REGIONAL SECURITY MANAGER – WEST AFRICA

Job Summary:

The Regional Security Manager (RSM) will work to reduce the risks faced by CARE personnel, assets and programs in CARE’s West Africa Region (WARMU), Country Offices and Program presences, through the provision of specialized, coordinated and focused safety and security preparedness and management support. This will include regional, as well as country office specific assessments and regular contact with Country Directors and the Regional Leadership Team.

The RSM will be responsible for managing, administrating, coaching, mentoring and developing
the capacity of Safety & Security Managers and country office Safety & Security Focal Points, ensuring that a high technical capacity is developed and present in CO’s and program areas,

The RSM will establish and implement processes and systems, drawing from the CSU’s best practices, to ensure an effective regional wide security system as well as train and support staff to ensure that operational risks are minimized. She/He will demonstrate a high level of socio-cultural, political and economic understanding of the many contexts in which CARE works. The RSM will also develop a solid working knowledge of CARE’s program framework in order to provide guidance and direction for safety and security to support CARE’s vision and mission. The RSM will be required to develop and maintain a network of information on strategic regional developments that could harm or influence CARE’s operations. The RSM will be required to work closely with the Regional Director and Country Directors in identifying priority areas, country offices and program presences, supporting, building capacity and systems as may be required.

The RSM will be required to travel to CARE’s operational areas in the region, including volatile and dangerous locations to support Country Offices in addressing deteriorating security, develop security plans, and provide technical assistance where appropriate.

The RSM will be responsible for managing the operational security budget and provide the Director CSU with regular financial reviews and reports.

Responsibilities:

1. Team Leadership, Staff Management, Coaching, Mentoring and Capacity Building.
   • Line manage the Assistant Regional Security Manager. Lead the development of team annual goals and activities.
   • Coach, mentor and professionally develop West Africa’s safety and security stakeholders. This will require a significant portion of the RSM’s time as the WARMU region operates with a range of safety and security personnel; from Sub-Regional Security Officers (SRSOs) and professional safety and security managers to field safety and security focal points.
   • Support or facilitate training in accordance with CARE policy and principles for staff and stakeholders. In close liaison with Riskready (the CSU training team) build the capacity of safety and security managers and facilitate the Safety & Security Focal Point training. During country office visits, provide ongoing mentorship and coaching to the security focal points, management staff who have security responsibilities and the Country Office Safety and Security Committee.
2. Administrative and Financial Management Responsibilities.
   • Develop activities and goals in line with the Regional and CSU roadmaps. Ensure that the planned annual activities for the RSM and SRSOs contribute to the realization of the CSU roadmap.
   • Ensure that the administration and logistical requirements of reporting staff are completed in a timely, and regular fashion.
   • Develop, manage, monitor and report on the RSM West Africa budget (includes all
     RSM and reporting staff expenses).
   • Ensure that the country office operational security budgets are completed, updated, and reflect the operational needs of the operational environment.
   • Complete and participate in a personal annual performance assessment, and conduct similar appraisal activities for reporting staff.
   • Ensure the CSU mission cycle protocol is completed for each deployment, including, developing terms of reference, mission reporting, expense accounting and follow up on recommendations.
   • Supervise the completion of the Regional monthly from CO’s and ensure that a regional security report is submitted, on time to the CSU.
   • Ensure that CSU KPI records are regularly reviewed and updated. Ensure that there is a formal discussion with regional and country directors at least once per quarter on KPIs. Update central dashboard and support peer review processes for safety and security KPIs.
3. Develop Strategies, Procedures and Protocols and assess Country Office Security Management.
   • Advise Regional leadership and Country Directors and work with regional safety and security stakeholders so that best practice models and approaches to safety and security can be developed.
   • Based on the findings of the threat and risk assessments, oversee the development of relevant procedures to be implemented in country offices and all CARE presences to mitigate risk and demonstrate best practices.
   • Ensure that all Procedures and Protocols as required, by the CARE International
     Safety and Security Principles and Standards are observed.
   • Participate in the recruitment of security managers, officers, focal points, guard services and security service providers, where appropriate.
   • Advise and assist the country office in the development and maintenance of Country
   • Office Safety and Security Committee, Crisis Management Team and any other structure to enhance safety and security in the CO.
4. Assessments, Planning and Information Management.
   • Conduct strategic regional assessments and/or specific assessments as prioritized in a collaboration with the Regional Director. Develop and maintain a robust contextual understanding of our areas of operations, in consultation with program, safety and security stakeholders, staff and peer security advisors.
   • Conduct country or presence specific security assessments and assist Country Offices to prepare and maintain comprehensive Threat and Risk assessments of CARE vulnerabilities. Where it is feasible / time permitting the RSM may undertake and complete country Threat and Risk Assessments in close liaison with either the safety and security managers or safety and security stakeholders of a country office.
   • The RSM will advise the country office on technical requirements and support the development of the safety and security management plans.
   • The RSM will assist the country office prepare for catastrophic events and critical incidents.
   • Work with program staff to integrate security from the planning stages of the project and build risk mitigation into the projects.
   • Keep Country Directors informed of assessments and provide them feedback on issues in the country offices, and developing trends.
   • Advise the country offices on best practice for risk mitigation and safety and security.
   • Brief the Director CSU, the Regional Director and other senior staff on security developments within the region.
   • Consolidate reports from country offices and on a monthly basis prepare a regional report for the Regional Management Unit and the Director CSU.
   • Maintain records on the CSU’s knowledge management platform, including regular filing of all routine security documentation and update key tracking dashboards. Support the CSU’s Deputy Director, Operations in peer reviews and spot checks of security documentation as required.
5. Act in a crisis.
   • The RSM acts as a key advisor to the regional Crisis Management Team, ensuring that when required a full CMT is implemented and that Flash messages are sent to the Director CSU and CAREs Leadership.
   • Establish and coordinate with the regional and country office crisis management team (CMT) and advise them of possible actions and best practices.
   • Coordinate between affected country offices during a crisis, in multi-presence situations.
   • Where possible assist with emergency medical evacuations within the region.
   • Deploy to support Country Office crisis response.
   • Investigate and follow up security incidents in which CARE staff are involved, eg. Arrest, detention etc
6. Regional Liaison and representation.
   • Participation in Regional Senior Leadership Teams and other Country Office management fora to both contribute to the general management of the regions and to ensure the safety and security perspective is represented.
   • Attend, lead regional safety and security meetings with peer organizations and partners. Represent CARE on regional forums.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in a field related to humanitarian work or security risk management.
• Formal safety and security qualifications and/or formal training certification.
• Fluency in French and English.
• Five years’ experience in assisting international organizations in developing security Strategies for their operations in multicultural contexts.
• Five years’ experience in managing security professionals and mentoring security focal points
• Three years’ experience working living in developing countries/contexts with at least two years operations in complex/post-conflict environments.
• Fluency in French and English
• Proven capacity to assess threats and develop risk management strategies
• Proven capacity to be able to evaluate, analyze and contextualize complex and challenging issues to different stakeholders and audiences.
• Proven capacity to be able to mentor and coach staff.
• High level of experience in developing security-related procedures, tools guidelines and systems.
• Demonstrated capacity to deal with ambiguity and manage challenging issues in multiple settings and stressful conditions.
• Demonstrated high degree of emotional intelligence and political acumen.

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