Technical Safety Officer (RTS) / Flex At Doctors Without Borders

Médecins Sans Frontières is recruiting a Technical Security Officer (RTS) / Flex for its DAKAR office .

As part of the OCG security team, the RTS aims to support operations in the region by providing support and strengthening risk management skills to teams in missions. It provides technical support in the design of risk reduction strategies while also participating in its implementation.

Sahelian and sub-Sahelian Africa will be the most common working region, but other regions are also possible.

Internal relations:

OCG Operations Department, including the cells of the missions concerned
Learning & Development
Coaches and Mentors Unit
Negotiation Team
OCG Logistics Department,
Coordination with cells of other MSF sections for a regional approach to context analysis

External relations

Stakeholders involved may include:

Political leaders,
Military, security forces and other actors involved
Community leaders, population groups (refugees, host populations, urban or rural groups), local authorities,
Inter-NGO platforms on risk management

Hierarchical and functional link:

Security Advisor in Geneva
On mission, the person also reports to the Head of Mission and to the Program Manager of the Cell concerned.

Position in the structure:

The person is part of the management team of the OCG operations department and is placed directly under the responsibility of the Security Advisor in Geneva.

Assignment

Global:

Contribute to the collection of data enabling quality and ongoing contextual analysis;
Participate in risk analysis and discussions on how the level of exposure related to risks (identified or not) is taken into account when developing the risk reduction strategy within the framework of the operational intervention;
Lead and contribute to the design and development of training and simulation scenarios in the field of risk management;
Assess the need for new training and identify people who could benefit from coaching and/or mentoring so that the person can develop and have the risk management tools to minimise the vulnerability of MSF teams;
Support field teams in defining and implementing mitigation measures and contingency plans in their Safety and Security Plans, either during field visits or remotely;
Upon request, provide operational support to missions for the design and implementation of MRS procedures in the field.
Contribute to the promotion of a culture of risk management and security in MSF-OCG missions;
Support the OCG Security team in the development of standardized formats, tools and training for OCG security management, including their implementation in missions/projects;
Active search for innovations, new working methods in the field of security management in order to strengthen the OCG training range both in terms of content and teaching methods;
Contribute to the security team’s operational research projects;
Participate in the maintenance and monitoring of the incident reporting system (SINDY);

Specific/Regional:

Train staff (including medical staff) primarily through simulation:

How to react in different situations (theft, arrest, harassment, checkpoints, etc.);
How to prepare and organize a movement;
How to develop a risk assessment by activity;
Security and contingency plans;
How to develop simulation scenarios;

Coaching and mentoring of MSF staff (international and national) so that they understand the environment in which they operate and have risk management tools to minimize the vulnerability of MSF teams;

Conduct risk and security management assessments and contribute to the risk analysis and reduction process for the benefit of missions;

Professional skills

Education :

A degree or certification in security/risk management, international relations, political/social science, or related field is an asset.
A diploma or training in adult education, coaching or mentoring is an asset.

Experience :

At least 5 years of experience within MSF or other NGOs essential.
At least 2 years of experience in operational positions in volatile humanitarian contexts.
Experience in the sub-region remains an asset
Experience in risk and security management roles, preferably in humanitarian contexts.
Experience in safety training and coaching of individuals and teams
A profile of [Deputy] Head of Mission, Project Coordinator +++ or E-Coordinator is an asset

Required qualities

Techniques:

Clear understanding and alignment with the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.
Proven skills in coaching and detailed analysis of the dynamic context.
Ability to build and maintain a relevant and reliable network of contacts.
Strong analytical skills and critical thinking in security and context.
Ability to identify training needs and provide follow-up through coaching and/or mentoring.
Ability to support staff in developing risk management and security skills.
Knowledge of the risk management principles established in the OCG-Security and Safety Policy_2021 as well as the risk management approach used at OCG will be a major asset.
Good technical knowledge of applied security and its practical implementation
Knowledge of critical incident or crisis management according to ISO 22361:2022 criteria “Security and resilience – Crisis management” or familiarity with the MSF approach or other humanitarian organizations (GISF) will be a major asset.
Proven skills in the design, development and facilitation of training and simulation scenarios in security and risk management is an asset.
Availability for field and headquarters travel.