Back Regional safety & security adviser for West Africa - Dakar - SENEGAL

Context of the position

The International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is present and active in West African countries and particularly in: Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad through humanitarian assistance and capacity building programs of National Societies.

To respond to growing humanitarian needs in the region, Partner National Societies (PNS) plan to expand their reach and aim to contribute more actively to the implementation of projects to better benefit vulnerable people. At the same time, the security context continues to deteriorate, forcing the players on the ground to exercise greater caution and devote more resources to managing the security of their teams and projects.

In this context, a group of PNS agreed on the creation of a safety and security delegate based in Dakar and assigned to security issues in 5 countries within the region. The duties of this delegate were established in complementarity with the missions of the International Federation of the Red Cross’ (IFRC) security delegate for Africa based in Nairobi.

The employment contract will be administered by the French Red Cross but the incumbent will be under the final responsibility of a steering committee composed of these PN.

The position

Acting as an adviser of the Partner National Societies (PNS) for all matters relating to regional safety and security, the regional delegate will advise and accompany the PNS in their analysis and management of security issues.

They will be in charge of the security management of PNS delegates based in the countries, and international visitors’, to develop the contextual analysis allowing for a good understanding of political and security dynamics and to formulate recommendations allowing them to manage security as effectively as possible. Particular attention will also be paid to the operational security of the teams on site and the capacity building of Host National Societies.Supervises regional and international travelers on missions in Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina-Faso & Chad

• Analyzes the security situation and the associated risks
• Supports Operational Security Management
• Participates in security incident management
• Participates in capacity building of the 5 host national societies
• Participates in internal RC Movement as well as external meetings related to regional humanitarian security, mainly in Dakar

Candidate profil

• Academic education in humanitarian worker’s security, and/or international relations / geopolitics / security
• 5 years of experience in a position related to staff and organization security, risk assessment, security management and security awareness, particularly in unsafe environments.
• Knowledge and experience in West Africa, and ideally in Sahelian countries
• Excellent teaching and knowledge transfer skills
• Knowledge of the Red Cross Movement
• Ability to work under pressure in a volatile environment
• Context Analysis Capabilities
• Sensitive to the peculiarities of the local culture
• Patience, pedagogy, diplomacy skills
• Holder of an international driving license
• Strong motivation for the challenges of international solidarity
• Polyvalent and creative
• Fluency in French and English is imperative

Specificities of the position:

Many trips in the area are expected (between 10 and 15 days of mission per month) with long distances to drive and relatively difficult conditions during frequent field supervision visits

A six-monthly activity schedule will be drawn up by the incumbent when they take up the position and validated by the steering committee of the PNS involved.

The steering committee will meet on a 6 months’ basis, day to day management will be provided par the regional office of the French Red Cross, helped by the regional office of the British Red Cross

Summary

• Location : Dakar - SENEGAL
• Duration: 12 months
• To be filled: 04/2020
• Status: expatriate position

The French Red Cross reserves the right to fill the position before the closing date for applications

Prerequisites

• Passport valid for more than 6 months at the moment of departure
• Up-to-date vaccination card / fitness for travel

Online training

To be better acquainted with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, we invite you to follow two training sessions online, free and accessible to all that constitute a real advantage for your application:

WORC (The World of Red Cross and Red Crescent) is an e-learning course on the fundamental principles and operations of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Its 12 modules address subjects such as the origin and history of the Movement, its fundamental principles, its emblem, the International Federation, the ICRC and national societies. It is intended for all: volunteers, employees, members or people wishing to get more information on the biggest humanitarian movement in the world.

Stay Safe is intended for every staff in a position to carry out international missions on behalf of the Federation or a National Society of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. The course aims at developing a common culture of security management within the Movement in order to enable a better understanding of the main threats and risks for humanitarian actors in the field, and offers solutions to restrain their impact.

You will find these lessons on the IFRC Learning Platform open to all by clicking on the following link: https://ifrc.csod.com/client/ifrc/default.aspx