The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

With its headquarters in Kinshasa, main field office in Goma and field offices in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika, the IRC is a key humanitarian actor in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The IRC aims to save lives, to strengthen Congolese institutions and to reinforce social cohesion through carefully designed and professionally implemented programs.

Job overview

IRC is looking for a Senior Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator (SHASC) for its program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), based in Goma with very frequent travel to program sites. Reporting to the Country Director (CD), this position is responsible for ensuring that the organization’s security policies and procedures are context-specific, adequate and known to staff. The SHASC will also advise on humanitarian access in close coordination with program teams. The SHASC will be responsible for analyzing security trends, advising on, updating and implementing IRC’s security management plan, while managing a team of in-country security and safety professionals. The SHASC will streamline humanitarian access approaches in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs and IRC’s strategic action plan for the DRC.

The SHASC will organize on-site training for staff, facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate plans, standard operating procedures and contingency plans. The SHASC will provide expert advice on humanitarian security and access to all levels of IRC staff in the country office, including access negotiations and mediation, context and conflict analysis, and incident management.

Key responsibilities

1. Facilitating humanitarian access

• Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches adapted to local contexts at operational sites across the DRC.

• Ensure that humanitarian access approaches are sensitive to the local context and include comprehensive community engagement components.

• Ensure that IRC humanitarian access field teams conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with relevant actors in the DRC, in line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian needs, the principles of the responsibility to protect and the IRC Strategic Action Plan (SAP).

• Work to ensure that the IRC, its mission and its work in areas of operation are known and accepted.

• Encourage stakeholders to collaborate with the IRC to ensure that staff and programs can safely pursue humanitarian activities in the DRC.

• Provide technical input and advice in assessments to consider new IRC programs in new geographical areas, as well as regular reviews of assessments for existing locations.

• Contribute to the ongoing development of humanitarian access and security teams and activities across the DRC.

• Participate in the development and implementation of guidelines for humanitarian access and engagement with non-state actors, articulating standard IRC policy and guidance.

• Oversee and advise on the implementation and review of appropriate acceptance strategies.

• Maintain a high level of preparedness for anticipated operational and programmatic contextual fluctuations.

• Improve IRC’s image and acceptance within the community and among stakeholders by providing guidance on inclusive visibility strategies.

• Work with appropriate IRC units, including Human Resources, to ensure timely and appropriate follow-up of violations of the IRC Code of Conduct, in addition to operational breaches of humanitarian principles.

2. Operational Security Management

• Provide technical support on all policies, procedures, guidelines and planning related to personnel security, operational security and program continuity in the DRC.

• Regularly assess, revise and update security management plans in line with global security standards and requirements.

• Work with field coordinators to develop, consolidate and implement operational procedures and contingency plans.

• Develop and maintain a network of IRC Security Focal Points in each field office and program site, reinforcing gender balance.

• Regularly assess, review and update hibernation and evacuation plans for all IRC offices and residences in the DRC, and ensure that practical preparations are in place and known to all relevant staff.

• Carry out risk assessments of current and potential offices and residences. Monitor actions to be taken to ensure compliance with safety standards.

• Conduct ongoing evaluations of equipment and equipment use protocols to ensure minimum safety conditions are met.

• Provide and implement best practice solutions for the use of equipment to facilitate communication between personnel.

• Ensure that safety protocols, reporting mechanisms and capacity-building initiatives take into account gender-specific risks, staff profiles and backgrounds, and are sensitive to local contexts.

3. Monitoring, analysis, contextual understanding and reporting :

• Compile and submit regular reports that track incidents and trends in humanitarian access and local security contexts in IRC’s area of operation.

• Submit daily contextual updates as required to the Strategic Management Team (SMT) as well as relevant field management and program staff.

• Work closely with IRC field management teams to ensure that all incidents and accidents are formally reported in writing, which is then shared with relevant stakeholders and archived appropriately. Ensure that final incident reports are provided when the IRC closes the case.

• Monitor the operational environment in the country, identify new threats, assess IRC vulnerabilities, implement preventive and mitigating measures, and recommend possible responses.

• Coordinate regularly with the Regional Security Director on security and safety, and fulfill reporting requirements to the region.

• Contribute to local conflict sensitivity analysis and macro analysis of conflict trends in the DRC.

• Provide credible information and contextual understanding of localized and national security situations and incidents, with appropriate advice to IRC field and program management staff.

4. Training and Capacity Building :

• Identify learning and development needs in security and access for country program staff.

• Provide regular training to IRC staff on humanitarian principles, security and safety preparedness. Training may include standard operating procedures, humanitarian negotiations, contextual understanding, security risk management, incident management and reporting, FIELD-READI in security and safety, etc.

• Collaborate with partners to assess capacity building needs and provide advice and support where feasible and necessary.

• Work with relevant internal focal points to develop and revise the IRC DRC information and induction package for new employees and visitors.

5. Program development :

• Participate in program design in close collaboration with the Deputy Director of Programs and the Deputy Director of Operations (DDO).

• Ensure that safety needs are included in national program budgets.

• Support the program coordinator and field management staff in developing conflict-sensitive approaches appropriate to the DRC context.

• Participate in program review meetings and contribute to implementation plans to ensure timely, safe and secure delivery of IRC services to beneficiaries.

• Advise program management and field teams on context-specific humanitarian access, security and safety risks, and contribute to the development and implementation of mitigation measures and plans.

6. Emergency Preparedness and Response :

• Contribute to the development of the country’s emergency preparedness plans.

• Support and advise the Strategic Management Team (SMT) in the event of humanitarian or security/safety emergencies.

• Assist with the humanitarian access and security component (situation analysis and background information, security assessments) of IRC Emergency Response Team deployments in the DRC.

• Contribute to the development of operational and programmatic contingency plans for different emergency scenarios.

7. People Performance Management, Learning & Development :

• Recruit, supervise and build team members’ skills in relevant technical and management competencies.

• Develop and implement remote management capacity-building approaches to strengthen team skills in the DRC.

• Encourage, train, supervise and guide team members who report directly to him and those who are managed under the PIM. This includes explicitly communicating expectations, establishing annual performance objectives, providing consistent and timely feedback, and conducting comprehensive semi-annual performance reviews.

• Maintain open and professional relationships with team members, promote a dedicated team spirit, and provide oversight and guidance to enable staff to succeed in their positions.

• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capabilities, exchanging knowledge within the team and advising on career paths.

• Identify staff performance issues and work with human resources to document and resolve them in line with national staff employment policies.

8. Culture & ethics

• Maintain open and professional relationships with team members, promote a strong team spirit and provide supervision and guidance to enable staff to perform their duties well, including staff development plans.

• Lead with commitment, integrity and responsibility the “IRC way” – Global Standards of Professional Conduct – and ensure compliance.

Qualification and work experience:

Education:

• University degree in management, political science or related field preferred. Technical degree or certification in related field with applicable significant experience.

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years’ professional experience in non-profit organizations or NGOs, in international humanitarian assistance programs, with demonstrated skills in planning, organizing and executing humanitarian security operations in the field.

• Understanding of humanitarian principles, code of conduct and the specific intricacies of delivering essential services to people in need in the DRC, in relation to the operational context of NGOs.

• Understanding of regional and local context, dynamics and access limitations related to gender, disability, religion, tradition and local norms.

• Knowledge of communication technologies, including satellite communications, cell phones, etc., is an asset.

• Solid experience as a trainer; ability to develop, implement, facilitate and transmit knowledge to a wide range of audiences.

• Experience in obtaining an accurate and impartial understanding of local, regional and international policies.

• Provide clear dynamic briefings and analysis of current and ongoing security and political situations.

Technical skills:

• Proven experience as a professional and reliable manager (including people and project management).

• Excellent skills in organizing large-scale, rapid and responsive field programs.

• Sense of observation of situation and opportunity.

• Strong ability to provide team building, coaching and development for staff, and to encourage cross-functional collaboration and cooperation.

• Strong organizational and coordination skills.

Managerial/leadership skills:

• Excellent relationship building, interpersonal skills and ability to effectively represent IRC at forums and with external stakeholders.

• Strong negotiation and mediation skills, with experience in conflict resolution essential.

• Good oral and written communication skills, with the ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with high-level internal and external stakeholders.

• Successful experience of working with local stakeholders such as local and international NGOs, government, etc., with sensitivity and diplomacy.

• Proven ability to design and lead training with staff and partners to build skills and adapt to changing program demands.

Languages required/preferred :

• Fluency in spoken and written French and English is required.

Computer/other requirements:

• Full professional competence in Microsoft Office, in particular Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Knowledge of geographic information systems is an asset.

The work environment:
The Senior Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator will be based in Goma, in DRC, and will travel throughout the country to field program locations (35%). Goma is security phase 4 (RED) so the DDO will be expected to respect the various security protocols in place in country. Phase 4 requires clear contingency planning in place with staff prepared should hibernation or evacuation be called for the candidate must be prepared to work in insecure environments. This is an unaccompanied position.

Housing: Individual housing unaccompanied. All IRC sites have electricity and internet although some interruptions can be experienced. Food is the individual’s responsibility.

Specific Security Situation/ Housing: The designated base location for this position is Goma in North Kivu Province. Crime and theft are common so there is limited freedom of movement. Civil conflict is ongoing in parts of the Eastern DRC and the area is considered unstable. Strict adherence to security guidelines is requested of all IRC staff.

Returning national candidates:

IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the IRC has introduced an attractive remuneration package.

National applications as well as female applications are strongly encouraged.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.