About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Mercy Corps in the Middle East

Mercy Corps is a non-profit, non-governmental international humanitarian and development organization, registered in the United States and United Kingdom with offices in more than 40 countries around the world, including the West Bank and Gaza, where the organization has been active in implementing relief and development programs for over a decade. Mercy Corps Palestine has staff based in East Jerusalem, Ramallah and Gaza that implement programs throughout the Palestinian territories. Mercy Corps has been operating in Palestine since 1986, and across the Middle East for a number of years.

The Position

The Access & Safety Manager (ASM Gaza) reports to the Mercy Corps Palestine Humanitarian Access & Safety Manager (HASM). The ASM (Gaza) is responsible for monitoring the overall security situation in Gaza, enforcing security regulations, providing sound and timely advice to MC Gaza staff and management, coordinating access (entry, exits and movements) within Gaza and providing regular oversight and capacity building to staff at the field location.

Essential Responsibilities

Safety & Security Management

• Provide technical support and guidance in the areas of safety, security and access to all Gaza based/located staff.
• Support and advise Emergency Response and program teams on all policies, procedures, guidelines, and planning for staff safety and operational security in Gaza.
• Evaluate, review, and update the Gaza Security Management Plan on a regular basis. Ensure compliance to the MC Security Management framework within the SMP and all annexes.
• Identify, establish, and manage protocols and procedures to ensure MC facilities are secure.
• Evaluate, review, and update the hibernation and evacuation plans for MC GHs/offices in Gaza and ensure that practical preparations are in place and briefed to all staff.
• Work with the MCP HASM to develop and implement operating procedures and contingency plans
• Compile and submit monthly security reporting that tracks incidents and trends within MCs area of operation. Establish daily cadence of contextual updates with the HASM.
• Ensure all incidents are formally reported within MC Incident Reporting protocols.
• Undertake continual assessments of equipment and the protocols by which that equipment is used, to ensure that minimal conditions for security are being met.
• Provide and implement the best possible solutions for the use of equipment to facilitate communication between staff, including here proposing safe alternative means of communication and equipment

Humanitarian Access Management

• Identify barriers to access, and support program teams in developing mitigation strategies.
• Provide technical support to program teams in assessing the suitability of establishing operations in new locations and produce Security Risk Assessments for new locations and/or high-risk environments.
• Develop relationships with key stakeholders, particularly as relates to access and liaison functions.
• Promote and support the integration of humanitarian access approaches into program design and implementation
• Constantly monitor available sources to collect, compile, and report information, including incidents and trends pertinent to humanitarian access in areas of operations
• Support key field management teams to develop and implement community engagement strategies that promote acceptance and access.
• Issue and monitor Notifications of Humanitarian Movements according to existing Civic-Military coordination mechanisms led by UN.

Training and Capacity Building

• Develop, review, and deliver appropriate training and capacity-strengthening opportunities to MC staff and partners.
• On-the-job capacity building in topics of safety and security, risk mitigation, and situational awareness for Gaza team members through mentoring, coaching, and guidance

Response Development

• Participate in program review meetings and contribute to implementation plans to ensure the timely, safe, and secure delivery of MC service to beneficiaries.
• Advise program and field management teams on context-specific risks pertaining to Safety & Access and contribute to developing and implementing mitigation measures and plans.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualifications and Transferable Skills

• 3+ years in a relevant security management, risk management, NGO country program management position
• Have worked at least 5 years in a high-risk environment
• Have completed a US/UK certified HEAT/HEST course in the past 2 years.
• Experience in Civic-Military Coordination is desirable
• Certification in Security Risk Management or risk management is desirable
• Knowledge of operating humanitarian INGOs- solid understanding of humanitarian and resilience programming is required
• Experience in OPt/Gaza is desirable
• Minimum of FREC3, MIRA or equivalent is desirable
• Prior experience in critical incident management
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with others in a multi-cultural and high-risk environment
• Experience supervising and coaching junior staff members is preferred
• Must have working proficiency in English. Arabic is a plus.

Success Factors

The ideal candidate is a person with a deep understanding of NGO’s best practices for security management and experience in a relevant field. The candidate thrives in a fast paced, high-risk environment and is able to operate effectively under pressure. They should be confident taking the lead and able to clearly communicate and guide team members.

This position requires obtaining medical clearance through the successful completion of a medical assessment by an external third party prior to deployment and following any medical evacuation if applicable. If you are not medically cleared and Mercy Corps cannot reasonably accommodate a medical condition if required, you may not be able to deploy for/return to this position.

This position requires obtaining medical clearance through the successful completion of a medical assessment by an external third party prior to deployment and following any medical evacuation if applicable. If you are not medically cleared and Mercy Corps cannot reasonably accommodate a medical condition if required, you may not be able to deploy for/return to this position.

Living conditions

The position will be based in Gaza in Mercy Corps Guest House/Office – conditions are governed by the current operational context, but basic conditions and a high degree of self-reliance is expected. (The position will require regular travel across the operational areas when possible)

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.