Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Mercy Corps in the Middle East, Palestine

Mercy Corps is a non-profit, non-governmental international humanitarian and development organization,registered in the United States and United Kingdom with offices in more than 40 countries around the world, including the West Bank and Gaza, where the organization has been active in implementing relief and development programs for over a decade. Mercy Corps Palestine' has staff based in EastJerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza City offices that implement programs throughout the Palestinian territories.Mercy Corps has been operating in Palestine since 1986, and across the Middle East for a number of years.

The Position

The Humanitarian Access and Safety Manager (HASM) will work with all MC Palestine offices to ensure that organizational security policies and procedures are responsive to the context, adequate and known to staff and advise on operational security processes and procedures in close coordination with security and program teams.

This position must maintain an acute awareness of the context and all threats as they relate to Mercy Corps operations. The HASM is expected to understand all Mercy Corps Palestine program activities across all operational areas.

The HASM will work with Program leads to ensure that the country program adheres to and exceeds compliance with the Global Safety and Security Minimum Standards.

The HASM will work closely with the Operations teams on related and contextually nuanced aspects of safety & security requirements.

The HASM is based in the Country Office in Jerusalem and is responsible for quality control and of security management for all offices and programs. This position will require extensive travel to insecure locations and for extended periods to provide support.

This person is expected to have a strong understanding of program management, logistical capacities and humanitarian values. S/he is expected to apply these and other leadership qualities with the Mercy Corps team.

S/he will conduct operational contextual styled analysis, advise the Country Director on all aspects of safety and security risks, operational security measures, and the safety and security aspects of incident management. The HASM will document, train, and implement security management planning, while also designing, facilitating, and providing training programs, briefings (written and presented) to program staff, technical advice and support for improved assessments and program planning.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY, PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

• Direct and manage the country team to ensure the implementation of Mercy Corps Global and Regional safety and security standards.
• Develop and implement SOPs and MOSS regarding safety and security procedures in areas with different risk levels.
• Conduct security assessments of areas where Mercy Corps plans to operate, as well as route assessments as and when required.
• Establish effective communication between Mercy Corps and partners such as training and sharing of information, etc.
• Cooperate with colleagues from other NGOs and INGOs to share and exchange the best practices for security management.
• Represent Mercy Corps in relevant forums
• Develop safety, security and crisis management strategy for the program
• Engages with the regional and global safety and security directors to ensure effective resourcing, standards, accountability and management of security in the operational area
• Work closely with the program and operations team to assess and manage risk, especially when accessing new areas of operation.
• Ensure training of all staff and compliance with safety and security SOPs.
• Ensure high quality incident reporting and communications with senior management, region and HQ in a crisis response.

REGIONAL SYSTEMS AND SUPPORT FUNCTIONS

• Ensure that effective systems are in place in all country offices for the adequate management of safety and security functions.
• Act as the Security Focal Point on the country Incident Response Team in case of any emergency or critical situations, and be ready to provide support in case of incidents involving the staff of Mercy Corps.

Supervisory responsibility

The relevant security focal points and security team members within the operational areas

Accountability

Reports to: Country Director

Works closely together with: The Country Director and country team, as well as closely with the Regional Safety & Security Advisor (ME) and Global safety and security teams.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualifications and Transferable Skills

• 3+ years in a relevant security management, risk management, NGO country program management position
• Have worked at least 2 years in a high-risk environment
• Experience previously supervising and coaching junior staff members is preferred
• Knowledge of operating humanitarian INGOs
• Solid understanding of humanitarian and resilience programming is required
• Deep understanding of risk analysis is required
• Deep understanding of NGO security and safety management is required
• Must have working proficiency in English. Arabic is a plus
• The ability to conduct personal safety and security training for staff if needed is a plus.

Success Factors

The perfect candidate is a person with a deep understanding of NGO's best practices for security management and experience in a relevant field. The candidate is able to work in a high-risk environment and operate effectively under pressure. Confident in taking the lead of her/his/their team and able to clearly communicate and guide them.

Living conditions

The position will be based in Jerusalem. The position will require regular travel across the operational areas when possible.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world's most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

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