Employer: Mission EastLocation: Afghanistan
Closing date: 15 Nov 2014
Location / department: Kabul with frequent travels to provinces in Afghanistan with
ME operations (Takhar, Badakhshan and Baghlan).
Length of contract: 12 months, with possibility to renew.
Responsible to: Country Director (CD), Afghanistan
Line Management: There is no direct line management, but this position indirectly supervises all relevant staff at the Head Office in Kabul and in the provinces of ME operation, particularly the Safety Focal Points. This will require close coordination on a horizontal level with senior management and key programme staff within the ME Afghanistan team. The advisor will be a key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in Afghanistan.
Background:
Mission East, founded in Denmark in 1991, is an international humanitarian and development organisation undertaking disaster relief and development programmes in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Mission East works in several countries in the hazard-prone Central Asian and Himalayan region, on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Natural Resource Management (NRM), Water/Sanitation/Hygiene (WASH), food and livelihoods security and local civil society capacity-building.
In Afghanistan Mission East has worked in the mountainous north-eastern region of the country since 2001 and is at present implementing programmes in the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar and Baghlan. More information on Mission East can be found at: http://www.miseast.org
Overall responsibility:
The Safety Adviser’s role is to provide leadership in the development and management of the country programme’s safety strategy and to provide support to the country operations for the management of safety and risk issues.
Key tasks and responsibilities:
Qualifications Required:
• In depth knowledge of risk management and associated principles is essential
• Knowledge of the INGO sector and the humanitarian imperative
• Thorough understanding of the implementation of a Security and Safety Management Framework (SMF) and all related processes and procedures
• Understanding of major incident response mechanisms during crises (especially of hostage crises)
• Knowledge of Humanitarian Codes of Conduct e.g. Sphere, HAP
• Good understanding of the ‘duty of care’ principle
• Knowledge of first aid
• Previous experience working in sensitive security/conflict environments
• Previous experience working in Afghanistan, Central / South Asia would be an advantage.
Necessary Skills and Competencies:
• Proven networking and relationship building skills
• Analytical and communication skills for: the analysis of context and management acceptance; the development and implementation of SOP's and related documentation
• Demonstrable Monitoring and Evaluation skills for a dynamic safety and security environment
• Ability to assess and coordinate an effective decision making for response under pressure and at very short notice
• Ability to develop and deliver relevant trainings to mixed ability groups sometimes through interpreters
• Computer literate, able to use all common software packages
• Be able to understand how to relate to all levels of Mission East’s communities and to respect local customs and protocols
• Be able to diffuse tensions and remain calm at all times and particularly following an incident
• Be cross-culturally adept
• Be able to avoid the typical barriers that develop between local and expatriate communities and colleague through an approachable, empathetic and open style
• Be sensitive to Mission East’s values
• Be able to encourage, motivate and guide team members to approach safety and security issues with confidence especially during crises
• Be able to communicate effectively across Mission East’s management structures
• Be flexible to travel at short notice to difficult and risky areas. The position is expected to have considerable travelling demands.
Languages:
Excellent command of English, both written and verbal.
Some knowledge of Dari would be an asset.
ME operations (Takhar, Badakhshan and Baghlan).
Length of contract: 12 months, with possibility to renew.
Responsible to: Country Director (CD), Afghanistan
Line Management: There is no direct line management, but this position indirectly supervises all relevant staff at the Head Office in Kabul and in the provinces of ME operation, particularly the Safety Focal Points. This will require close coordination on a horizontal level with senior management and key programme staff within the ME Afghanistan team. The advisor will be a key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in Afghanistan.
Background:
Mission East, founded in Denmark in 1991, is an international humanitarian and development organisation undertaking disaster relief and development programmes in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Mission East works in several countries in the hazard-prone Central Asian and Himalayan region, on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Natural Resource Management (NRM), Water/Sanitation/Hygiene (WASH), food and livelihoods security and local civil society capacity-building.
In Afghanistan Mission East has worked in the mountainous north-eastern region of the country since 2001 and is at present implementing programmes in the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar and Baghlan. More information on Mission East can be found at: http://www.miseast.org
Overall responsibility:
The Safety Adviser’s role is to provide leadership in the development and management of the country programme’s safety strategy and to provide support to the country operations for the management of safety and risk issues.
Key tasks and responsibilities:
- Advise senior management on the risks associated with around 280 staff (national and expatriate) working in a complex and dynamic operational environment spread across several locations.
- Promote a strong safety culture as part of management of overall programme
- Ensure that safety protocols and SOPs are kept up to date, relevant, complied with and regularly tested, in close cooperation with national safety focal points.
- Lead response to safety crises and incidents.
- Monitor, respond to and communicate to staff on relevant security issues. Includes: maintaining up to date general context analysis, specific area risk analysis; reports to senior management on incidents, trends and risks.
- Support and build the capacity of local security staff.
- Coordinate and provide security training and briefing for all field staff, both national and international, making sure that staff (and visitors) understand the relevance of risk and safety management and their role.
- Coordinates with relevant safety actors across the sector (INSO, government, UN, other NGOs, both international and local, community leaders/elders and Community Development Councils, ISAF, diplomatic missions, etc.) for mutual support in data collection and analysis and response to crises and risk situations.
- Advise Country Director as requested on logistics issues, including staff management, transport/fleet management, facilities management, communications systems and procurement.
- Support Mission East’s global understanding and learning from the practical and effective management of risk
Qualifications Required:
• In depth knowledge of risk management and associated principles is essential
• Knowledge of the INGO sector and the humanitarian imperative
• Thorough understanding of the implementation of a Security and Safety Management Framework (SMF) and all related processes and procedures
• Understanding of major incident response mechanisms during crises (especially of hostage crises)
• Knowledge of Humanitarian Codes of Conduct e.g. Sphere, HAP
• Good understanding of the ‘duty of care’ principle
• Knowledge of first aid
• Previous experience working in sensitive security/conflict environments
• Previous experience working in Afghanistan, Central / South Asia would be an advantage.
Necessary Skills and Competencies:
• Proven networking and relationship building skills
• Analytical and communication skills for: the analysis of context and management acceptance; the development and implementation of SOP's and related documentation
• Demonstrable Monitoring and Evaluation skills for a dynamic safety and security environment
• Ability to assess and coordinate an effective decision making for response under pressure and at very short notice
• Ability to develop and deliver relevant trainings to mixed ability groups sometimes through interpreters
• Computer literate, able to use all common software packages
• Be able to understand how to relate to all levels of Mission East’s communities and to respect local customs and protocols
• Be able to diffuse tensions and remain calm at all times and particularly following an incident
• Be cross-culturally adept
• Be able to avoid the typical barriers that develop between local and expatriate communities and colleague through an approachable, empathetic and open style
• Be sensitive to Mission East’s values
• Be able to encourage, motivate and guide team members to approach safety and security issues with confidence especially during crises
• Be able to communicate effectively across Mission East’s management structures
• Be flexible to travel at short notice to difficult and risky areas. The position is expected to have considerable travelling demands.
Languages:
Excellent command of English, both written and verbal.
Some knowledge of Dari would be an asset.
How to apply:
To apply for this post please visit www.missioneast.org/vacancies, where you will be able to complete an application form.Please ensure that all sections are fully answered as candidates will be initially screened using data submitted on the online form.
The position of Safety Adviser provides an opportunity to work with a dynamic and diverse team on a variety of projects making a visible impact on poverty alleviation, rural community development and disaster risk mitigation in rural Afghanistan.
The successful candidate will be a qualified professional capable of supporting a diverse and geographically dispersed programme with a multicultural team in an increasingly sensitive and challenging operational environment.
Application deadline: 15/11/2014, Applications sent by e-mail will not be considered.