Safety & Access Officer

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title Safety & Access Officer  

Location Gaza – oPt Country office

Travel NA

Job Family and Level  On completion of Job Evaluation

Pre hire checks This role is classified as requiring pre-employment checks /enhanced due diligence

Scope Keep all sections below if not applicable, confirm None. Do not delete the fields.

Department: Safety & Security

Reporting to:  Area Director and Tehcnially to the Safety & Access Manager 

Context

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and well being.

Currently, RI is active in 14 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: Relief International Inc., Relief International-UK, Relief International-France and Relief International-Europe Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.

About our Country Program/ Regional Programs

Relief International was operational in OPT starting in 2007, and after entering hibernation period in 2017, has recently reactivated its operations at the end of 2023. Relief International is currently building its response to the current and evolving situation in both Gaza and the West Bank through both a direct implementation and partnership approach. Relief International’s programming in OPT follows Relief International’s global strategy with Health as a central focus with components linked to our work in Health through the sectors of WASH, Protection, Education and Livelihoods. The context in OPT is extremely dynamic and requires focus on nexus programming that brings together both humanitarian service delivery combined with systems strengthening and longer-term programming

Position Summary:        

The Safety and Access Officer, based in Gaza, will provide crucial operational security and humanitarian access support for Relief International's operations across the Gaza Strip. This role entails supporting the respective Area Director and Security and Access Manger in the development, implementation, maintenance, and compliance monitoring of the Security Management Plan, Local Security Rules, Standard Operating Procedures, and Humanitarian Access components. The objective is to ensure safe and sustainable access to Relief International's areas of intervention within the Gaza Strip. This position will directly manage the Safety and Access Assistant in Gaza.

Under the direction of the Country Security and Access Manager and respective Area Director, the Safety and Access Officer will collaborate closely with the Operations Departments to address and mitigate threats to Relief International's activities, thereby reducing the impact or likelihood of these identified threats. This role is integral to maintaining the security and effectiveness of Relief International's programming within the Gaza Strip.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee and ensure the effective implementation of the Relief International’s humanitarian access strategy and tailored approaches within the Gaza Strip.
• Directly manage the Safety and Access Assistant, ensuring responsive and context-specific humanitarian access initiatives.
• Ensure humanitarian access approaches are responsive to the local context and incorporate comprehensive community engagement components throughout all operational phases.
• Ensure field teams and staff conduct principled and sustainable negotiations with relevant actors in all areas of intervention, adhering to humanitarian principles, needs, and the duty of care.
• Work to ensure the mission, mandate, and operations of Relief International are known and accepted within areas of intervention in the Gaza Strip.
• Provide technical input and advice in program assessments for new initiatives in geographic areas within the Gaza Strip and conduct regular assessment reviews for existing locations as directed by the Country Security and Access Manager and Area Director.
• Advise the Area Director and field teams on program activity implementation and review tailored acceptance strategies as directed by the Country Security and Access Manager.
• Maintain a high level of preparedness in response to predicted contextual fluctuations, both operationally and programmatically.
• Provide cover and assistance to other Safety and Access staff in the field during their absence.
• Ensure timely and appropriate follow-up to violations of Relief International's Code of Conduct and operational breaches of humanitarian principles in collaboration with the Gaza Area Director and Country Security and Access Manager.
• Review and action Field Travel Authorization requests at the Gaza level, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and rapid security risk assessments, followed by clear security-related advice and guidance for field teams.
• Ensure the issuance and maintenance of serviceable security, communications, and medical equipment to support all field deployments and program staff, delivering equipment familiarization training to ensure correct usage.
• Coordinate with fleet staff to support field-level movement oversight, ensuring compliance with Staff Movements SOPs and Local Security Rules, and coordinating all movements.
• Deliver pre-departure and post-deployment security briefings to field staff and visitors to ensure understanding of security management policies, plans, SOPs, and protocols.
• Ensure the operational status of physical protection systems (access control, perimeter protection, building protection) at all facilities in the Gaza Strip, maintaining professionalism and readiness of static security guards through training, capacity building, and regular emergency drills.
• In collaboration with the logistics focal point, ensure the current asset register reflects all utilized and stored assets, coordinating with the logistics department to align the overall asset register with the Security and Access Department’s records.

Communication:

• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Problem solving skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Committed to providing a quality service
• Teamwork

1. RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability

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Person Specification

Skills, knowledge and expertise required for the role.

• At least 3 years of experience in direct safety and access position.
• Previous experience working in non-governmental organization
• Strong organizational skills
• High computer skills on MS Office programs
• A demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action
• Ability to work under pressure and with very short deadlines & strong communications skills.
• Fluent in oral and written Arabic and very good English.

• Qualifications & Requirements:

  • At least 5 years of experience in direct safety and access position.
  • Previous experience working in non-governmental organization
  • Strong organizational skills
  • High computer skills on MS Office programs
  • Demonstrate good presentation and analysis skills.
  • A demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action
  • Ability to work under pressure and with very short deadlines & strong communications skills.
  • Fluent in oral and written Arabic and very good English.

  RI Values:

  • We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence.
  • We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities.
  • We value:

   

  • Inclusiveness
  • Transparency and accountability
  • Agility and innovation
  • Collaboration
  • Sustainability

  Professional Standards

  All Relief International members (staff, volunteers and interns) are committed to the Relief International policies such as, Relief International Code of Conduct, Child Protection Policy, Reporting Conflict of Interest, Reporting Misconduct, Reporting Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. All newcomers are expected to adhere to all these policies.

  Disclaimer Clause 

  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with position.

Interested Candidates please apply through the following link Apply Online  by 5/03/2025