Liaison Officer 

Department: Security and Liaison    
Contract Type: Fixed term – One Year with possible extension
Place of Work:  Aden and travelling to Sana office.    
Reports to: Security and Safety Officer and CD
Grade    5        

About us

War Child, the charity for children affected by war. We are the only specialist charity for children in conflict, delivering high-impact programmes that are rebuilding lives across Afghanistan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic and Yemen. We understand children’s needs, respect their rights, and put them at the centre of the solution - from supporting Syrian children to access education to reintegrating child soldiers in the Central African Republic and upholding the rights of children caught up in juvenile justice in Afghanistan. We look forward to a world in which the lives of children are no longer torn apart by war. This is a vision that can only be realised through the collective actions of children themselves, communities and their leaders, organisations like War Child, governments, and key decision-makers.

WAR CHILD UK has established a mission in Yemen in 2016, initially starting its programming with the implementation of projects for the provision of food assistance to ensure children have access to food and are able to meet their basic nutritional needs. WAR CHILD UK - YEMEN later expanded its programming to include education and protection integrated activities. Today, WCUK – YEMEN has two registered offices in Sana’a and Aden governorates and continues to work with local partners and stakeholders across the country to support and improve children’s wellbeing to ensure they can access relevant protection services, education and livelihoods opportunities.

Our values

Bold

We use our passion and creativity to deliver high-quality evidence-based work designed to maximize our beneficial impact for children in conflict.

Accountable to children

Children can rely on us to respond to their voices and to treat them with respect and dignity.

Transparent

We expect to be held to account by our supporters and beneficiaries and we respond with openness and honesty

Committed to each other

We support each other and our partners to achieve ambitious goals and to be the best we can be.  We are honest and open with each other, sharing our successes and confronting our challenges.

 If you share our values and believe that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war, we want to hear from you.

Liaison Officer Role

General responsibilities:

• Responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with all WCUK stakeholders throughout Yemen concerning Liaison and security-related issues.
• Assists in the day-to-day management and coordination of WCUK Liaison and security partners in Yemen.
• Assists security officer and the Country Director by providing timely/proactive information exchange on Liaison and security-related issues.
• Responsible for carrying out day-to-day activities efficiently and independently with minimal supervision.
• Preforms other tasks as directed by Security head and Country director.

Specific responsibilities Liaison:

• Liaise with relevant government authorities for getting sub-agreements, visas and activities approvals, and movement permissions for staff and supplies needed for projects implementation in coordination with Security Officer.
• Regularly update list of contacts and partner map per district/ sub-district in the WCUK operational governorates.
• Develop, maintain and improve mutual and beneficial relationships with key stakeholders such as SCMCHA, MoPIC. other governmental ministries, local authorities, beneficiaries, and community.
• Support in drafting official correspondence to government bodies in Arabic and maintain an accurate reference number tracker of all outgoing communication
• Ensure War Child’s visibility, profiling, and representation in relevant forums.
• Support in updating administrative procedures and approval pathways for organizational requests.
• Represent War Child UK in the field and in community level meetings
• Provide status updates about visa and residency requests for international staff and travel permits in Yemen.
• Any other administration support assigned by the Country Director and the Security Officer

Security:

• Assist in monitoring and tracking staff movement, collect security-related information, report on the security situation to security officer.
• Assist security officer in tracking operations, incidents and events that could affect the
• Report immediately to the security officer any sudden changes on the access in the areas where WCUK operates.
• Assist security officer with the documentation, registration, permit, risk assessment, legality issues, per guidance from the Yemen Government and donor's requirements.
• Conduct travel by air and ground assets to demining sites across Yemen to assess WCUK teams' safety and security requirements.
• Assist security officer with rapid needs and related field assessments.
• Any other tasks assigned by Security officer

Support to country director

• Assists the Country Director by providing timely information/reports needed
• Provide administration support to CD office and assigned by the Country director.
• Receive external guests, screen and direct to CD office
• Support CD/CD office in facilitating meetings/events.
• Contribute to creating a culture committed to the safeguarding of children and adults and compliant to WCUK’s Child Safeguarding and Adults at Risk Policies

Job Requirements 

• At least two (2) years’ experience working with INGO’s in a liaison and/or security function.
• Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, humanitarian/development work, security risk management or related field.
• Strong interpersonal, communication (oral and written) skills and proven experience in leading field teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills attention to details, and a record of accomplishment of achieving results under stress and in difficult environments.
• Excellent English and Arabic language skills (oral and written).
• Cross-cultural awareness.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Creative and able to work with limited resources.
• Proficient in computer applications (MS Office, including Outlook for email).

Important Information

• War Child UK is an equal opportunity employer.
• War Child UK does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
• As this role is a National position, all candidates are required to be Yemeni nationals.
• Female with the above qualifications are encouraged to apply.
• Only candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.

Our benefits: 

Child safeguarding and Adults at Risk

Our work with children and at-risk adults to keep them safe is the most important thing we do. We are committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in all areas of our work. We have zero- tolerance for any behaviours and practices that puts children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse and/or harm. Successful applicants will be expected to be compliant and sign up to our Child Safeguarding policy, Adults at Risk Policy, anti-bribery policy, code of conduct, and other War Child’s policies. You can find the Child Safeguarding and Adults at Risk policy here:

https://www.warchild.org.uk/whats-happening/news/our-child-safeguarding-policies-and-procedures