Health, Safety, Security and Access Manager

Job Posting Organization:
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization established to assist people forced to flee their homes due to conflict and crises. With a workforce of approximately 15,000 staff members, NRC operates in 40 countries, providing life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of individuals each year. The organization is particularly active in the Middle East, where it has over 3,000 staff dedicated to helping those affected by conflict in countries such as Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, and Palestine. NRC's humanitarian interventions are based on its programming expertise in various core competencies, including Shelter, Education, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Livelihoods and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Food Security, and Information Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA).

Job Overview:
The Health, Safety, Security and Access (HSSA) Manager position is crucial for supporting the Area Office in Gaza to ensure safe and principled humanitarian operations. The role involves developing and updating HSSA strategies, plans, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) while implementing HSS mitigation measures to reduce security risks. The HSSA Manager will monitor and analyze the political, social, security, and humanitarian context in Gaza, ensuring that reliable information is available for informed decision-making. This position requires collaboration with management to implement relevant mitigation measures and uphold Duty of Care (DoC) HSS standards. The HSSA Manager will also contribute to advocacy initiatives focused on access barriers faced by vulnerable populations and humanitarian agencies, ensuring operational continuity and effective emergency preparedness.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities of the HSSA Manager include monitoring and analyzing the context in Gaza, ensuring reliable information for decision-making, and working with management to implement mitigation measures. The manager will ensure that all staff receive informed consent based on security briefings and that updates on security situations are regularly shared. The role involves developing area-based humanitarian access strategies, contributing to advocacy initiatives, and supporting emergency preparedness efforts. The HSSA Manager will also coordinate training courses, provide technical support on access-related incidents, and ensure regular mobility within Gaza for assessments and programming. Additionally, the manager will lead contingency preparedness efforts, collaborate with various departments, and design humanitarian access briefings and data collection tools.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must have a minimum of 3 years of experience as a senior Security Manager in a humanitarian or recovery context, with a preference for experience in complex and volatile environments, particularly in the Middle East. The role requires exposure to international contexts and experience working with civilian, governmental, and military interlocutors. Candidates should have a proven track record of negotiating humanitarian access in challenging situations and possess strong leadership skills with documented results related to the position's responsibilities. Fluency in English, both written and verbal, is mandatory, while knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a relevant degree in a field related to security management, humanitarian studies, or a similar discipline. Candidates should demonstrate a strong understanding of security protocols and humanitarian principles, as well as the ability to apply this knowledge in practical settings.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in security management within humanitarian or recovery contexts. Candidates should have a background in working in complex and volatile environments, with a preference for experience in the Middle East. Previous experience negotiating humanitarian access and working with various stakeholders in challenging contexts is essential.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position, both in written and verbal communication. Knowledge of Arabic is considered an asset and is desirable for effective communication in the local context.

Additional Notes:
The duty station for this position is Gaza, Palestine, with a contract duration of 12 months, subject to performance and availability of funds. The salary will be based on grade 9 of NRC's salary scale, along with accompanying terms and conditions. NRC is committed to diversity and equal opportunities, encouraging applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or physical ability. The organization values innovative ideas and empowers employees at all levels to take responsibility and contribute to the mission.