Career Opportunities at Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Overall Objective

The Regional Safety Coordinator (RSC) will advise and assist the Regional Director (RD), the Regional Senior Management Team (SMT) and Country Directors to develop and implement DRC’s Safety Risk Management (SRM) system for both DRC and DDG programmes in the East Africa and Yemen region.

Reporting Arrangements

The RSC reports to the DRC Regional Director, with a technical line to the Global Safety Advisor at HQ. While the RSC does not directly line manage safety staff, the RSC provides technical oversight and support to safety staff within the region.

Specific Objectives

The RSC, in consultation with the safety team, local safety staff and CDs, is expected to pursue the following objectives in his/her daily work:

• Oversee the Safety Risk Management (SRM) process within the EAY region
• Develop and maintain regional safety management policies, protocols and procedures, and support the contextualization of country and area level plans and procedures.
• Facilitate Safety Risk Assessments (SRAs) and support the implementation of mitigation measures
• Analyze, manage and report relevant information at country and regional levels
• Quality assurance monitoring and reporting
• Support and deliver safety-related training
• Mentor and provide technical supervision to international and national safety staff
• Develop the capacity of, and coordinate, the Regional Crisis Management Team and Country Incident Management Teams
• Provide surge support to country programmes
• Facilitate travel planning for VIPs and other higher profile visits to areas in the region

Responsibilities and Tasks

To achieve the position objectives, the RSC will perform the following tasks and undertake the following responsibilities:

Oversee the development and implementation of the SRM process. Specific tasks include:

• Assist and monitor the development of SRAs; supervise and endorse the assessment of Safety Levels
• Advise the SMT, CDs and Area Managers on available safety management strategies, including the transfer, avoidance, acceptance and/or control of risks.
• Assist in the development of country and area-specific safety plans, including Local Safety Rules (LSR); Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); Contingency Plans (CPs); mitigation action plans; and Minimum Operating Safety Standards (MOSS).
• Support the implementation of safety improvement plans and other related functions; and assist in the implementation of staff capacity training plans, including the delivery and prioritization of training modules
• Develop and maintain Regional Safety Operating Procedures (RSOPs) and support the contextualization of the RSOPs at country and area level, as necessary.

Provide technical support to Country Directors and Country Safety Coordinators/safety staff

• Provide technical supervision and support to all senior safety staff
• Develop the skills and knowledge of safety staff through constructive feedback, training events and supporting personal development goals.
• Assist Country Offices with the selection, recruitment and professional development of safety staff.

Provision of dependable advice in relation to programme access and continuity, including:

• Provision of regular analysis, statistics and reporting on key developments within the region
• Tailored analysis and assessments, including SRAs, on specific areas, themes, issues or scenarios
• Maintain a register of negotiations and developments related to access and humanitarian space
• Establish and maintain a list of contacts throughout the region
• Provide safety advice as part of programme development and during programme implementation, including programme assessments
• Identify potential scenarios, indicators of change and key decision points

Represent the country programmes within inter-agency fora as related to safety issues, including:

• Focal point for safety co-ordination between relevant actors within the area of operations
• Attend NSP, UN and other relevant external fora
• Establish a network of contacts and represent DRC/DDG at security meetings

Capacity building of all staff, including:

• Provide operational safety briefings and orientation to new staff and visitors
• Brief new international and non-local staff on specific cultural norms and behaviours
• Train national and international safety in the delivery of establish safety training modules
• Organize and coordinate the delivery of Personal Awareness and Safety Training (PAST) , Incident Management Training, Hostage Survival Training, as a minimum on a regular basis

Incident and crisis management and response, including:

• Support the establishment and maintenance of the CMT and Country IMTs
• Coordinate the CMT in the event of a critical incident or crisis
• Ensure effective country level Critical Incident Management Plans are in place
• Brief CMT members on their responsibilities and ensure alternate members are available and briefed
• Assist in the management of safety incidents and provide timely and accurate incident reports

Quality assurance of safety-related policies, protocols, procedures and regulations, including:

• MOSS audits of all programme areas
• Systematic reviews of SRM Systems at the country and area levels
• Assess the level of implementation of mitigation measures within the safety improvement plans

Act as the focal point for technical advice on procurement and installation of safety-related equipment, facilities and other resources, including:

• Assist logisticians and administrators with the procurement, delivery and control of safety equipment
• Act as the focal point for radios and satellite phones

About you

To be successful in this role, we expect you to be a positive, mature leader with a proven track record of developing and implementing safety related initiatives. You thrive in managing a wide range of responsibilities, and can effectively communicate and coordination regional safety processes.

You are an effective people manager and enjoy working with teams of committed staff to build collaboration and capacity within the regional team and in support of country operations.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate each of DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results by demonstrating a high level of expertise and ensuring the same from colleagues in the country programmes
• Collaborating: You lead regional safety processes by involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership of the safety risk management system within the region and aim for consistently high safety standards in the region by engaging directly with relevant staff
• Communicating: You listen to other stakeholders and staff; and you communicate concisely and persuasively
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values

Personal Specifications

• At least five years’ experience as a safety and security manager with an INGO at a country/programme level on an international contract
• Proven ability to develop and implement effective and contextualized protocols and systems
• A high level of personal integrity
• Ability to be flexible and demonstrate an innovative approach to safety risk management
• Demonstrated experience with information gathering, analysis and report writing
• Demonstrated ability to conduct and produce high quality safety risk assessments (SRAs)
• Demonstrated experience with critical incident management
• Demonstrated experience with delivering safety-related training
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Proven ability to work effectively with minimal supervision
• Stable, dedicated team-player with a good sense of humor
• Excellent communication skills
• Willingness to travel at least 50% of the time
• Fluent in written and spoken English

Preferable:

• Experience with the East Africa or Yemen contexts
• Knowledge of Arabic, French, and/or Somali
• Sub-regional or regional security management experience
• Programme experience is considered highly desirable

Conditions:

Contract: 12 month renewable contract

Other employment conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates recruited by the East Africa and Yemen Regional Office or the DRC national staff salary scale, as relevant. This position is rated an A4 on the DRC Expatriate salary scale available at www.drc.dk.

Availability: 1 May 2017

Duty Station: Nairobi or other family duty locations in the region; this is a family duty station with benefits as per DRC Global and regional policy for international staff.

General

Commitments: DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability commitments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework

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Key Responsibilities

Management of the Secretariat

• Direct and manage the team of RMMS staff in Nairobi: currently: 2 RMMS project officers, 1 4Mi project manager and (while under daily supervision of the 4Mi PM) a team of approximately 7 4Mi staff.
• Develop work plans for the RMMS, to be submitted to the RMMS Steering Committee.
• Manage budgets and interventions of various donors including the EU, IGAD, Swiss SDC/HSD, UK FCO, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNICEF, GIZ and others as they arise.
• Maintain excellent donor relations and bring in new donors to fund and support RMMS (and DRC).
• Manage any external consultants working on special (research) projects.

Data collection, information management

• Maintain and manage the RMMS web portal, to make information and analysis available to regional agencies and stakeholders. Continue to develop RMMS reputation as the go-to resource on mixed migration in the region and beyond.
• Maintain and manage the regular dissemination of RMMS products such as the monthly summaries, maps and media listings
• Take overall responsibility for the Mixed Migration Monitoring Mechanism Initiative (4Mi) in the East Africa and Yemen region, while the programme is rapidly expanding within and beyond the region. Closely manage the 4Mi project manager, ensure the quality of the 4Mi programme, lead new initiatives in data analysis and presentation and work closely with the Global Mixed Migration Secretariat (GMMS) in Geneva and other DRC/RMMS regional hubs in improving and expanding this RMMS flagship project.
• In close cooperation with the 4Mi PM and senior analyst, develop a system of regular dissemination of analysis of 4Mi data.

Research and analysis

• Continue to coordinate and manage sector-leading research initiatives on areas of relevance and interest, as approved by the Steering Committee, and thereby maintain RMMS’s pre-eminent research reputation in the sector.
• Continue the sector-leading analysis of regional mixed migration data, strategies, policies and legislation, and production and dissemination of quality reports.
• Continue to produce high-quality briefing and discussion papers and feature articles, if possible in cooperation with external authors, providing original insights and in-depth analysis on new, emerging trends in mixed migration.

Support to policy development and operations

• Facilitate and coordinate regular consultation/technical workshops and conferences/meetings, to identify areas for research or tools development.
• Work on the development of a regional policy development strategy and in regional coordination of information campaigns.
• Present at, and/or offer RMMS staff and resources to support international and inter-regional conferences, workshops and debates as well as training programmes, all to add value to the relevant sector.
• Continue to develop strong linkages between RMMS data collection, research & analysis and policy development and operational responses.

Projects and partnerships

• Support existing forums in the region to develop a better understanding of the regional aspects of mixed migration.
• Continue to engage in partnerships with fora such as the International Detention Coalition (IDC), the Platform on Disaster Displacement, Mhub and other actors.
• Offer RMMS support to national Mixed Migration Task Forces (MMTFs) in the region if and when needed.
• Establish new partnerships and where relevant and feasible bring in new, separately funded research projects.
• Contribute to the Geneva-based Global Mixed Migration Secretariat (GMMS) by offering support and regional insights as and when requested, to allow the GMMS and DRC to further define its role vis a vis the growing phenomenon of mixed migration globally.
• Maintain excellent relations with DRC country offices, HQ and external stakeholders.

Reporting Arrangements

• Strategic and Technical supervision and reporting: The Coordinator will report to the Steering Committee on a quarterly basis, and work according to the rolling 6 months’ work plans approved by the Steering Committee.
• Administrative supervision: The Coordinator of The Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat will be supervised by the DRC Deputy Director for East Africa and Yemen. The RMMS Coordinator line manages and supervises the technical/administrative staff of the secretariat and any short-term consultants.

Qualifications & Experience

• Advanced university degree in International Law, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or similar;
• A minimum of 7-10 years of experience in a relevant international position;
• Excellent human rights/protection knowledge and solid knowledge of international refugee law;
• Strong background in migration and having a clear understanding of the regional mixed migration dynamic in the Horn of Africa and Yemen;
• Field protection experience from one of the concerned countries is an added advantage;
• Proven experience in leading and conducting research will be an added advantage;
• Proven programme management skills;
• Good IT command, solid understanding of web, and database design;
• Strong analytical and writing skills in English is essential; proven track record of publications on migration;
• Good command of one of the following languages is a strong added advantage: French, Arabic, Somali and/or Amharic;
• Good networking skills.

Conditions

Contract: One year contract (renewable)

Other employment conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates recruited by the Horn of Africa Regional Office. This position is rated as A11 on the DRC salary scale available at www.drc.dk or competitive salary for National staff as per DRC national staff terms of employment.

Duty Station: Nairobi with travel to other regions; this is a family duty station with benefits as per DRC Global and regional policy for international staff.