Safety Advisor – Ituri

Closing date: 25 May 2018

Organisation Background:

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) is a British charity that supports the safety of aid workers by establishing safety coordination platforms in insecure contexts. INSO provides registered NGOs with a range of free services including real-time incident tracking, analytical reports, safety related data and mapping, crisis management support, staff orientations and training.

INSO services help NGOs with their day-to-day risk management responsibilities and improve their overall situational awareness to support evidence-based humanitarian access decisions.

The organisation has grown from innovative start-up to become a globally recognised charity and a valuable component of the humanitarian safety coordination system.

Today the organisation provides daily support to more than 850 NGOs in eleven of the world’s most insecure countries and has earned a strong reputation for performance, principles & professionalism.

DRC Country Office:

INSO DRC provides services in the North Kivu and South Kivu to over 100 humanitarian organisations with the aim to enhance the delivery of aid and preserve the safety of humanitarian staff. INSO operates from two regional offices in Goma and Bukavu, a sub-office in Beni and soon a new office in Tangayika (Kalemie City).

We are now seeking an experienced individual to join our team as an INSO Safety Advisor – Ituri based in Bunia, DRC.

Job Summary:

Safety Advisors positions are highly rewarding roles, offering a unique opportunity to work in a close-knit team giving security analysis and advice that is not only some of the best of its kind, but that is also vital to the efforts of the NGO community to deliver aid and assistance to the thousands of people who need it.

The Safety Advisor is responsible and manager of Bunia sub-office, s/he will demonstrate technical expertise in security management and will be the interface with the NGOs and INSO’s interlocutors in his/her area of responsibility. A clear understanding of humanitarian principles, NGOs safety management and operations is required.

Successful candidate will be outgoing and resilient, with the ability to analyse complex security issues and contexts, give sound practical safety and security advice, communicate to an excellent standard of French both verbally and in writing, and above all else share INSO’s commitment to humanitarian principles. S/he will also be able to build and maintain a diverse network of contacts, articulate complex political and socio-economic analysis from an objective, neutral perspective, and produce and disseminate written products and deliver briefings on a time-sensitive basis.

The Safety Advisor position is being offered on 12 months (with possible renewable term).

Major Responsibilities:

  • Establish and maintain an active and credible information network, which includes NGOs but not limited to the UN, military forces, and other national and international security actors to obtain credible and relevant safety information.
  • Provide NGOs with timely and credible security information and contextual analysis of the local security situation through: daily FLASH alerts, weekly incident lists and bi-weekly analytical reports.
  • Produce detailed bi-monthly reports on the evolution of the regional context and its impact on NGOs; produce a weekly incidents list in the area; produce immediate alert reports.
  • Facilitate and lead regular NGO community security roundtables in your region of responsibility, presenting trends and facilitating discussions.
  • Assist NGOs in developing their own security management capacities by reviewing policy documents, conducting site-security surveys, and assisting in crisis evacuation plans.
  • Manage a small office including supervising national staff and oversight of local logistics and administration.
  • Effectively represent, promote and protect INSO's mandate of independence, impartiality and neutrality.

Mandatory Requirements:

  • Fluent in FRENCH (written and spoken).
  • Graduate level education or equivalent work experience.
  • Minimum 3 years spent in insecure/conflict-affected environments.
  • Proven writing and analytical abilities (sample requested).
  • Demonstrable understanding of humanitarian safety practices & principles and their application.
  • Ability to adapt to multi-cultural and diverse social backgrounds.
  • Understanding and commitment to the humanitarian principles of independence, impartiality and neutrality.

Preferred Characteristics:

  • Minimum on (1) recent year experience in DRC - ideally in an NGO safety role or equivalent - and demonstrable understanding of the security dynamics.
  • Employment history that reflects experience in both security and civilian fields.
  • Experience with NGO security and/or project management.
  • Existing information networks.
  • Working knowledge of English or local language skills are an advantage.
  • Formal qualifications of trainer (HEAT, NGO security and safety management, etc.).
  • Experience in staff capacity development and training.
  • Experience in staff management.
  • Ability to work under stress and deadlines.
  • Flexible, able to work around the clock and energetic.

Key Personal Competencies:

  • A good listener
  • An effective communicator
  • Excellent analyst
  • Team player
  • Strong interpersonal skills A people manager

Terms & Conditions:

12-month contract with possible renewable term, €4550 per month salary, 4 calendar days annual leave per month and 7 days of R&R every 3 months with a €1000 allowance per each R&R cycle, in-country housing provided, global medical coverage and AD&D coverage.

How to apply:

Interested persons are requested to send the following to no later than 25 May 2018 and ensure to reference "INSO Safety Advisor Ituri-DRC” in the subject line of your email. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted after the closing date.

  • Cover letter specifying how you meet the mandatory requirements, your motivation in applying and what you hope to bring to INSO (1-page maximum).
  • Up to date CV (5-page maximum).

Please note that during the course of the recruitment process, one relevant writing sample in French that demonstrates your analytical and report reporting abilities (10 pages maximum) will be required.

Please do not send any additional information (certificates, other writing samples, etc.) and keep the total size of your application under 2 MB if possible.