Security and Access Coordinator (National Position) – Westbank

Title: Security and Access Coordinator

Location: Westbank – Ramallah

Job Family and Grade: Professional Jobs Family P4

Pre hire checks: This role is classified as requiring Enhanced pre-employment checks due diligence

Department: Security

Reporting to: Security and Access Manager

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing.

Currently, RI is active in 14 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: Relief International Inc., Relief International-UK, Relief International-France and Relief International-Europe Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.

About our Country Program/ Regional Programs

Relief International was operational in oPT starting in 2007, and after entering hibernation period in 2017, has recently reactivated its operations at the end of 2023. Relief International is currently building its response to the current and evolving situation in both Gaza and the West Bank through both a direct implementation and partnership approach. Relief International’s programming in oPT follows Relief International’s global strategy with Health as a central focus with components linked to our work in Health through the sectors of WASH, Protection, Education and Livelihoods.

Job Profile

As the Security and Access Coordinator, your role will be to ensure the safety and access of Relief International’s operations within the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. You will be responsible for implementing RI’s security protocols and managing humanitarian access to ensure the smooth delivery of our programs. This position requires proactive coordination with local and international stakeholders, as well as the ability to react quickly to emerging security risks. You will work closely with the Area Director, Country Security and Access Manager, and program teams to develop strategies, manage risks, and support field movements

Key responsibilities

AUTONOMY AND COMPLEXITY:

• The Security and Access Coordinator solves problems in straightforward situations, relying on professional experience, established procedures, and guidelines. You will be expected to analyze potential solutions using judgment and precedents to address security risks, manage access, and respond to challenges in a dynamic operational environment.
• You will need to manage evolving security risks while supporting humanitarian operations, often requiring quick decision-making and close coordination with the Area Director, Country Security and Access Manager, and local staff.
• You will work within standard guidelines and policies, receiving moderate levels of guidance. However, there will be a need to exercise independent judgment in assessing security risks, managing field movements, and making decisions that impact both staff safety and program operations. The ability to adapt to new situations and proactively offer solutions is essential.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer:

• Develop a capacity-building plan for local partners and field staff in collaboration with the Country Security and Access Manager.
• Proactively support the transfer of knowledge to local safety and access departmental staff.
• Identify training and development needs and assist local partners in accessing relevant opportunities.
• Deliver safety-related training and mentor local safety staff, including drivers and others with safety responsibilities.

Security Management and Protocols:

• Support the development and implementation of the Security Management Framework at the area level.
• Help develop and audit area and country security management policies, ensuring high standards are maintained.
• Develop Security Risk Assessments (SRAs) and Security Improvement Plans (SIPs) for facilities, locations, and activities, and implement mitigation measures.
• Analyze, manage, and report on security-related information within your area of responsibility, sharing updates with the Country Security and Access Manager, Area Director, and other relevant staff.

Documentation and Equipment Oversight:

• Maintain area-level security and access-related documents, such as maps, incident reports, and briefings.
• Provide technical support for the procurement and maintenance of safety-related equipment and resources at the area level.
• Ensure serviceable security, communications, and medical equipment is available for field deployments, providing familiarization training to staff.

Field Movement and Journey Management:

• Review and approve field movement requests, ensuring compliance with Staff Movements SOPs and coordinating all movements with the Supply Chain and Operations Coordinator.
• Serve as the focal point for Journey Management and Travel Safety, working closely with program teams to monitor field movements.

Emergency Response and Local Coordination:

• Coordinate emergency responses within the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, providing technical guidance to the area-level management team.
• Monitor formal and informal information networks to provide up-to-date security advice in line with RI’s policies.
• Play a key role in the area-level Incident Management Team.

Training and Development:

• Collaboratively create development plans for security and access staff, supporting progress and delivering security-related training and exercises.

Stakeholder Engagement and Humanitarian Access:

• Ensure field teams conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with local actors, adhering to humanitarian principles.
• Oversee the implementation of RI’s humanitarian access strategy within the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, ensuring the mission and operations of RI are known and accepted.

Staff and Visitor Briefings:

• Provide comprehensive security briefings for international staff, visitors, and new staff upon arrival in the West Bank.
• Offer pre-departure security briefings to RI field staff.

Other Responsibilities:

• Provide technical support to the Area Director in all operational planning elements.
• Follow up on violations of RI’s Code of Conduct and humanitarian principles in collaboration with the Area Director and Country Security and Access Manager.

Behavior and conduct

• Ensures that behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies
• Acts with integrity and holds themselves accountable for being respectful, inclusive and professional
• Reports any concerns

Person Specification

Skills, knowledge and expertise required for the role.

Essential criteria

To be successful in this role we expect you to have at least 3-5 years of experience in a position with security and humanitarian responsibilities for an INGO (Programs and Operations personnel who meet these criteria but who may not have had a position with Safety or Security in the title are strongly encouraged to apply). Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Willing to learn, good sense of humor and high emotional intelligence
• Team player and collaborative but with the ability to work independently, take initiative and make decisions.
• An interest in politics, security and a critical understanding of the current situation across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; a knowledge of regional and wider geopolitical developments and how they influence the war.
• An understanding of personal limitations and areas for personal development.
• Driven, dedicated and proactive with a drive for excellence.
• Stable personality, able to operate in a professional manner under stress.
• Experience working in multicultural work settings.
• Experience with information gathering analysis and report writing; with critical incident management.
• Full professional proficiency in English (the ability to read and write English to a high level and to operate in a professional space).
• At least 5 years of experience in direct safety and access position.
• Previous experience working in non-governmental organization
• Strong organizational skills
• High computer skills on MS Office programs
• Demonstrate good presentation and analysis skills.
• A demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action
• Ability to work under pressure and with very short deadlines & strong communications skills.
• Fluent in oral and written Arabic and very good English.
• support.

RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability