Job Description
Title: Security and Access Manager
Location: Damascus
Travel: Travel inside Syria, with possible visits to neighbouring countries
Job Family and Level: Professional, P7
Pre hire checks :This role is classified as requiring standard pre-employment checks and enhanced due-diligence
1. Scope Responsibility
Responsibility: Country
Department : Middle East โ Syria country office
Reporting to: Country Director โ Syria
Direct reports: Matrix management to security team inside Syria.
Technical/matrix reporting line to the Regional Security and Access Director.
Budget responsibility: Country security budget
Relationship management: Syria country team, relevant external stakeholders for the Syria country office such as INSO, UNOCHA.
2. Context
Relief International (RI) is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing.
Our team of more than 7,000 staff and local volunteers work in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.
We do this by working with local actors to develop safe and inclusive local programming that is evidence based, conflict sensitive, climate smart, and reaches those in need.
Relief International is an alliance of four organizations with one shared mission, comprised of Relief International, Inc., Relief International-France, Relief International-UK and Relief International-Europe, which operate under a one-team concept under a single senior leadership team.
3. Job Profile
The Security and Access Manager is a critical leadership role responsible for ensuring the safety and security of Relief Internationalโs (RI) staff, assets, and operations in Syria. This position focuses on developing and implementing effective security and access strategies, conducting risk assessments, and building organizational capacity to operate safely in a volatile and high-risk environment. The role involves leading access negotiations, developing contingency plans, and providing strategic guidance to the country team. The role will be based initially in Amman with regular travel to operational areas in Syria.
Due to the urgency of this position, it will be reviewed on a rolling basis
4. Key Responsibilities
Accountability & Complexity:
Leads others to solve complex problems Uses experienced analytical thought to exercise judgement and identify innovative solutions Work is guided by functional policies, but procedures are applied with some degree of discretion given the complex context and advice provided to next level management and external stakeholders
Security and Access:
ยท Ensure that risks are identified in the working environment and project locations
ยท Foster a culture of security awareness, duty of care, and collaboration within the Relief International team
ยท Lead on access negotiations and advice for the area and senior management team
ยท Ensure that security risk management is an integral part through all areas of implementation and planning
ยท Lead the regular review of the country and area country security risk management tools and ensure all staff are brief and trained on use
ยท Continuously monitor changes in the security and operating environment, including political developments, conflict dynamics, and local tensions, ensuring real-time updates to risk mitigation strategies
ยท Ensure and lead budgeting for security-related needs and following tracking the security budget burn rate
ยท Provide technical support and supervision to area security focal points, ensuring a unified and effective approach to security and access and team cohesion
ยท Update and develop security risk assessments for all operating areas and effective mitigation measures to ensure the safety of Relief International country staff, premises, assets and reputation
ยท Update inside mandated review cycles the country and area contingency plans, ensuring that they are fit for purpose, kept as live documents and adapted to changing contexts
ยท Provide guidance, feedback to staff on humanitarian-development program access analysis, identify staffโs training needs on access issue such as humanitarian negotiation, humanitarian principles, and stakeholder analysis
ยท Identify and evaluate the risks and possible threats associated with program activities and take appropriate action to control the risks, communicating and collaborating regularly with the country senior management team
ยท Act as the security lead for critical incident management at the area and country level, providing leadership and support as required
ยท Collaborate closely with the Regional Security and Access Director to ensure alignment with Relief Internationalโs global safety and security strategy
Training and Capacity Building
ยท Develop, review appropriate training, capacity-strengthening and development opportunities for Relief International Syria and Partner Organizations
ยท Conduct and deliver ongoing professional development to staff to enhance their understanding and application of Relief International Syria security and access protocols
Reporting
ยท Report all safety and security incidents in a timely manner, ensure mitigation and response measures are in place and after-action reviews held for lessons learned
ยท Ensure that the Country Leadership team and regional counterparts are updated about the operating environment for Relief International in Syria
ยท Develop and disseminate quality weekly situation reports for all operational areas
ยท