Security Lead

Security Lead
Fixed term role until September 2024

ABOUT VIDERE
Videre is an award-winning, UK-registered NGO that exposes human rights abuses and holds perpetrators to account. We work directly with communities in stressed environments, equipping networks of activists and community leaders with the technology and training necessary to safely capture visual documentation of political violence, human rights violations, and other systemic abuses. Our aim is to ensure that the concerns and knowledge of affected communities drive advocacy, policy, and legal action.

ABOUT POWERED BY THE PEOPLE (PxP)
The USAID, in partnership with the Humanity United, launched the Powered by the People (PxP) initiative in 2023. PxP provides flexible and accessible support that strengthens the agency, resilience, and efficacy of organisers and citizen-led social movements that are advancing human rights, social justice, democracy, and inclusive development around the world.

PxP will use conflict sensitive approaches to provide demand driven support to social movement organizations and organizers. This includes flexible funding and rapid response resources to support social movement organizations in the ways and at moments that are most helpful to them. And it will support peer-to-peer learning, training in strategic-decision making, and leadership development; as well as relationship building between civil society organizations, grassroots organizers, historically excluded communities, scholars, and donors. You can read more about the initiative here.

Videre is a PxP technical partner, providing support and guidance on security and documentation to consortium members and the wider social movement ecosystem.

ABOUT THE ROLE
The majority of the time, you will play a key role in providing expert and tailored security and protection advice and training to consortium members, their networks and the wider social movements they are part of. This advice and training will be based upon Videre’s existing methodologies and expertise. You will also spend some time supporting Videre to implement their own security frameworks and processes, supporting project teams to review and update risk assessments and providing training as needed so project teams are able to confidently implement their standard operating procedures. In addition to contributing to security guidelines for the consortium, you will respond to ongoing requests for support from local organisations and activists; supporting them to stay safe and disrupt attacks and reprisals from highly capable and motivated opponents. Our aim is for these brave people on the frontlines of the global battle for rights and justice to be strongly supported to resist and recover from the security threats they face. You will play a key role by providing them with bespoke and rapid responses to their immediate security needs in addition to ongoing coaching, knowledge sharing and training. This role will require you to work with civil society actors globally on a wide range of issues. You will be working alongside, and supported by experienced colleagues and consortium partners. This is a full time, fixed term role until September 2024 with a high possibility of extension.

As the PxP consortium is responsive and adaptive by nature, the exact responsibilities of this role are likely to shift somewhat over time as needs and contexts change. With this in mind, the responsibilities outlined below are indicative:

• Together with other PxP technical partners, develop and share security guidelines with consortium partners to ensure the safe functioning of the consortium.
• Respond in real time to requests for security support and guidance from activists and social movements globally using bespoke digital infrastructure.
• Design and deliver ongoing coaching, knowledge sharing and security training to activists, CSOs and social movements on the front-lines of the fight for human rights and justice.

In addition, as mentioned above, you will support Videre to implement their own security frameworks and processes. You will:

• Provide specialist support and advice for ad hoc high-risk operations as and when they occur – this will include conducting rapid risk assessments and developing bespoke operational procedures and accompanying logistical plans to ensure the safe execution of specific missions.
• Work with project teams to ensure security policies, guidelines, standard operating procedures and risk assessment documentation are kept up to date and reflect the ever-changing contexts we work in.
• Support to operational crisis management at all levels on an ad hoc basis.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
The Security Lead will work closely with members of Videre’s management team, particularly with our Programme Director responsible for PxP and our Senior Director of Programming and Operations who has overall responsibility for security across our organization. You will also work with other staff across departments and projects as needed. As part of the PxP consortium, you will maintain strong working relationships with the other technical partners working on security and in time, likely with the activists and social movements receiving direct support from the consortium.

LOCATION
This is a remote working role and we are looking for someone who could operate happily between GMT -2 and GMT +5

SALARY
48,000 GBP pro rata (if based in London, otherwise salary and employment terms will be dependent on location)

PERSONAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

Essential

• You will have a proven track record of providing security and protection advice and training to human rights defenders, activists, and local civil society organisations.
• You will have a deep knowledge of security risk management, security in unstable environments, duty of care, protection strategies, shrinking civic space, and state and non-state opponents.
• You will be familiar with the holistic model of security.
• You will be extremely organised and possess strong project management skills.
• You will be sensitive to the missions and causes of the activists and social movements you will be working with.
• You will be a good listener and able to adapt your approach and style to suit different stakeholders.
• You will be skilled at managing stress – both your own and that of others – and will possess a calm demeanour, particularly when faced with tense situations.
• You will have excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable
You may have a proven track record of in one or more of:

• Working as part of large, complex, multi-donor consortiums.
• Living and working in violent environments or closed civic spaces.
• Delivering training in-person and remotely to a diverse range of learners.

You may have excellent written and spoken additional languages.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MATTER TO US
We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in the human rights sector and we are committed to doing what we can to correct this. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the communities that we serve. Therefore, we are particularly keen to receive applications from people who identify with minority and/or underrepresented groups (whether on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status). We also value diversity in terms of personal and professional experience, believing that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create stronger and more creative working environments.

HOW TO APPLY
Please submit a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and why you are interested in the role, along with your CV via Breezy.

PROCESS

• Deadline for applications: 15th January
• First round interviews: w/c 22nd January
• Second round interviews: w/c 29th January
• Final decision: 5th February
• Start date: ASAP and no later than 5th March

To protect the integrity of our work and the safety of all staff, Videre will review and assess online information about prospective candidates.