Security and Safety Specialist – P3

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

In Haiti, UN Women collaborates with the government and other stakeholders to uphold international standards of gender equality and women’s rights. Within the framework of the UN Women Haiti Strategic Note (2024-2027), UN Women’s strategic focus is on strengthening national structures and mechanisms for integrating gender perspectives into policies, plans, and budgets. Additionally, UN Women is dedicated to supporting efforts to prevent and address violence against women, promote women’s economic empowerment, and bolster policies and investments in women’s resilience, particularly in the face of climate change and security threats. UN Women Haiti’s country program has just formulated a 4-year strategic plan from 2024 to 2027 focused on 3 strategic outcomes, aligning with the strategic framework of cooperation and development between the United Nations and the Haitian State. The same results seek to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals in general by 2030 and to SDG 5 in particular focusing on gender equality.

 

The three pursued results are as follows:

Result 1: Legitimate and responsible institutions ensure the rule of law, good governance, and respect for human rights.

Result 2: The population, particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups, has better access to equitable, inclusive, and quality basic social services, which focus on human rights, gender equality, and the inclusion of people with disabilities in contributing to strengthening the social contract.

Result 3: A new inclusive, equitable economic model, driving new investments, growth, and sustainability, favorable to the rapid creation of decent jobs focusing on youth and women, capable of substantially reducing poverty and inequalities, is formulated, approved, and implemented.

To achieve the above results, UN Women intends to use its triple mandate with innovative approaches and strategic partnerships in project implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, data collection and knowledge management, communication, and advocacy.

 

In the current context of acute security crisis in Haiti, the role of the UN Women Security Specialist is crucial for several reasons:

1. Ensuring staff safety: With the increase in kidnappings, clashes between armed gangs, and widespread insecurity throughout the country, ensuring the protection and safety of UN Women personnel working in the field is paramount. The Specialist advises on preventive measures, emergency procedures, and alert systems to be put in place.

2. Ensuring continuity of operations: In such a volatile environment, UN Women’s ability to carry out its programs for women’s rights depends on their security. The Specialist assesses risks and develops plans to ensure activities can continue as much as possible.

3. Ensuring security during movements: Field missions represent a major challenge currently, whether for delivering humanitarian aid or monitoring projects. The expertise of the Specialist is indispensable for securing these movements in high-risk areas.

4. Working in coordination: Effective security management requires close collaboration with authorities, law enforcement, other UN agencies, and humanitarian partners on the ground.

The Security Specialist plays a very important role in directly supporting the UN Women Country Representative by providing technical expertise and offering informed advice to the Country Representative to adjust operations and proactively manage risks to ensure the safety and effectiveness of UN Women’s operations in Haiti. Reporting hierarchically to the Global Security Advisor HQ via the Regional Security Specialist, the Security Specialist contributes to the overall security and well-being of UN Women personnel and partners in Haiti. 

The UN System in Haiti as well as other institutions including Embassies, NGOs and government, are suffering from huge numbers of resignations of national staff mostly leaving the country due to increasing insecurity and economic instability making their lives very difficult to handle. In addition to this, the UN women Country office soon launching its new Strategic Note targeting more resource mobilization to respond to the new UN security council resolution 2699 adopted on 2nd October 2023 authorizing a multinational security support Mission for Haiti. 

 

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide technical support, guidance, and advice to the Country Office:

• Provide timely and accurate security advice and recommendations to the Country Office, and approve organizational missions
• Clarify, interpret, and implement existing UN and UN Women security policy as applicable.
• Oversee security evaluations and provide advice on security and safety measures for the residences (Residential Security Measures -RSM) of UN Women personnel, as well as on the latest trends, threats and risks to personnel safety and security.
• Track developing threats and related risks, reviewing the impact of security and safety factors and risks to UN Women personnel,premises, assets, programme design and delivery.
• Provide recommendations regarding effective risk prevention and mitigation measures, including specific UN Women support needs
• Capacity build UN Women Local Security Assistant through assessment of needs, continuous education, training, shadowing, and guidance.

2. Oversee security assessments and take necessary action:

• Oversee substantive assessment of the security and safety situation in the area of responsibility and ensure adequate collation and verification of security information.
• Conduct security assessments of UN Women premises, operations and equipment and provide recommendations on risk management.

3. Liaise with and participate in the local security community:

• Maintain close liaison with the UN Women Regional Security Specialist.
• Actively participate in UNSMS Security Cell.
• Liaise and coordinate with the host government security and safety organizations and/or personnel, including national and local provincial authorities, military, police officers, fire service as well as non-governmental organizations, UN entities, and other non-Stateactors.
• Participate as a member of security and safety groups, particularly Inter-Agency Security Management Network Working Groups asdirected by the UN Women Global Security Adviser.
• Provide an advisory presence to the UN Women Representative and management team, at UN security management meetings such asthe country Security Management Team (SMT), United Nations Country Team (UNCT), and Operations Management Team (OMT).
• Maintain a security and safety network of international and national security personnel.

4. Collect, update, and communicate security information:

• Provide updates and information to HQ in relation to the security and safety intranet portal and documentation.
• Disseminate security and safety information and measures to personnel.
• Disseminate analytical products and outputs to stakeholders.
• Conduct regular communications with the UN Women Security & Safety Services Team.
• Establish a UN Women Warden System/Communication Tree as required.

5. Develop, maintain, manage, and implement the UN Women Security Plan, including updating personnel lists:

• Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of the UN Women Haiti Security Plan in accordance with the SMT Approved UNSMS Country Security Plan.
• Manage the preparation and review of the UN Security Plan and provide technical support in its development and implementation.
• Provide advice, recommendations and where necessary specifications in the selection and purchasing of security equipment.
• Prepare and submit security clearance/movement of personnel requests.
• Maintain, coordinate, and implement the UN Women Warden System.
• Identify and update information related to UN Women offices and residences in Haiti, including input to the UN Women Global PremisesDirectory.

6. Monitor, manage and implement UN Women compliance of the Security Risk Management Measures (SRMM) established for the duty station:

• Compile data required for the SRMM Self-Assessment of the UN Women Security and Safety Compliance Business Process.
• Provide technical support to and advise the UN Women Local Security Assistant in the completion and updating of the UN Women SSCS, SSCAP, and SSCEF compliance tools.
• Implement SRMM for UN Women personnel, premises, assets, systems and protocols, in accordance with organizational risk acceptance, ensuring the mainstreaming of security is applied in all programmatic planning platforms.
• Provide UN Women managers with prescriptive content such as policy, risk management methodology, SRMM and RSM.
• Provide technical support to security compliance input of all UN Women offices within area of responsibility.
• Provide technical support to the Programme team in completing and submitting the UN Women online Programme Assessment format.

7. Report security incidents affecting UN Women personnel, programmes, offices, and assets:

• Collate information and provide inputs to security reports, such as the Security & Safety Incident Recording System (SSIRS), Security Risk Management (SRM) Assessments and other ad-hoc incident reports.
• Oversee security evaluations and surveys of all Country and Sub Offices.
• Develop accurate and timely written country briefings; add inputs to position papers from a field perspective as required.
• Provide information to the country UN Security Management System (UNSMS) as required.

8. Develop and conduct country specific security & safety education and training courses:

• Participate in the development and delivery of UNSMS training where possible.
• Develop UN Women-specific security training based on established needs and conduct security and safety training aligned to corporate requirements.
• Provide security and safety orientation and briefings to newly assigned personnel.
• Provide security and safety mainstreaming sessions as required.
• Provide security and safety awareness sessions as required.
• Provide Business Continuity and Crisis Management training sessions as required.
• Fully rollout Business County and Crisis Management Application (BCCMA).
• Coordinate with HQ Security & Safety Services Team with regard education and training needs, products and corporate initiatives.

9. Perform other security-related tasks, including but not limited to:

• Provide Air Travel Focal Point services to UN Women as per CATSU requirements.
• Maintain liaison with commercial companies used for UN Women security at offices and residences, in order to ensure the effective and efficient use of the guard force services in line with established or developed terms of reference.
• Ensure 100% compliance with completion of the UN Women Security and Safety Compliance Survey, Action Plan, and Enhancement Funding needs.
• Ensure 100% compliance with the UN Women Business County and Crisis Management Application (BCCMA).
• Active participation at all UNSMS Security Cell meetings.
• Deliver SMT talking points for the Country Representative prior to the meeting and provide updates on the Security Cell discissions.
• Complete a review of physical security arrangements at UN Women office locations in operational areas.
• Prepare movement plan for field missions for UN Women personnel.
• Establish proof of life protocol with the CO and regional HR Business Partner for CO based and visiting personnel.
• Develop a quick reference guide for the HIM scenario for the Country Office aligned to the UNSMS HIM Policy and Guidelines.
• Provide support to UN Women’s efforts with the Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti.

10. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

 

Competencies

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of business, operations, and programming cycle.
• Strong knowledge of security and safety risk management.
• Strong knowledge of local country’s security situation/ laws.
• Good knowledge of UN System policies and procedures.
• Ability to work under pressure and in crisis situations.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Ability to be strategic and provide advice

 

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in security management, risk management, business administration, leadership, political/social science, international relations, legal, or a related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. UN, military or police senior Command and Staff College qualification with command experience at the senior level, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in security and/or safety, with experience of programme management in the field in a development context; 7 years if not in possession of a Master’s degree.
• Budget management experience as it relates to field support is desirable.
• Experience of conducting security risk assessments as an integral part of operational planning and the enabling of operations is desirable.
• Experience working with the UN Security Policy Manual in highly desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and French are required.
• Knowledge of another UN official working language is desirable (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian).

 

HOW TO APPLY:

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Only short-listed qualified candidates will be contacted.

 

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

 

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

 

Additional Note:

In accordance with the UN Staff Regulation 4.5 (c) A fixed-term appointment does not carry any expectancy, legal or otherwise, of renewal or conversion, irrespective of the length of service. This fixed-term appointment is budgeted through 31 December 2025.

 

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