Mar 22, 2016

Regional Safety Advisor (RSA) DRC Regional Office West Africa


Employer; Danish Refugee Council
Location: West Africa
Closing date: 10 Apr 2016


DRC is a Danish international non-governmental organization, which promotes and supports durable solutions to the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced people all over the world. DRC is present in some 40 conflict territories around the world assisting displaced people with shelter, food, income generating activities, legal aid and a wide range of other protection assistance

DRC has been operating in the West Africa region for over 15 years, running a combination of emergency, livelihood, protection and advocacy program through Country Offices (COs) Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and a Regional Office (RO) in Abidjan. DRC has 17 offices and more than 500 staff members across the WA region.

The job

The RSA, in consultation with local safety staff and program managers, is expected to pursue the following objectives in his/her daily work:


Oversee the Safety Risk Management (SRM) process


Develop area and country safety management policies, protocols and procedures


Facilitate Safety Risk Assessments (SRAs) and support the implementation of mitigation measures.


Analyze, manage and report relevant information at the area, country and sub-regional level


Maintain relevant safety documentation, data and records for the areas of concern


Support and deliver safety-related training


Mentor and provide technical supervision to local safety staff


Develop the capacity of, and coordinate, relevant Crisis Management Teams (CMTs)


Facilitate surge support to IMTs as required.


Technically advise on the procurement of safety-related equipment, facilities and other resources.

The RSA will report to the DRC Regional Director. The RSA has a technical compliance reporting line to the Global Safety Adviser in Copenhagen. Frequent travel in all the countries covered by the Regional Office, around 60% of the time per month.

Key responsibilities

To achieve the position objectives, the RSA 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 area-specific SRAs; supervise the assessment of Safety Levels and provide recommendations to the regional director for approval.


Advise Program and Area Managers on available safety management strategies, including the transfer, avoidance, acceptance and/or control of risks.


Assist in the development of 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 management plans and other related functions; and assist in the implementation of staff capacity training plans, including the delivery and prioritization of training modules


Monitor and evaluate the SRM process, providing regular updates on the quality and progress of SRM implementation


Facilitate program access and continuity through the provision of dependable advice, including:


Provision of regular analysis, statistics and reporting on key developments within the country


Tailored analysis and assessments, including RAs, 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 country


Maintain and update the incident tracker, and provide trend/pattern analysis


Provide advice on program development and implementation, including program assessments


Identify potential scenarios, indicators of change and key decision points


Represent the country program 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 NGO security coordination, UN and other relevant external fora


Establish a network of contacts and represent DRC/DDG at security meetings


Capacity building of all staff, consultants and implementing partners, including:


Provide operational safety briefings and orientation to all new and visiting staff


Brief new international and non-local staff on specific cultural norms and behaviors.


Train local safety staff in the delivery of establish safety training modules


Organize and coordinate the delivery of Personal Safety Training (PST) on as required.

5.Incident and crisis management and response, including:
Support the establishment of Area and IMTs
Coordinate the Country CMT in the event of a critical incident or crisis
Develop the country level Critical Incident Management Plan and support area-specific CPs to harmonize with DRC HQ CMT
Brief IMT/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:


Quarterly MOSS audits of all program areas (monthly where applicable)


Monitoring and training of guards and watchmen.


Assess the implementation of physical and asset protection protocols and regulations


Ensure that appropriate access controls are in place for all DRC/DDG facilities


Conduct regular site assessments and advise on mitigation measures


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


Maintain a list of vendors and prices for safety-related equipment


Assist logisticians and administrators with the procurement, delivery and control of safety equipment


Act as the focal point for telecommunications systems, including radios and satellite phone

Key requirements
Postgraduate degree in relevant field
Fluent spoken and written English and French.Excellent communication skills
Minimum 5 years of previous working experience as a safety and security manager/adviser with an INGO at a regional country/program level on an international level
Experience working in multi-cultural work settings.
Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines and to work effectively with minimal supervision
Demonstrated experience with information gathering, analysis and report writing
Demonstrated experience with critical incident management and delivering safety-related training
Demonstrated ability to conduct and produce high quality safety risk assessments (SRAs)
Proven ability to develop and implement effective and contextualized protocols and systems
Ability to be flexible and demonstrate an innovative approach to safety risk management
Stable and robust character, team-player with a good sense of humor and a high level of personal integrity
Willingness to travel widely throughout West Africa Region.
Knowledge and previous experience of the local context in West Africa is a clear asset.
Physically fit

Conditions

Starting date: As soon as possible or 31/05/2016

Duty station: Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Plese note that this is a family duty station

Contract: Two year contract. Salary and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Council´s Terms of Employment for Expatriates. Please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies. The position will be placed at salary level A5.

DRC offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits package.

Further information:

For more details on this position please contact Jean-Christophe Saint-Esteben at rd-wa@drc.dk.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.


HOW TO APPLY:

Application and CV

Please note that we only accept applications sent via our online system at www.drc.dk under Vacancies > Current vacancies > Country Director – Central African Republic. Applications sent directly to Mr. Saint-Esteben will not be considered. Please remember to upload both a letter of application and your CV and do not attach any written recommendations. Only applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications will be considered. 

Please submit the application and CV, in English no later than 10 April 2016.