Safety And Security Officer at Mercy Corps

Reference Number: ABV/OPS/2019/0019
Location: Abuja, Nigeria (With an estimated 50% travel to other program locations)
Position Status Full-time, Regular

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps works in fragile and conflict-affected environments. While we recognize that these are difficult places to operate, we believe that transitional environments – countries affected by civil wars, economic and political crisis, or natural disasters – offer tremendous opportunities for positive change. Since the late 1990s, Mercy Corps has managed over 100 peacebuilding projects in over 30 countries and regions, making Mercy Corps a true leader in the field. We currently implement 34 peacebuilding programs globally. In Nigeria, Mercy Corps is currently implementing several conflict management programs, focused on reducing violent conflict between farmer and pastoralist communities, preventing/countering violent extremism, and increasing peace between religious groups.
• Mercy Corps has added to its portfolio of conflict management in the North Central and North West of Nigeria with the program Community Initiative to Promote Peace (CIPP), funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). This five-year CIPP program aims to strengthen conflict prevention, mediation and early warning by facilitating community-led analysis and action to prevent, manage, and mitigate conflict and violent extremism The program will work in twenty-four (24) high-risk local government areas from Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi and Plateau states, with the following outcomes: 1) Improved local capacity and skills among conflicting communities to manage disputes; 2) Strengthened, more efficient, more sustainable community-based early warning and early response (EWER) mechanism; 3) Increased linkages and collaborations among conflicting/vulnerable communities with government agencies, CSOs, and local leaders to address and respond to root causes of conflicts; 4) Deepened engagement of women in peacebuilding and preventing violent extremism; and 5) Improved understanding of the dynamics and dangers of violent extremism among vulnerable communities to address extremist recruitment tactics.

General Position Summary

• Reporting to the Country Safety & Security Manager (CSSM), the Safety & Security Officer will be responsible for the policy analysis and strategic planning support required by the team within the geographical locale of CIPP project. The Safety & Security Officer is responsible to assist COP/CSSM in managing the safety and security of CIPP staff in CIPP program locations.
• The Safety & Security Officer is responsible for supporting the overall strategic planning with the field SMT and will deliver regular reports, briefing papers, key messages or position papers as required.
• Where joint messaging on behalf of the SMT is either unproductive or impossible, the post-holder will aim to facilitate and support joint works through “coalitions of the willing.” The post-holder will likewise be responsible for outreach and coordination to local NGO networks to support coordinated engagement work within the relevant geographical locale.

Essential job responsibilities.

• In conjunction with relevant internal focal persons, monitor the security environment within the designated geographical area with particular focus on program areas of operations. Work will include but not be limited to staying informed (through media, social media, contacts, etc.) about the safety and security situation in Southern Borno on a daily basis.
• Verify acquired security information through secondary sources and update CSSM and management.
• Maintain regular contact with field staff about the security situation in their respective assigned geographical area.
• Provide required periodic safety and security updates (daily reports, incident reports, meetings summary etc.) to relevant MCN Staff so they can better plan their work.
• Review the weekly/daily movement of staff in the field and provide on-time and real-time advice for the program and operational activities ongoing within the field
• Track vehicle movements where and when required until the safe arrival of staff/contract workers to their final destination.
• Track all staff movements when required until the safe arrival of staff/contract workers to their final destination.
• Provide initial analysis of relevant security development and communicate them to MC Senior Management Team.
• Be readily available at all times to the COP, DCOP and field staff to advise on security developments.
• Alongside the relevant operational focal people, ensure that relevant staff members understand and are able to use this equipment, including radios, satellite phones, fire extinguishers, etc through regular training and orientations for new staffs.
• Alongside with the relevant operational focal people, conduct comprehensive security/risk assessment in potential new program/field sites in Middle belt states and its field offices.
• Work with the relevant program and operational focal people as well as the COP/DCOP, on community acceptance messaging and other operational strategies in the area of operations in the North Central and North West regions of Nigeria.

Liaison Activities:

• Stay abreast of political developments and humanitarian trends in Nigeria, with an emphasis on the security situation in the middle belt areas, informing SMT members where relevant.
• Ensuring sufficient capacity and knowledge to support policy analysis and strategic planning around humanitarian architecture and operational issues.
• Collaborate with the COP/DCOP to act as an official representative on behalf of Mercy Corps at meetings with external engagement targets.
• Identify and liaise with external partners.
• Develop a calendar of upcoming lobby opportunities to be tapped into.
• Liaise with leads from relevant international coordination structures.
• Engage with peacebuilding and resilience working groups, through calling for meetings, drafting action-oriented meeting notes, support in sourcing for presenters and developing agenda for the meetings.
• Ensure collaboration with the NGO security clusters and attend any security coordination meetings.

Reporting Requirements:

• Daily Risk Ratings per location.
• Monthly Go / No-Go for key roads, LGAs and States in CIPP program locations.
• Incident Reports and Incident Log – always up to date.
• Ensure the Security Bulletin Boards (SBB) for all CIPP locations are updated.
• Risk Assessment – quarterly minimum.
• Flash Reports – immediate dissemination of critical incidents in our area of work.
• Weekly security brief to be shared with all relevant staff, including the Northeast program director, operations director, operational heads, program managers and security management team.

Operational Security:

• Conduct security assessments of CIPP sites and identify safe havens, checkpoints and other key factors critical to our safe operations and contingency plans in the North Central and North West. Will lead a Risk Assessment process that is inclusive and includes risk mitigation measures and strategies.
• Help with preparations of field visits.
• Advise and prepare documented SOPs for travel in all areas including routes, roads, weather, stopovers, check-in and turn-around timings.
• Maintain regular contact with field staff about the security situation in their respective areas.
• Request and Review the weekly/daily movement of staff in the field, and provide immediate advice in cases of staff planning to go to a dangerous area. Maintain a whiteboard of all staff movements.
• Conduct safety and road checks daily and prior to any movements. Will recommend approval for travel.
• Provide a post-incident analysis for senior management.

Finance & Compliance Management :

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Ensure compliance with all Mercy Corps finance regulation in carrying out activities as a Safety & Security Officer.

Influence & Representation:

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Organizational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability To Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work.
• Reports directly to: Country Safety and Security Manager.
• Works directly with: Safety and Security Manager – Abuja, Operations Manager, Operations Director, Director of Humanitarian Programs, Team Leader of Humanitarian Programs, Program Managers, and Finance Manager.
• Supervisory Responsibility- none

Accountability:

• Reports Directly To: Country Safety & Security manager
• Works Directly With: Security Manager Abuja, COP/DCOP Field Security Management Team, Operations and program staff.

Knowledge and Experience

• Advanced university degree in a related field.
• 5 years of security management experience and a minimum of 3 years of security management experience with international NGO is required.
• Relevant work experience in policy analysis, influence, strategic planning, communications, research, media, data gathering and/or information management
• Demonstrated capacity to develop and implement strategies with clear theories of change
• Excellent writing, editing and analytical skills and ability to formulate well-targeted strategic documents
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced and often demanding environment
• Fluency in English required, with demonstrated writing skills
• Computer literacy in using Microsoft Office and email/internet.
• Demonstrated understanding of complex emergencies, related security concerns, and appropriate responses to such emergencies. Good context analysis skills.
• Excellent negotiation and representation skills and the ability to work comfortably with an ethnically diverse staff in a very sensitive environment.
• Effective skills in coordination, organization and prioritization as well as in Microsoft Office applications.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work cooperatively with team members.
• Experience living and working in Nigeria, and experience in the Middle belt is preferred.
• Knowledge of NGO/INGO systems and procedures highly desirable.
• English proficiency required; excellent written and oral skills.
• Ability to speak Hausa or Kanuri and any other Middle belt local languages (desired but not essential).

Success Factors

• Critical to this job is the ability to carry out liaison & networking activities, think critically, keep abreast of security situations within volatile terrains, work out methods to deliver successful programs, be able to comply with Mercy Corps and donor regulations while maintaining strong cooperative relationships with other departments.
• The successful candidate will have the ability to interact effectively with national and international staff members and demonstrate the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and provide relevant advice and support in a fluid security environment.
• The candidate will also have to be able to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism and must be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense environment.
• Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.