff safety and security policy and external safety and security policies and commitments, such as the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).
  • Works with the Global Safety and Security Lead as required and contributes humanitarian operational safety and security operational inputs for federation-wide work and representation as may be delegated.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Impact and contribution

  • Provides strategic operational support to countries to ensure effective and coordinated operational, humanitarian safety and security preparation and response to humanitarian emergencies.
  • Contributes to operational security systems, global staff safety and security policies and practices across humanitarian emergencies that underpin ActionAid’s humanitarian signature and approach.
  • Anchors internal and external reviews/evaluations on humanitarian operational safety and security and facilitates so that lessons learned are shared and incorporated into future humanitarian responses and funding proposals.
  • Leads on the development and implementation of a security strategy, appropriate and evolving procedures and risk management methods based on the contextual situation in the current and potential areas of humanitarian response and operations..
  • Ensures the integration of security risk analysis in humanitarian responses, programmes and operational planning and budgeting.
  • Supports the ActionAid global community of practice of safety and security focal points.
  • Ensures country best practices and lessons learned are integrated into on-going plans and strategies within the

2. System, Policies and Procedures, and Product Management

  • Deploys to humanitarian responses and countries as required to support humanitarian operational safety and security.
  • Ensures all Red and Orange Alerts follow ActionAid’s global staff safety and security policy and external safety and security policies and best practices.
  • Ensures integration of safety and security related operational systems and global staff safety and security policies in prioritised ActionAid countries and in particular during Red/Orange alerts, in close collaboration with the Head of IHART, Deputy Head of IHART, Country Directors, Regional Teams and the Global Safety and Security Lead.
  • Provides leadership with regularly updates of country safety and security policies aligning with ActionAid’s global staff safety and security policies, procedures and protocols as required and support capacity strengthening on the same with staff and partners.
  • Ensures that business support departments nationally and locally (HR, Administration, Finance, IT and Logistics) have in place appropriate systems to facilitate good security management and humanitarian operations in line with ActionAid’s global staff safety and security policies and guidelines.
  • Oversees all IHART restricted and appeal budget components for operational safety and security and ensures regular reporting systems and requirements for operational humanitarian safety and security matters are met and systems are in place internally and externally.
  • Prepares periodic security reports in accordance with ActionAid’s standard operating procedures.
  • Responsible for operational security and safety inputs to special project such as the Review of ActionAid’s Global Emergency Preparedness and Response Handbook

3. Issue Resolutions, Crisis/Risk Management

  • Anticipates significant operational risks and challenges in responding to a variety of humanitarian emergencies at regional and country levels and proactively resolves issues in coordination with members of IHART, the Global Secretariat (GS) and Regional Teams including Executive Directors (EDs)/Country Directors (CDs) of ActionAid (AA) countries.
  • Advises and assists in ensuring compliance with the standards set by the safety risk management process, contributing to efforts to ensure the physical protection of staff, partners, rights holders and others involved in humanitarian responses, programmes and operations.
  • Manages competing stakeholder priorities and demands for humanitarian deployments and support, ensuring that time and resources are allocated based on humanitarian needs, in line with our internal humanitarian signature and Strategic Implementation Framework (SIF) 2 priorities for Pre-Alert, Orange and Red Alert level Emergencies: Preparedness and Response.
  • Works with regions and countries in humanitarian emergencies to ensure sufficient resources (human, financial) are allocated for safety and security of humanitarian programmes, responses and operations.
  • Supports the in-country incident and reporting mechanism for humanitarian responses, programmes and operations and the country level incident and crisis management team as may be required.
  • Evaluates existing in-country safety and security measures to determine their adequacy. Identifies areas for improvement and supports the Executive Director/Country Director/delegated members of staff on the implementation of these improvements.
  • Advises and supports the Executive Director/Country Director and the Emergency Response Team in managing the safety and security of ActionAid staff, partners, operations and premises across humanitarian responses, programmes and operations as per the deployment Terms of Reference (ToR).
  • Assists and develops plans for evacuation/relocation, medical evacuation, and other safety contingencies.
  • Works with the Executive Director/Country Director/delegated members of staff to ensure swift follow up on the recommendations of safety and security missions and assessment reports.
  • Undertakes ad hoc safety and security missions, assessments and reports of existing and new humanitarian programmes/programme areas, offices, guesthouses/hotels and other facilities in AA’s current/future use

4. Communications, Influencing, and Coordination

  • Develops and delivers bespoke operational security trainings for staff and partners in humanitarian programmes, responses and operations. This may include, but not be limited to preparation and conduct of road missions (including convoy procedures) radio communications, Satellite phone communications, immediate action in the event of detection of explosive devices or other hazards, hostage survival and other critical incidents.
  • Conducts rehearsals and practical exercises, including scenario-based simulations, to ensure that all personnel and partners are familiar with standard operating security and security contingency plans and can implement them confidently in an emergency.
  • Coaches and mentors’ staff and partners to improve security management competencies, encouraging teamwork and enhanced co-operation with colleagues and partner agencies.
  • Works closely with the in country security focal point to support capacity strengthening and development vis-à-vis hers/his key responsibilities.
  • Supports the development of job descriptions, ToRs, objectives and recruitment as may be needed for in-country security focal points and personnel.
  • Deputizes for the Global Safety and Security Lead as may be required.
  • Provides specific support to local women’s organisations, young people’s organisations and networks on safety and security policy development and implementation as may be required.
  • Supports the capacity strengthening of the IHART team, delegations, Emergency Fast Action Support Team (EFAST) and Global Secretariat colleagues as relevant on operational safety and security in humanitarian programmes, responses, and operations.
  • Supports when required by region and countries in advocacy with donors and ActionAid members to facilitate safety and security resourcing for humanitarian programmes, responses and operations.
  • Works pro-actively with ActionAid countries and members in support of implementing our humanitarian signature safely and securely at all times.
  • Conducts training and capacity development of staff and partners and support with equipment sourcing and user training as needed.
  • Supports country efforts on safety and security information gathering, analysis, reporting and coordination, as well as internal communication, coordination, and reporting as required.
  • Performs other functions that will be assigned by line / matrix-manager from time to time.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Education and Qualifications

  • University degree from a recognized institution in a relevant discipline  or equivalent experience.
  • Hostile Environment Security Training/ SSAFE Training/ EU-MSO/UN-Security Management or similar trainer of trainers’ qualification.

Essential Experience

  • Substantial security operational and management experience, including in conflict environments, for at least 10 years, including progressive senior leadership positions in countries and at regional/global level.
  • Experience in external engagements, networking and working with the wider security sector.
  • Proven influencing and negotiating skills with a variety of actors in complex and stressful circumstance
  • Willingness and ability to travel at short notice, up to 65% of the time, supporting ActionAid federation programmes, teams and partners on the ground.
  • Experience of building capacity of individuals and teams in safety and security management processes, including delivery of face to face and virtual trainings.

Essential Knowledge

  • Considerable practical experience of security field assessment, planning and implementation of procedures in the context of UN/NGO humanitarian operations, including experience with national and local organizations.
  • Experience of developing and managing safety and security budgets

Essential Skills

  • Excellent communication, reporting and interpersonal skills (written and oral), together with the capacity to remain calm under pressure and not lose sight of strategic priorities.
  • Superior computer/digital skills, including ability to use MS word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Teams, Signal, Zoom and Google Earth.
  • Outstanding leadership, management, and mentoring skills.
  • Strong training and facilitation skills including the ability to conduct Crisis Management training.
  • Commitment to AA’s mission, vision and values with ability to articulate and promote a decolonial, feminist approach to humanitarian response.
  • Ability to work in a federation-based, multicultural environment, engage in social justice activism/advocacy, demonstrate innovative practices and form productive working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
  • Commitment to women’s and young people’s leadership and feminist leadership principles, including a strong understanding of local organizations and networks in humanitarian response.

Language Requirements

  • Fluency in written and spoken English.

This Job Description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.

It is part of every staff member’s responsibility to contribute to ActionAid International culture and comply with organization’s values and practice, which are:

  • Leading Innovation and Change: Establish a culture of excellence in a respective team that values experimentation and continuous improvement
  • Feminist Leadership: Championing feminist leadership principles and values including commitment to diversity and inclusion (race, gender, power)
  • AAI Values Practice: Ensure personal and team culture that demonstrates all of AAI values including Mutual Respect, Equity, and Justice, Integrity, Solidarity with People Living in Poverty and Exclusion, Courage of Conviction, Independence and Humility

Application: https://actionaidinternational.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=108

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