There are many different opportunities and roles in the NGO sector and the nature of the positions can very varied, depending on the NGO you will be working for. You could be a Health, Safety & Security Manager or an Access and  Security Coordinator, an Operations and Resilience Advisor or a Regional or Country Security Manager. Below are some examples of these positions.

 

Security Risk Management roles within NGOs can usually be found at two or three different levels, the global (often HQ-based) professionals who are responsible for the strategic and overarching side of security, the country security professional who implements the strategy and whose job is operational in nature and lastly the regional security professional who sits between global and country and who coordinates the security function.

 

Below are some examples of thesethe various positions.

 

 

Global Security Manager

 

The role of a security or country security manager can vary greatly depending of the NGO and sector you will be working in. The security manager role may mean for being responsible for overseeing security management and mitigation functions that support effective program implementation in complex locations in the designated country for the NGO.

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Responsibilities:

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• Assess security risks that may impact staff movements and safety in the country.

• Communicate potential risks in a timely manner to ensure swift decision-making and up-to-date situational awareness, including crisis incident management..

• Monitor and analyse the security environment in the country, and more specifically in the areas of interest, via security reports, social media and information collected from field-based staff and local partners

• Travel Safety and Security of the organisation’s employees.

• Serve as the Security Focal Point and provide regular updates and trainings to  staff on basic security topics.

• Build strong professional relationships with other international agencies, local authorities, other operators, (local and international) and other relevant actors.

• Serve as Security Focal Point with security service provider in regards visitors’ entry, workplace health, and safety and security protocols.

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Regional Safety & Security Manager

 

A Regional Safety and Security Adviser, for example oversees and contributes to promoting and implement the global security strategy, policies and guidelines, Security Standards and Security Plans for the Offices in region and provides advice, support, instruction and training to all organisational offices in the region on security and safety issues and can be the technical supervisor of all security appointments within the region.

 

 

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Responsibilities:

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• Provide an overview and analysis of security trends and issues across the region.

• Roll out any global security initiatives or standards within the region and to be a liaison point in the region for the global HQ.

• Maintains and ensures compliance with the various security policies and develops Standard Operating Procedures accordingly

• Provide advice, support, instruction and training to all offices in the region on security and safety issues and is the technical supervisor of all security appointments within the region.

• Serve as the lead security technical focal point in the region, and liaise with/guide leaders throughout the designated region, on a variety of security issues.

• Oversee, contribute towards, promote and implement the global security strategy, policies and guidelines.

• Conduct security trainings for new and visiting staff, local staff. This training can include specific cultural norms and behaviours according to the region..

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Security Analyst

 

An analytic and subject matter expert on often fragile and conflict affected contexts or regions, which will often have security implications for delivery of strategic objectives of the organisation. The Security Analyst contribute to organisational resilience through crisis and risk management, business continuity planning.

 

Responsibilities could be:

 

• Provide expert technical analytical and training support to field operations in coordination and collaboration with other organisational departments.

• Maximise value of data sources including internal and open source and use of social media for continuous strategic and situational threat awareness.

• Provide quality assurance and oversight over analytical products and processes. Review and continuously improve security incident reporting standards

• Expand security information collection and research methodologies and capabilities to amplify local understanding and identify need