Action Against Hunger is a leading humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide. Our mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutrition, especially during and after emergency situations of conflict, war, and natural disaster. In Kenya, we are committed to enhancing compliance and accountability in all our operations to ensure the efficient and ethical use of resources. Action Against Hunger has been present in Kenya since 2001 and is a transformative leader in Food security and nutrition for improved quality of life among vulnerable communities. The organization recognizes gender equality as central to its core strategy towards realization of effective and sustainable outcomes on nutrition, health, WASH and surveillance interventions. Action Against Hunger is currently implementing activities in West Pokot, Mandera, Samburu, Isiolo, Tana River, Nairobi and Baringo counties.

I. Job Summary

The Safety and Access Manager is a country office based staff, supporting daily operations at base and coordination offices, programs and activities

Purpose:

The purpose of the Safety and Access Manager role is to ensure the safety and security of ACF staff and assets, while also promoting safe and unimpeded access to vulnerable populations in the region.

The goal is to create and preserve an environment where employees, visitors and property are safe and well-protected.

Engagement:

Effective engagement with stakeholder organizations, including partner organizations, local authorities, UNDSS, UNOCHA, and INSO, is crucial for the Safety and Access Manager to ensure that security information is shared and coordinated appropriately. This will involve active participation in coordination meetings, sharing information on security incidents and trends, and collaborating on joint assessments and contingency planning. Moreover, the Safety and Access Manager will work with stakeholders to advocate for safe and unimpeded access to vulnerable populations, leveraging collective influence to address access challenges and promote a secure operating environment. By prioritizing stakeholder engagement, the Safety and Access Manager will help to ensure that ACF operates in a coordinated and effective manner, maximizing impact and minimizing risk for staff and beneficiaries.

In addition, the Safety and Access Manager will provide guidance and support to field coordinators on community engagement strategies. Collaborating closely with field teams, the successful candidate will identify opportunities for building relationships and engaging with communities, taking into account the local context and dynamics. This will involve developing community engagement plans, providing training and support to staff on effective community engagement techniques, and identifying opportunities for community feedback and input into program design and implementation. Additionally, the Safety and Access Manager will work with program teams to ensure that community members are involved in monitoring and evaluation activities, helping to build trust and accountability between the organization and local communities. By prioritizing community engagement, the Safety and Access Manager will help to ensure that ACF’s programs are relevant, effective, and responsive to the needs and priorities of the communities we serve.

Delivery:

The Safety and Access Manager is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of ACF staff and programs in Kenya. They will engage with stakeholders and provide advice and support to field coordinators on community engagement strategies. The role involves developing and implementing access strategies, risk assessments, emergency preparedness plans, and security management plans. The successful candidate will continually evaluate and update these plans and collect and analyze security data to determine security needs and program accomplishments. They will also ensure compliance with safety and security standards, and identify and protect company assets through the development and implementation of security protocols. Overall, the Safety and Access Manager will play a critical role in ensuring that ACF’s operations are secure and effective, maximizing impact and minimizing risk for staff and beneficiaries alike.

II. Essential Job Duties

1. Safety, Security, and Access Management (70%)

• Provide technical support and advice on all policies, procedures, guidelines, and planning for ACF Kenya Country office staff safety, operational security, and program continuity, as well as humanitarian access and community engagement.
• Develop and implement humanitarian access strategies and approaches tailored to local contexts in field bases in Kenya, including engaging with communities and stakeholders to promote safe and effective access.
• Work with key stakeholders to develop, consolidate and implement operating procedures and contingency plans for safety, security, and access.
• Conduct risk assessments of contracted and prospective offices, visitor hotels, and residences to identify potential access and safety challenges. Follow up on actions to be taken to ensure compliance with safety and security standards and promote safe and effective access.
• Undertake continual assessments of equipment and the protocols by which that equipment is used, to ensure that minimum security and safety conditions are being met and to promote access.
• Provide and implement best possible solutions for the use of equipment to facilitate communication between staff, including proposing safe alternative means of communication and equipment that promote access.
• Ensure humanitarian access and community engagement approaches are responsive to local context and include overarching community engagement components, while promoting staff safety and security.
• Evaluate, review and update security and access management plans on a regular basis, ensuring compliance with the ACF security management framework and promoting access.
• Collect and analyze security and access data to determine security needs, access constraints, security program goals, or program accomplishments.
• Analyze and evaluate security and access operations to identify risks or opportunities for improvement.
• Identify and protect company assets through the development and implementation of security and access protocols.
• Ensure that staff follow security and access procedures and guidelines through training programs and assessments.
• Respond to medical emergencies, terror threats, fire alarms, or intrusion alarms, following emergency response procedures, while promoting access and staff safety.

1. Security and Access Incident Management (20%)

• Lead the development of emergency preparedness plans and contingency plans, including evacuation procedures for international staff, and ensuring that they promote access and staff safety.
• Review reports on incidents and breaches related to security and access, and identify lessons learned to improve security and access management.
• Facilitate and support the Country Director on the function of the Crisis Management Team during security and access emergencies and major security and access threats and incidents, while promoting access and staff safety.
• Follow up on actions to be taken to ensure compliance with safety and security standards and promote access.
• Ensure safety, security, and access protocols, reporting mechanisms, and capacity-building initiatives are in place to promote access and staff safety.

1. Capacity Building (10%)

• Ensure that an appropriate training package is developed and given to all staff on safety, security, and access procedures, crisis management protocols, handling hostile situations, and promoting access.
• Ensure regular staff safety and access refresher training/drills on evacuation, fire safety, first aid, etc. are carried out in all locations, with a particular focus on promoting access.

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

• None

IV. Fiscal Responsibility

• Develop Budgets, Control and Monitor Expenses for security operations.

V. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.
• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.

VII. Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

VIII. Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as security management, international relations, or political science
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in security management and/or humanitarian access, preferably with an international NGO
• Knowledge of security risk management and crisis management techniques
• Familiarity with international humanitarian principles, standards, and guidelines
• Understanding of the political and social context of the country/region of assignment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders and to present complex information in a clear and concise manner
• Fluency in English
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with a strong sense of personal initiative and accountability.