Senior Humanitarian Access & Security Coordinator At International Rescue Committee

The IRC launched an emergency health response in Libya in September 2016 as the humanitarian situation in the country was deteriorating following the 2014 civil war. Since then, the IRC has broadened its portfolio with integrated health, protection, and governance programs aiming to employ a broad approach to meeting the needs of crisis-affected and vulnerable communities to survive, recover, and gain control of their futures. This includes direct interventions as well as work in partnership and systems and civil society strengthening toward improving outcomes for conflict-affected and vulnerable populations in Libya.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Senior Humanitarian Access & Security Coordinator (SHASC ) will lead the Humanitarian Access & Security team, in collaboration with key programs and operations colleagues in Libya, to safely enable the delivery of crucial services to women, men, and children inside Libya. He/she will develop and oversee the implementation of humanitarian access and security management systems and protocols in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, duty of care principles, and IRC’s strategy. In addition, to identify changes and trends in the humanitarian access and security environment in Libya, develop and oversee the implementation of responsive plans, standard operating procedures, and contingency plans, and facilitate training and capacity building of both management and field staff

He/She will provide expert humanitarian access and security risk management advice to all levels of IRC staff in the country office on building relationships with stakeholders, negotiating and mediating humanitarian access, contextual understanding, managing critical incidents, and providing timely advisories.

Major Responsibilities:

Humanitarian Access Management

• Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites throughout Libya

• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to local context and include overarching community engagement components

• Ensure that the IRC field humanitarian access teams conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with relevant actors in Libya in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, duty of care principles, and the IRC’s strategy

• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider IRC programs in new geographic areas, and regular assessment reviews for existing locations

• Ensure that Humanitarian access strategies in field locations are considerate of risks and opportunities for programs and locations including community engagement strategies that promote acceptance of IRC mission and enable durable programming.

• Support the SMT in evaluating access constraints for IRC interventions in Libya, including input on new program development opportunities

Safety and Security Risk Management

• Lead on the development and implementation of strategies to enhance the country program security culture both within the SMT and across the field by ensuring that the humanitarian access and security agenda remains front and center for the country leadership team and by adopting an open and engaging approach to influencing others.

• Seek to develop an agile and flexible safety and security support system that focuses on delivery at the field level, employing appropriate change management approaches when required

• Ensure safety and security protocols, reporting mechanisms, and capacity-building initiatives account for gender-specific risks, staff profiles, and background, and are sensitive to local contexts

• Work with Program Coordinators and the Grants team to ensure security budgets and staffing levels are in alignment with the assessed levels of risk in each location.

• Ensure that all field staff are fully cognizant of prevailing security threats, report noticeable changes in threats through appropriate channels and receive timely advice on means to reduce their vulnerability to those threats

• Conduct in-person and remote safety and security assessments on a regular basis in each field location to assess the level of adherence to relevant security plans and procedures designed for each geographical area

• Codify a solid critical incident management plan and conduct exercises for management and field staff using various real-life scenarios and ensure that every individual knows their roles and responsibilities when plans fall to operational realities

• Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically by contributing to the development of operational and programmatic contingency plans

Context Monitoring and Reporting

• Submit regular contextual updates as needed to the SMT and relevant field and program management staff

• Work closely with IRC field management teams to ensure all incidents and accidents are regularly and systematically reported in line with IRC incident management procedures.

• Monitor the operating environment in the region, identify new threats, assess IRC vulnerabilities, and recommend possible responses

• Contribute to local-level conflict sensitivity analysis and macro-level analysis of trends within the Libyan conflict with the support of the Regional Humanitarian Context Analyst.

• Provide credible information and contextual understanding of localized, country-wide and regional (when relevant) security situations and incidents along with appropriate advice to IRC field and program management staff

• Advise program and field management teams on context-specific risks pertaining to humanitarian access, safety, and security, and contribute to the development and implementation of mitigation measures and plans

Networking and Liaison

• Maintaining a network of IRC security focal points in the country program

• Establish relationships with all functions within IRC to ensure smooth communication and coordination for the safe implementation of programs.

• 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

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:

• In coordination with the Regional Safety and Security Director and relevant internal stakeholders, identify learning and development needs and lead on the implementation of a capacity development plan that may include training on humanitarian principles and safety and security preparedness.

• Liaise with partners to assess capacity-building needs and provide advice and support where feasible and necessary

• Manage the performance of the Humanitarian Access and Security team including building capacity in relevant technical and management competencies through coaching, on-the-job learning, etc.

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being of team members and maintain effective professional relationships.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to Country Director & Regional Safety & Security Director

Position directly supervises: Senior Humanitarian Access and Security Officer

Key Internal Contacts:

• Deputy Director of Operations, Deputy Director of Programs, Field Coordinators, Program Coordinators

• Region/Global: Team members in security, partnership, public affairs, HR, supply chain, monitoring and evaluation, and others

Key External Contacts:

• INGO humanitarian access and security focal points

• Relevant UN agencies: UNOCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, etc.

• Relevant coordination forums, working groups, and clusters for Libya

• Information sharing and analysis bodies: INSO, HAT, etc.

• Community leaders and local powerbrokers

Job Requirements:

• University degree in Business Management, International Relations, Political Science, or related field, preferred. Technical degree or certification in a related field with significant applicable experience.

• A minimum of 5 years of non-profit or NGO work experience within international humanitarian assistance programs with demonstrated capabilities in planning, organizing, and executing humanitarian security operations in the field

• Understanding of local context, dynamics, and access limitations related gender, disability, religion, tradition, and local norms.

• Experience of gaining a precise and impartial understanding of local, regional, and international policies, operational positions and interactions, providing clear dynamic briefings and analysis of given and unfolding security and political situations when they occur

• Proven experience as a professional and reliable manager (including management of people and projects)

• Highly skilled in organizing large-scale, fast-paced, responsive field programs

• Solid ability to provide team building, coaching, and development for staff as well as encourage cross-functional collaboration and cooperation

• Exceptional organizational and coordination skills

• Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills, and the ability to effectively represent IRC at forums and with external stakeholders

• Strong negotiation and mediation skills essential with experience in conflict resolution are essential

• Superior oral and written communication skills, with the ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders

• Experience in working successfully with local stakeholders such as local and international NGOs, government, etc. with sensitivity and diplomacy.

• Proven ability to design and lead training engagements with staff and partners to enhance skills and adapt to changing program demands; ability to develop, implement, facilitate, and impart learning to a wide range of audiences

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required

• Knowledge of Arabic language is a plus

• Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint

• Ability to Travel: 30-40% travel, primarily within Libya

Attention Returning National Candidates IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East & North Africa Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.

Working Environment: Staff will be based in the Tripoli office with travel to field locations as requested and upon business needs.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

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.