Risk and Operations Manger-Damascus

Background

The Risk and Operations Manager will support the country office to ensure compliance with NRC HSS minimum standards and in reducing the overall risk on NRC operations across the country. She/He will also serve as a support for Security Risk Assessments and other relevant Risk and Operation activities in the Country Office and in the Area Offices. Finally, she/he contributes with HSS-related training towards SCO staff and AO staff in all operational areas.

Role and responsibilities

Generic responsibilities

• Implementation of the NRC Global Safety and Risk Management System at national level
• Promote and stimulate HSS risk management culture and guide NRC’s work to expand safe humanitarian access into new geographical areas.
• Provide Country Management Group (CMG) with strategic advice based on changes to the context
• Oversee and/or conduct Security Risk Assessment (SRA) according to minimum operational requirements (MOSS)
• Develop and maintain national HSS documents and procedures including strategy and budget, and ensure consistency and accountability of security and safety procedures across the whole country programme
• Oversee and support HSS risk management for staff, assets, operation and reputation of NRC
• Management of Risk and Operation staff as appropriate
• Support, training, control and development of Risk and Operation staff in all offices
• Prepare reports as required
• Communicate and cooperate with relevant external actors
• Train and develop NRC staff in safety and security matters
• Compliance and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures

Specific responsibilities

• Act as Risk and Operation Department lead, establishing department strategic objectives, directly managing Risk and Operations staff at CO level and ensuring coordination, harmonized systems and regular exchanges across AOs.
• Review with AMs and other CMG member Risk and Operation team structure and department’s budget.
• Work with management to ensure that the relevant mitigation measures are in place in the field and within our processes to reduce risks to an acceptable level
• Ensure relevant SOPs in the mission are developed and regularly updated for each topic.
• Ensure that all staff give their informed consent based on briefing upon arrival and that updates are regularly shared on security situation.
• Ensure that Duty of Care (DoC) HSS standards are uphold at all time and that corrective measures are implemented when weaknesses are identified.
• Oversee and, when relevant, take part in incident and crisis management.
• Support and ensure timely incident reporting in line with NRC standards.
• Contribute to improve humanitarian access for NRC operations across Syria by providing technical support on tools and strategies, ensuring capacity building for field staff and supporting AMs in managing access related incidents.
• Monitor and analyze the context (overall security situation, risks, and most likely scenarios), ensuring reliable security information as basis for informed decision-making
• Network, communicate and cooperate with relevant external actors and pursue and develop relationships with a variety of stakeholders to increase and maintain humanitarian access.
• In coordination with other CMG members, identify areas of improvement for Risk and Operation staff across the mission and ensure relevant capacity building activities are delivered.
• In coordination with Regional and Global HSS units, design and roll out relevant safety and security trainings not included in standard NRC packages.
• Create routines in CO and AOs for regular refresher trainings.
• Keep updated status of international staff HSS qualifications and schedule their participation to the HEAT, where if not possible finding alternatives accordingly.
• Ensure that a training calendar is developed and populated allowing for SCO and AO staff to plan their participation
• Design a system to support HR in tracking progress of capacity building on HSS of staff.
• Support (or lead) recruitments for Risk and Operation staff.
• Representing NRC in HSS/security working groups.

Critical interfaces

• Security focal points in peer organizations.
• Local authorities.
• Regional HSS unit
• Regional Access Advisor
• Area Managers
• Risk and Operations staff at Area Office level
• Head of support
• Head of Programme
• Advocacy team at the regional and country level.
• Risk and Compliance team at the regional and country level

Competencies

Generic professional competencies:

• Minimum 5 years of experience from working as a senior Security or Risk Manager in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• First-hand experience of humanitarian access negotiations in complex and insecure environments
• Previous experience in delivering training and capacity building activities
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context related skills, knowledge, behaviour and experience:

• Experience in staff management, mentoring, couching, training
• Knowledge of the Middle Eastern and specifically Syrian context
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset

Behavioural competencies:

• Handling insecure environments
• Initiating action and change
• Empowering and building trust
• Influencing
• Analysing
• Strategic thinking

Performance Management

The employee will be accountable for and evaluated on the responsibilities and the competencies, based on NRC’s Performance Management Framework. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

• The Job Description
• The individual Work- and Development Plan (Role Mandate for leaders at HO, Regional Directors and Country Directors)
• The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template
• The End-term Performance Review Template
• The NRC Competency Framework

What we offer:

• Contract period: 12 months
• Salary/benefits: According to NRC’s salary scale and terms and conditions
• Duty station: Damascus, Syria
• Travel: 30% (to NRC operational areas)

For queries write to [email protected]