This role has a country focus, to Coordinate and support all aspects of DRC’s Access Strategy and the impact of access with regards to DRC’s operations. The role contributes to the management of the Safety Risk Management system (SRMS) for DRC programmes within Afghanistan. The role contributes to the development of Access related strategies at all levels of the country office, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks. The role provides technical guidance and technical support on access to all relevant focal points. The role is intended to provide support to the Safety Manager regarding strategic linkages between safety, security, and access.

Responsibilities:

The main duties relating to this position are as follows:

• Implement and roll-out national level access strategy in collaboration with DRC program team;
• Travel regularly to field locations in Afghanistan and conduct access trainings with staff, while also ensuring that adequate security measures are in place for DRC staff, assets and operations. Produce training records and ensure further recommendations are compiled/submitted to the Senior Management Team (SMT).
• Mentor and capacity build the program’s national Safety and Access focal points in all of DRC’s areas of operation, particularly with regards to Access.
• Any other duties as requested by the CD.

Additional roles and responsibilities are outlined in the following categories.

Safety Risk Management (in support of the Safety Manager):

• Review and provide feedback and input on country safety management policies, protocols and procedures;
• Provide technical support to the CD and Safety Manager on operational security, contingency planning, and program continuity.
• Analyze, manage and report relevant information within geographical area of responsibility in conjunction with safety and programme colleagues;
• Develop the capacity of, and coordinate, Incident Management Teams (IMTs) and Country and Area levels on an as-needed and requested basis.
• Represent DRC at access forums and with relevant stakeholders, as required.

Access Planning:

• Support the development of regional level access documentation, in coordination with Area Managers and the Head of Operations.
• Support developing tools and training necessary to operationalize access strategies;
• Map, plan, and coordinate systemic ongoing engagement with all key stakeholders by respective DRC staff, as it relates to humanitarian access;
• Support and quality check ongoing access assessments and other interventions as needed;
• Ensure access-related analysis, plans, issues, and incidents are conducted and documented

Capacity Building, Training, supervision and support:

• Develop Access capacity of Country and Area Management Teams
• Provide capacity-building, training, and mentorship to national Access and Safety staff on access-related topics.
• Support and deliver access and crisis management-related training;
• Ensure Access Plans are in place at Country and Area levels, coordinated, and resourced.
• Provide technical support to local safety staff as required;
• Facilitate surge support to IMTs as required.

Technical Line Management Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance and support to other Employees in same technical area, who report to a different Manager as required;
• Advise on and promote understanding and application of relevant DRC policies, procedures and principles;
• Raise issues of non-compliance with regards to access and safety policies to CD/SMT;
• When relevant, drives development of access policies and standards in region or country and/or localizes global policies to regional or country level;

ABOUT YOU

To be successful in this role you must have:

Experience and technical competencies: 

• Minimum 4 years of working experience in a relevant operational INGO role; 
• Experience working in multicultural work settings;
• Experience working in Afghanistan is desirable, although not mandatory;
• Proven ability to develop and implement effective and contextualized protocols and systems; 
• Experience with information gathering, analysis and report writing;
• Ability to conduct and produce high quality assessments and other types of reporting;
• Experience with incident management;
• Experience with delivering trainings;
• Experience working in hostile or hazardous environments; 
• Positive, solution-oriented approach;
• Full professional proficiency in English. Pashto and/or Dari language skills is desirable, although not mandatory.

Education/qualifications:

• University degree in the relevant field

Languages:

• Excellent verbal and written English