Safety Advisor- East, Syria

Organisation Background

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) is an international non-governmental organisation that supports humanitarian 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 provides daily support to more than 1000 NGOs operating in 16 of the world’s most insecure countries.

INSO is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands- the international city of peace and justice.

INSO Syria

The INSO Syria platform supports more than 200 NGOs to deliver vitally needed aid and assistance to an estimated 13.1 million people in need across the country. First launched as an emergency response operation in 2014, INSO Syria has grown to have a region-wide presence with offices in Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, North-East Syria and the Country Office in Amman, Jordan. The Syria conflict is unique and complex, you will find that no day is the same and there is always more to learn.

Job Summary

As Safety Advisor- East, you will be outgoing and resilient, with the ability to analyse complex security issues and contexts and give sound practical safety and security advice. You will need to proactively engage and co-ordinate with all humanitarian stakeholders in Eastern Syria and will need to have a deep understanding of security and access challenges faced by NGOs. You will be outgoing, with strong interpersonal skills, and will be expected to maintain/expand INSO’s existing network.

Safety Advisor 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.

This position is based in Derek, Syria and reports to the Deputy Director.

Major Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain an active information network, which includes NGOs, the UN, and other key actors to obtain credible and relevant safety information.
• Provide NGOs with timely and credible security information and in-depth, nuanced contextual analysis through; daily flash alerts, weekly incident lists and bi-weekly analytical reports.
• Facilitate and lead regular NGO community security roundtables, 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 supervision of national staff and oversight of local logistics and administration.
• Take a proactive approach to moving around areas of eastern Syria in coordination with management and networking amongst NGO partners.
• Effectively represent, promote and protect INSO’s mandate of independence, impartiality and neutrality.
• Primary focal point for emergency medical evacuation of NGO staff through an existing mechanism managed by INSO

Mandatory Requirements:

• Fluency in English (written and spoken).
• Graduate level education or equivalent work experience.
• Significant experience living or working in insecure/conflict-affected environments.
• Outstanding writing and analytical skills (samples will be requested).
• Demonstrable understanding of humanitarian safety practices & principles and their application.
• Ability to adapt to multi-cultural and diverse social backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to engage, network, and communicate
• Broad understanding of the Syrian conflict and its evolution in Eastern Syria
• Understanding and commitment to the humanitarian principles of independence, impartiality and neutrality.

Preferred Characteristics:

• Recent experience working on Syria – ideally in an NGO safety role or equivalent – and demonstrable understanding of the context.
• Experience with NGO security and/or project management.
• Existing information networks.
• Knowledge of mapping software such as ArcGIS, QGIS and Google Earth
• Local language proficiency.

Key Personal Competencies:

• A good listener
• An effective communicator
• Excellent analyst
• Team player
• Strong interpersonal skills
• A people manager
• Ability to integrate data trends into analytical reports

Terms & Conditions

12-month contract, €4550 per month salary, 4 calendar days annual leave per month and 7 days of R&R every 3 months with a €1000 allowance each R&R cycle, in-country housing provided, global medical coverage (excluding USA) and $200,000 AD&D coverage.

INSO’s Safeguarding Policy

INSO is fully committed to safe recruitment, selection and vetting of all potential new staff, trustees and volunteers and we will ensure rigorous compliance with our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policy throughout the recruitment process.