Employer:: Trócaire
Location: Maynooth , Ireland
Closing : October 23, 2015
Trócaire is the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. In the year ended February 2015, the organisation spent over €58m in development and humanitarian programmes in 24 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Trócaire is a member of the Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE networks.
Country programmes are focussed on one or more of a number of thematic areas: building sustainable livelihoods, promoting gender equality, addressing the HIV & AIDS crisis, governance and human rights, and preparing for & responding to humanitarian emergencies. The organisational strategic plan for the period 2016-20 envisages a move to more integrated programming with a focus on women’s empowerment, resources rights and humanitarian response.
Trócaire’s headquarters are located in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Country programmes are managed through country offices, of which there are 16 at present. In some cases, humanitarian interventions are channelled through other member organisations in the Caritas Internationalis network.
Trócaire is the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland. In the year ended February 2015, the organisation spent over €58m in development and humanitarian programmes in 24 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. Trócaire is a member of the Caritas Internationalis and CIDSE networks.
Country programmes are focussed on one or more of a number of thematic areas: building sustainable livelihoods, promoting gender equality, addressing the HIV & AIDS crisis, governance and human rights, and preparing for & responding to humanitarian emergencies. The organisational strategic plan for the period 2016-20 envisages a move to more integrated programming with a focus on women’s empowerment, resources rights and humanitarian response.
Trócaire’s headquarters are located in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Country programmes are managed through country offices, of which there are 16 at present. In some cases, humanitarian interventions are channelled through other member organisations in the Caritas Internationalis network.
Background to the Role
The safety and security of its staff is a priority for Trócaire. The increasing volatility of the operating environment in developing countries requires that the organisation have a robust and well-functioning security architecture, including clear and strong policies, procedures and monitoring mechanisms.
Trócaire’s Executive Leadership Team, senior management in Ireland, and country management teams need access to the most up-to-date advice on security practice to ensure that programme work can continue in challenging environments.
Scope of the Role
Reflecting the corporate responsibility to ensure the security of all Trócaire personnel worldwide, the Global Security Coordinator (GSC) will advise on the fulfilment of Trócaire’s security related obligations to staff in its offices in Ireland and Northern Ireland, in its Country Offices, and in countries where there is a humanitarian response programme but no office structure. This involves developing and supporting systems, policies, processes and capacities across the organisation to anticipate and mitigate risk to staff, while maintaining effective programmes.
The GSC will work with field and head office staff and managers on security issues, with the aim of enabling staff and managers to maintain high standards of security awareness, planning, practice, and management. The GSC will also make recommendations to contact points and senior management on global security policy, and, as necessary, respond to security threats and individual security situations worldwide.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Security strategy, plans and procedures
Oversee the development and maintenance of Security Policy and Guidelines.
Regularly assess and report on compliance with policies, procedures and guidelines.
Ensure security procedures and policies are suitable for Trócaire in head office and overseas and make recommendations to further enhance staff security.
Undertake spot checks to test organisational systems and compliance.
Maintain oversight of a central incident reporting system and database and ensure that up-to-date, relevant incident data is available and disseminated on a regular basis.
Develop and distribute standard reference materials to help Country Directors to monitor the security and safety of their staff.
On a regular basis, gather lessons learned from the implementation of policies, procedures and guidelines, and advise on the amendment of parameters where necessary.
Ensure relevant staff in Trócaire take responsibility for corporate crisis management preparedness and response plans for Ireland and country offices, including contingency planning for emergency evacuation. Ensure these systems are regularly tested.
On a quarterly basis, report to the Security Working Group on the management of security within the organisation, and on the general security environment for Trócaire’s countries of operation.
Coordination, advice and support
Provide technical support and guidance to all staff on security-related matters.
Ensure regular communication on security issues, contributing to ongoing awareness of the security agenda at all levels of the organisation.
Assessment
Undertake security assessments/audits of programme areas and potential programme areas, and provide informed recommendations on the security situation and level of risk.
Undertake site/office/residence security assessments as requested and advise on the overall security and the current security measures in place; advise relevant staff as to how to keep this information up to date and to maintain a high level of security awareness. Make recommendations tailored to the needs of each location.
Develop systems to allow such security assessments to be carried out by other staff.
Undertake country office security compliance monitoring and rapid response to incidents.
Briefing, training and learning
Provide oversight of training provision and advice as needed.
Provide support to field office and Ireland staff in identifying security training needs and solutions, including the identification of appropriate in-country options.
Provide in-house training as needed. (The bulk of training is delivered by external providers).
As required, provide security briefings to particular groups or individuals, where this falls outside the remit of normal procedures.
Review and amend as necessary the security training policy, monitoring its implementation and compliance.
Representation
Develop and maintain good working relationships with security personnel in other organisations, particularly CAFOD (England & Wales) and SCIAF (Scotland), with a similar approach to security as relevant and appropriate.
Represent Trócaire at European Inter-agency Security Forum (EISF) meetings and at other networks as required.
Liaise with country authorities and security networks to gather and verify security information on a regular basis.
Represent at Trócaire at other meetings as required.
Policy
Ensure Trócaire’s security policy, procedures and systems are coherent, effective and informed by our experience, that of our partners, and the organisation’s approach to security and protection.
Support the implementation and maintenance of divisional and organisational systems and procedures for ensuring good practice and meeting sectoral standards on accountability and programme quality, including the Red Cross Code of Conduct, the SPHERE standards and People in Aid. Promote compliance with HAP-I standards on accountability to beneficiaries. Promote Caritas Internationalis Standards.
Travel
Be willing to undertake fieldwork and undertake the above tasks in project locations worldwide, sometimes in insecure environments and at short notice. Overseas travel approximately 8-12 weeks per year.
Note: The above duties and responsibilities represent the current requirements of the role. The fluid and varied nature of the environments in which Trócaire works could require other tasks to be undertaken from time to time and at short notice.
Location of Position
Trócaire Head Office, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, with travel to countries of operation in Asia, Africa and Latin America
The ideal candidate for the position will meet the following criteria
Qualification
A specialised professional qualification or membership of professional institute in the security sector
Experience Significant international security management experience through national security forces and/or commercial international security.
People, team and organisational management experience
Two years’ experience working in a security capacity with an international development or humanitarian NGO or multi-lateral agency (UN, EU) in a developing country
Experience of security risk management standards, of undertaking security assessments and audits and implementing security management systems and protocols
Experience of working in a variety of contexts and insecure environments
Experience of developing, presenting and facilitating successful trainings and workshops.
Some familiarity with humanitarian standards (e.g. Humanitarian Charter, SPHERE, People in Aid, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Code of Conduct and IHL instruments, HAP)
Experience of working with local partner organisations
Skills
Excellent communication skills in written and oral English, with a proven ability to communicate across differences in culture and language.
Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships with a range of key stakeholders.
Ability to identify risks and solve problems in a rapidly-changing context, particularly at times of crisis, while remaining calm and assuming a leadership role as required.
Qualities
An understanding of, and empathy with, the role of international NGOs in development and humanitarian response, in particular faith-based NGOs with a rights-focussed approach.
Other
A working knowledge of French and/or Spanish
How to apply
Click here to apply online for this position.