Job Description

Job Title: Humanitarian Access and Security Manager

Band/ Level/ Grade:

Department: Operations/Humanitarian Access and Security

Location: Yemen | Aden

Overtime Eligible: (per local law) n/a

Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and in 22 US cities, the IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure.

The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC Yemen Country program has been established in 2012, and currently is implementing integrated Health, Nutrition, Environmental Health (WASH), Economic Recovery and Development, Women Protection and Empowerment and Education programming in eight governorates. The IRC Yemen Country Program operates with its Country Office in Sana’a and its main Field Office in Aden. Other subfield offices include Abyan, Hodeida and Al Dhale, with the Al Dhale office covering Lahaj, and the Abyan office covering activities in Shabwa.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Humanitarian Access & Security Manager (HASM) is a member of the Senior Security Management Team (SSMT),

Reporting to the Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator and manages Sr. Humanitarian Access and Security Officer (SHASO) based in Aden and Humanitarian Access and Security Officer (HASO) based in Sanaa.

The HASM will supervise and manage the two direct reports SHASO & HASO in north and south, to safely enable the delivery of essential services to women, men, and children inside Yemen. She/he will develop and oversee the implementation of humanitarian access and security management systems and protocols in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, and duty of care principles, and IRC's strategy with the support of the Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator (HASC). She/he will provide humanitarian access and security risk management advice to Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator on building relationships with stakeholders, negotiating and mediating humanitarian access, contextual understanding, managing critical incidents, and providing timely advisories. She or he will work closely with the Humanitarian Access and Security coordinator (HASC), Field Coordinator (FC), Sr Field Manager (SFM) and Program Coordinators (PCs) to ensure that organizational security policies and procedures are responsive to the context, adequate and known to staff, and in line with global safety and security standards.

Working closely with the Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator, she/he will help maximize the effectiveness of IRC's activities in Yemen by contributing to the design and ongoing adaptation of programming to ensure it is contextually appropriate. Where applicable, she/he will also provide guidance and support to partner organizations and ensure the capacity building of IRC staff, incentive workers, and partners with active hands-on collaboration.

Major Responsibilities:

Networking, Liaison & Acceptance

• Establish and maintain relations and a network of contacts allowing the collection of information related with the humanitarian access in Yemen, specifically in the areas of intervention.
• Develop and update list of contacts and stakeholder map per district/ sub-district in Yemen.
• Develop and regularly update internal maps on safe and un-safe areas, in coordination with Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator.
• Identify barriers to access and support the program teams develop strategies to address.
• Support the program teams to develop and implement community engagement strategies that promote acceptance and access.

Monitoring, Reporting & Analysis

• Assess the situation in Yemen for collecting information from formal and informal network and/or the team and/or electronic means (email, blogs, webpages, twitter, etc.).
• Report immediately to the line manager and internal stakeholders any sudden changes on the access in the areas where IRC operates.
• Provide contextual and data inputs into humanitarian situation reporting and share them to the program teams and Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator.
• In coordination with the Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator adapt and develop as needed security guidelines for the field teams.
• Provide comprehensive, neutral and non-partisan information on security risks, threats and incidents to Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator.

Training / Capacity Building

• Develop and deliver training materials, coaching and advice for staff and partners addressing humanitarian access issues with the support of Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator.
• Promote and support integration of humanitarian access approaches into program design, implementation and operation.
• With the assistance of the Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator, build up the capacity, awareness and preparedness of staff to deal with security-related risks, threats and incidents through the delivery of high quality, regular trainings/ briefings to national and international staff and IRC visitors when deemed necessary.
• Providing regular trainings for IRC staff on security preparedness, prevention and response. Training(s) may include SOPs; Contingency Plans (CPs); Security Management; Incident Reporting; Prevention and Response Mechanisms; and Communications.

Humanitarian Access Management

• Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field sites throughout Yemen.
• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to local context and include overarching community engagement components.
• Work to encourage stakeholders to work with the IRC in ensuring that staff and programs are safe and allowed to continue humanitarian activities in Yemen.

Other Key responsibilities:

• Implement security policies, protocols and procedures with the support of Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator;
• Train and supervise field HASOs and guards with the support of Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator;
• Attend meetings with other managers to determine operational needs;
• Review reports on incidents and breaches;
• Analyze data to form proposals for improvements (e.g. review of existing Security Management Plans);
• Engage in Daily Base with the field HASOs to ensure that the daily operations across Yemen meets operational requirements;
• Liaise with the field HASOs and Field Managers to track current security related issues and implement solutions;

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator (HASC)

Position directly/indirectly supervises: SHASO Aden, HASO Sanaa.

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Field and support operations and program teams, Program Coordinators & Managers

External: NGO counterparts and UN

Job Requirements:

• Advanced studies or equivalent experience in political science, humanitarian affairs, security or other areas:
• 3years experience from which 2 years are in a managerial level in humanitarian access, risk reduction or relevant field, with NGO experience preferred;
• Knowledge and experience working with authorities and external stakeholders and ability to network and build relations
• Understanding of humanitarian principles, risk management and access challenges
• Ability to work in a fluid, unpredictable and complex security environment
• Ability to work with others of different backgrounds and identities
• Excellent analytical skills
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal
• Strong interpersonal skills, including capacities to negotiate with non-government stakeholders

Soft Skills and Competencies:

• First aid training certificates.
• EOD training certificates.
• Any other security training certificate.
• Train of trainer’s certificate.

Language Skills: Fluency in English and Arabic to communicate clearly and effectively.

Computer Skill: MS Office – Very good MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook.

Working Environment: Based in Sanaa, required to travel to field offices in North and South

Professional Standards

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation