CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) is a relief organization based in Los Angeles, California. CORE is currently providing its support in multiple states in the United States and communities around the world. CORE’s efforts are driven by a focus on equity, locally hired staff, and an investment that starts from within the community and adapts to its dynamic needs.
CORE is seeking an experienced Director of Global Safety, Security, and Safeguarding to oversee and implement the organization’s global safety, security, and safeguarding strategy for CORE’s international, nonprofit, programing support. The Director of Safety, Security, and Safeguarding will be responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and monitoring of safety, security, and safeguarding policies, procedures, and practices across all of CORE’s programs and operations. They will work closely with senior management, program teams, and external stakeholders to ensure the safety and security of staff, beneficiaries, and organizational assets.
They will be responsible for identifying and mitigating safety and security risks, ensuring the continuity of operations and programs, managing incidents, and safeguarding the well-being of all employees, beneficiaries, and assets. Additionally, they will provide security risk recommendations to our Country Directors, Regional Directors, and the Senior Management Team (SMT) on strategic, operational, programmatic, partnership, and cross-cutting risks. They will also establish protocols and mechanisms to address unique safety and security risks and challenges for our operations in high-risk countries such as Haiti and Ukraine.
Responsibilities:
- Strategic Planning:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive safety, security, and safeguarding strategy aligned with the organization’s mission and values.Policy Development:
- Develop, review, and update safety, security, and safeguarding policies, protocols, and guidelines in line with best practices and relevant legal frameworks.
- Review and update CORE’s Safety and Security Manual and CORE’s Safeguarding Policy on a regular basis to maintain CORE at the cutting edge in these vital disciplines.Risk Assessment and Management:
- Conduct regular risk assessments, security audits, and threat analyses to identify potential risks and vulnerabilities, and develop mitigation strategies accordingly.
- Develop Country security profiles and Risk Assessment Management Plans (RAMPs) for all CORE field locations and provide substantive inputs in the forecasting of the evolving safety and security conditions in the environments and field locations in which CORE operates. Develop site security plans, SOPs, and contingency plans.
- Ensure that all staff are aware of prevailing safety and security threats and advised on means to reduce their vulnerability to those threats.
- Conduct site safety/security surveys and assessments, creatively leveraging tools and processes, identifying, and recommending the most simple, reasonable, effective, and efficient safety and security measures to address findings and prevent avoidable safety and security incidents.Capacity Building:
- Provide training, capacity building, and technical support to staff, partners, and stakeholders on safety, security, and safeguarding issues.
- Oversee regular annual training of staff on CORE’s Global Safety and Security Manual and CORE’s Safeguarding Policy.
- Develops guidance for Country Leadership to manage Safeguarding issues.
- Maintain systems for reporting, investigating, and responding to safety, security, and safeguarding incidents promptly and effectively.
- Identify interdepartmental Safeguarding referral pathways and recommended actions.Crisis Response:
- Develop and implement contingency plans and protocols for responding to emergencies, crises, and critical incidents.
- Support organizational resilience through contingency planning, crisis decision-making, and the development of disaster recovery and business continuity plans, by providing information and analysis including situational monitoring and updates. Assist with internally relocating personnel and assets in a conflict zone or supporting the development and implementation of evacuation plans from a country.Coordination and Collaboration:
- Liaise with external stakeholders, including government agencies, UN bodies, NGOs, and security providers, to coordinate security arrangements and share information and best practices.
- Collaborate closely with peers and colleagues, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, and Host Government representatives with a view to obtaining the best security support and staying abreast of existing and emerging threats and how they may affect/impact CORE’s activities, personnel, dependents, premises, residences, and property.
- Prepare/review communication with donors, regulatory bodies and any third party about Safeguarding violations.Compliance and Monitoring:
- Ensure compliance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements related to safety, security, and safeguarding, and monitor adherence to organizational policies and procedures.
- Work closely with country office field security managers/officers to advice, guide, train and ensure appropriate S&S mechanisms, SOPs and to ensure staff safety and implementation of programs.
- Lead the coordination of Safeguarding investigations including conducting objective, fair, thorough, unbiased, and timely investigations.
- Organize and facilitate monthly meetings of Global Safety and Safeguarding focal points.
- Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of the CORE’s Code of Conduct and policies.
- Assist with developing, coordinating and recommending changes for the improvement of Safeguarding workflows in country programs and corporate business units.Advocacy and Representation:
- Represent the organization in safety, security, and safeguarding forums, networks, and working groups, and advocate for the protection of staff and beneficiaries.Reporting and Documentation:
- Prepare regular reports, updates, and briefings on safety, security, and safeguarding issues for senior management, the Board of Directors, and external stakeholders.
- Contribute to strategic and programmatic discussions with the management team by providing continuous analysis of the security, economic and political context in country and field operations.
- Provide written analysis of security trends and reporting of incidents.
- Participate in meetings, committees, and task forces, prepare reports on security issues, deliver briefings, and provide responses, as needed.
- Prepare and provide necessary updates on Safeguarding issues to program teams, where appropriate.Training:
- Oversee regular annual training of staff on CORE’s Global Safety and Security Manual and CORE’s Safeguarding Policy. Review and update these foundational policy documents on a regular basis to maintain CORE at the cutting edge in these vital disciplines.
Scope and Travel
- Direct Reports: N/A
- Indirect Reports: Field Safety and Security Managers, Global Safety and Security Focal Points, Global Safeguarding focal points
- Travel: 10 – 50 percent
Qualifications:
- Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, political/social science, psychology, criminal justice, law, international relations, security management or a related field is required.
- Master’s degree
- Language: Proficiency in English is necessary, and proficiency in French and Spanish is an added advantage.
Experience:
- 8+ years of safety, security, safeguarding and project management experience at an INGO, private organization, or a security consultancy organization in which a minimum of 2 years should be working in an insecure environment and humanitarian response context.
- Experience creating safety and security plans and Safeguarding policies and SOPs.
- Experience working in a multicultural setting is desirable
Skills and Competencies:
- Ability to prioritize, manage, and implement multiple high-level projects in a timely manner, even in fast-changing contexts.
- Ability to make quick decisions in emergencies or when rapid response is needed.
- Ability to communicates complex concepts effectively both verbally and in writing.
- Familiar with MS. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Smartsheets, and Outlook
