ERT Humanitarian Access, Safety and Security Coordinator

Background:

The International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Unit (EmU) leads IRC’s global emergency preparedness and response to sudden-onset crises, complex emergencies, and high-risk contexts. EmU strengthens IRC’s ability to operate safely and effectively in volatile environments through surge capacity, systems development, and expert technical leadership. Safety and Security is a core enabling function for EmU’s mandate. The Emergency Humanitarian Access, Safety & Security Coordinator supports IRC to sustain principled humanitarian action, protect staff and partners, and maintain continuity of programs during acute emergencies and major crises.

Scope of Work:

As a core member of IRC’s ERT (EmU’s deployable staff) and reporting to the Director of Emergency Humanitarian Access, Safety and Security (DEHASS), the Emergency Humanitarian Access, Safety & Security Coordinator (ERT HASSC) will deploy in support of EmU-led or country-led emergency responses for 65% of the time in a fiscal year. 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 for the 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.

With the support of the DEHASS and working with the assigned Response Lead (whether from EmU or a Country Director), they will be responsible for the adaptation and implementation of organizational humanitarian access, safety and security policies and procedures to the specific context and programmatic response ambitions to ensure IRC reaches those who are worst-affected and least-served. They will ensure processes are inclusive, and procedures and measures put in place enable safe programming and are widely known to staff. The ERT HASSC will conduct trainings on site for staff (and, where relevant, partners) and facilitate two-way communication channels that provides expert security advice, and gathers staff’s insights and needs, to all levels of IRC staff working in the emergency response. The ERT HASSC will ensure context analysis is produced to inform programmatic needs, security updates, travel advisories, and incident management.

The ERT must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification; emergency deployments will normally take precedence over other duties. When not deployed, the ERT HASSC will provide a combination of strategic, operational and technical support to the DEHASS and the (global) Analysis, Security, Access and Preparedness (ASAP) team. This includes supporting the development, adaptation and implementation of processes and tools for IRC’s most complex operating environments and emergencies, including scenario analysis, response and contingency plans, and training in aspects of access and security management. It may also include backstopping to deployed Global Surge Team (GST) HASS Coordinators who provide additional surge capacity to EmU and the ERT.

Major Responsibilities:

Humanitarian Access, Safety and Security Management

• In collaboration with Field Response leadership, (Emergency Country Directors, and Team leaders), lead the identification, analysis, and mitigation of humanitarian access, safety and security risks across emergency responses, ensuring alignment with IRC’s Security Minimum Standards (SMS) and duty of care, and integrating GEDI and PEERS principles into HASS culture and practice.
• Develop and implement specific access, security and acceptance strategies, in coordination with the Emergency Country Director/ERT Leader, ASAP and/or Regional Safety and Security Director (RSSD) to enable emergency programs to serve the worst-affected and least-served conflict affected populations.
• In coordination with Country Director/Emergency Team Leader, and Program teams, build and maintain relationships, engage and negotiate with authorities, key power brokers, security actors, and community stakeholders, including state and non‑state actors, to ensure IRC’s mission and activities are understood and accepted, and that staff and programs can operate safely and without disruption.
• Establish and maintain emergency-appropriate access and security incident reporting and trend analysis systems that (could) impact IRC’s areas of operation that reaches country/ERT leadership, senior program and operational staff and/or the DEHASS and RSSD, to inform program design, movement control, and contingency planning.
• Construct and maintain context-appropriate communications infrastructure (e.g., VHF/HF/satellite) in emergency responses, and support enhancement and consistency of EmU’s systems across emergency responses.
• Serve as a member of Field Critical Incident Management Team, supporting the management and resolution of major incidents when activated and relevant.
• Provide technical input to assessments and proposal development for new programs and geographic expansion, and ensure access, safety and security costs are integrated into proposals, operational budgets, and EmU annual planning, contributing to SAP‑aligned budget inputs.
• Coordinate and collaborate with Country and Regional HASS staff on overall management and implementation of IRC’s relevant policies and procedures during Country Program/Region led emergency responses.
• Ensure sustainability of the HASS management systems and appropriate handover to the Country Director and relevant Security Focal Points.
• Collaborate with relevant IRC units to ensure prompt and appropriate follow-up to violations of IRC’s Code of Conduct and breaches of humanitarian principles.
• Identify, establish and manage context appropriate approach to assure IRC facilities are secure – i.e., third party security companies or directly hired IRC security watchmen.
• Input into the SHIELD incident database for incident reporting and management, to facilitate After-Action Reviews with clear, documented corrective actions, and produce trend analyses to inform decision-making and risk mitigation in emergency contexts.
• Report to the DEHASS on all technical and contextual humanitarian access, safety and security issues.
• When not deployed to an emergency response, participate, support, and collaborate in the development and delivery of the shared service offering of ASAP for emergency responses as well as country programs, which may include in-country or remote support to scenario workshops, developing access and security strategies, conducting trainings, or supporting emergency preparedness.

Learning & Development

• Design, deliver, and supervise emergency HASS capacity-strengthening plans in emergency responses; ensure effective delivery of global S&S trainings, including gender-sensitive approaches that address gender-specific risks.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of capacity sharing initiatives including negotiation training, READI training or peer learning on humanitarian access and security, within EmU, with Country Programs and with IRC’s partners (including SV and Intersos).
• Lead and facilitate Critical Incident/Crisis Management training for emergency response SMTs, in coordination/collaboration with Global Safety & Security resources.
• Keep records on trainings, identify gaps, and report data to regional and global security level as required, and suggest refreshers or reassignments where required.
• Support development, updates and revisions of HASS technical resources, including training materials and content in the Emergency roadmap, ensuring alignment with HASS good practices and Global S&S standards.
• Support the monitoring, analysis and reporting of global access and security incidents and trends, and work with Global Crisis Analysis and other key stakeholders to ensure analysis informs decision-making.

Partnerships

• Lead the delivery of partner capacity sharing plans in emergency contexts where relevant to HASS, and ensure the application of IRC’s S&S L&D framework.
• Ensure the quality, accountability and consistency in emergency HASS 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 in order to ensure quality, accountability and consistency in partner-led HASS.
• Adapt IRC direct implementation emergency tools and systems for partner use as requested and needed.
• Champion a culture of effective and respective partnerships across the Emergency S&S team, and across departments in emergency responses.

Team Culture

• Build and maintain strong working relationships across EmU, Global S&S Department and regional/country colleagues to promote a culture of partnership, collaboration and One IRC ways of working within the team, EmU and the wider organisation.
• Cultivate and maintain a positive, collaborative, safe and protective work environment, ensuring that humanitarian access, security and safety are two-way conversations with staff, and their role in HASS approaches are emphasized.
• Contribute to efforts across EmU and within emergency responses to promote gender equality, diversity and more inclusive practice across our programming and our ways of working.

Requirements

• Approximately 6 years of non-profit or NGO work experience within international humanitarian assistance programs with demonstrated successes in planning, organizing and managing humanitarian access, 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.
• Understanding of humanitarian principles, codes of conduct and ideally, specific sub-sector work linked to NGO field operations contexts.
• Proven ability to gain a precise understanding of the various local, regional, country and international policies, operational positions and interactions of unfolding security and political situations, providing clear dynamic briefings and facilitation to reach shared analysis outputs to inform decision making before and during emergencies and major crises.
• Demonstrated understanding and successes in gender security management and gender equality.
• Skilled in influencing and obtaining cooperation of individuals at different levels and without supervisory line; able to work as member of multinational team and manage a variety of external and internal relationships to achieve results.
• Advanced level knowledge of communications technology, including VHF, HF radio systems, satellite communications, cell phone mediums, etc.
• Evidence of experience in capacity strengthening, including prior experience as a facilitator and trainer – the ability to develop, implement, facilitate and impart learning to a wide range of audiences.
• English and French essential; preference also for Arabic or Spanish.

EmU strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a unit and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation

Narrowing the Gender Gap: The International Rescue Committee is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including a flexible hour (when possible), maternity leave, transportation support, and gender-sensitive security protocols.