Country Security & Access Manager (INT9059) At Oxfam GB

About Oxfam

Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

Oxfam GB is a member of the international confederation Oxfam.

Our team

To act with poor people as a force for change in addressing the causes of poverty, suffering and injustice, alleviating their symptoms

Job purpose

The Country Security and Access Manager (CSAM), as a member of the Country Management Team (CMT) will work with the mission to ensure that organizational security and access policies and procedures are responsive to the context, adequate and known to staff and advise on humanitarian access processes and approaches in close coordination with program teams. This position must maintain an acute awareness of the context and all threats as they relate to Oxfam’s operations. S/he will provide the program, operations/logistics, advocacy and management teams with up-to-date context and situational briefings, analysis and engage as a thought partner in finding solutions to reach people safely and effectively in need with humanitarian and development assistance.

Core details

Location: Erbil, with frequent travel to field offices

Salary: According to Oxfam Iraq Salary Scale

Internal Grade: C1

Job Family: Security

Contract type: Fixed term

This role reports to: Country Director

**Staff reporting to this post:**TBC

Screening checks:

All successful candidates will be screened through Refinitiv World-Check One to comply with counter terrorism and financial sanctions regulations.

References:

Should you be successful and not already employed by Oxfam GB, we will require minimum of two references covering five years of employment history.

DBS checks (for roles based in the UK):

It is a requirement in the UK for a new DBS check at enhanced level for every new member of staff who works directly with, or has regular contact with, children or vulnerable adults in the UK (consistent with DBS guidance and relevant law).

Key responsibilities

Humanitarian Access Management Essential Responsibilities:

• In close cooperation with the program, support and security teams develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites throughout Iraq.
• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to local context and include overarching community engagement components.
• In consultations with the program team and Country Director, develop ongoing relationships with local authorities and other power brokers within Iraq.
• Work to ensure that Oxfam, its mission, and work in the areas of operations is known and accepted by all stakeholders.
• In close coordination with other support departments, ensure all program teams are supported with the respective entry visas and movement letters.
• Work to encourage stakeholders to work with Oxfam in ensuring that staff and programs are safe and allowed to continue humanitarian activities within the country.
• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new Oxfam programs in new geographical areas.
• In coordination with the relevant department, liaise with security actors e.g., other I/LNGO Security Focal -Points, NCCI, INSO, other INGO security coordinators, regional UNDSS POCs, local communities and Government actors.
• Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically.

Networking and Liaison

• Maintaining, with other security focal points, a network of Oxfam security focal points in the country program as well as external professional contacts and counterparts.
• Provide timely feedback on questions and technical assistance requests from country program team members.
• Monitor and provide support and reporting on NGO field security initiatives as required.
• Identify, create, and maintain a network with NGO/UN and other humanitarian access and security specialists, commercial entities and Embassies and Consulates suitable for the Country.
• Facilitate regional NGO security coordination through networking, collaboration, and coordination with humanitarian actors

Safety and Security Management Planning

• With the security team, the CSM is responsible for developing, reviewing, updating, and rolling out security and access related policies, procedures and planning for staff safety, operational security, and program continuity.
• Evaluate, review, and update the security management plans on a regular basis. Reference and ensure compliance to Oxfam Global and MENA Regional Security Management Framework within the LSMP and all annexes.
• Evaluate, review, and update the hibernation and evacuation plans for Oxfam’s offices and residences in Iraq and ensure that the practical preparations are in place and known to all staff involved.
• Conduct risk assessments of contracted and prospective offices and residences. Follow up on actions to be taken to ensure compliance with safety and security standards.
• Undertake continual assessments of equipment, and the protocols by which that equipment is used, to ensure that minimal conditions for security are being met.
• Provide and implement best possible solutions for use of equipment to facilitate communication between staff, including here proposing safe alternative means of communication and equipment.
• Ensure safety and security protocol, reporting mechanism, and capacity building initiative account for gender-specific risks, staff profiles and background, and are sensitive to local contexts.
• Conduct training and briefings to all staff through routine meetings and written reports. Ensure all expatriates and new team members are provided a security briefing within the first 12 hours in service. Coordinate with Operations and Human Resources on this.
• Routine communication with program team members in daily and routine briefings to ensure the larger Oxfam’s team is fully aware of the context (political, social, security and humanitarian access)

Briefings, Reporting and Response

• Ensures the safety team contributes and maintains current tracking, mapping and automated reporting systems of security incidents and updates for a comprehensive view on events & trends in the region.
• Primary person responsible for all flash reporting and incident management. Is responsible for the documentation and analysis of all incidents.
• The CSM is part of the Country Management Team and a core member of the Incident management team.
• Help create an environment where all Oxfam’s programs, and team members and business are conducted with professionalism, impartiality, accountability, and other core principles required as a humanitarian agency.
• Place high value on inter-agency coordination in security; encourage Oxfam’s field-level coordination in the NGO community. Seek opportunities for formal and informal cooperation.
• Create, and share weekly security SITREPs to the CD and RSA.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development

• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
• Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of the security members in field offices.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with PMs, area management and field teams, department team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
• Design and conduct trainings, capacity building and workshops for all mission staff to ensure effective rollout of safety and security plans, SOPs, and protocols. In addition, approved security and access strategies.
• Maintain a training record for all training and capacity building delivered in-country from both internal and external training providers.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, Master’s degree or equivalent in experience 3-5 years field experience in a Country level humanitarian, safety and security role with a humanitarian or development / non-governmental organization. Experience in security and humanitarian access management in conflict setting is desired
• Formal security qualification or advanced security management training is desirable
• Demonstrated understanding of complex emergencies, related security concerns, and appropriate responses to such emergencies. Good context analysis skills.
• Experience of incident reporting, incident mapping, intelligence collation and analysis functions, set up and execution of an incident warning system (warden system), compilation of security reports and assessments
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching and ability to work in with team from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Excellent planning, coordination, and reporting skills, with the ability to organize a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities, and present complex information in succinct and compelling manner
• Competency in Internet and Microsoft Office systems including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and other database/mapping systems.
• Experience living and working in the Middle East region, preferred.
• Fluency in English is essential, Kurdish, and Arabic proficiency preferred.