The Security, Safety and Safeguarding Officer (SSSO) play a key role in ensuring the security, safety, and safeguarding of HANDS' personnel, assets, partners, and operations.
The postholder provides expert advice and leadership to staff across HANDS, particularly at the Head Office, to keep staff, partners, and programme participants safe and well.
Reporting to the Programme Director, the SSSO leads on HANDS' security, safety, and safeguarding policies and procedures; develops and delivers basic training on these areas for staff; and maintains up-to-date security plans, protocols, and critical incident management arrangements. The postholder ensures HANDS remains compliant with national and international safety, security, and safeguarding legal and donor requirements.
In the event of a critical incident, the SSSO provides expert advice to the leadership team on an appropriate response and plays a key role in Crisis Management Group (CMG) coordination and reporting.
Working with the Programme Director, the postholder leads on security, safety, and safeguarding serious incident reporting and lesson-learning.
Duties and Responsibilities
Security and Safety:
Provide expert advice to staff on security plan development, incident response, and security analysis.
Provide leadership to security focal points and senior management to develop and review security plans and procedures, including contingency and crisis-response plans, serious incident management, standard operating procedures, and emergency communications.
Support staff to integrate security and safety considerations into project planning and implementation.
Lead and network with other security focal points across the organisation, providing opportunities for information and experience sharing.
Lead on organisational crisis preparedness and incident-response processes, including developing emergency response plans and conducting drills or simulations; ensure each team has a business continuity plan.
Provide expert advice to the leadership team and senior managers in the event of a security incident, and provide coordination between those involved in managing the response.
Play a key role in HANDS' Crisis Management Group, in coordination with the Senior Management Team (SMT), providing advice, coordination, and action.
Report serious security incidents and review the organisation's incident and crisis responses.
Develop and test organisational emergency communication procedures, including supporting teams to develop and test phone trees.
Coordinate, and where appropriate deliver, training on security and safety issues to HANDS staff, consultants, trustees, and partners, including ensuring provision of Hostile Environment Individual Security Training (HEIST) to staff located in, and travelling to, high-risk environments.
Monitor the reporting and data gathering of security and safety incidents, and generate analysis and reports on trends, responses, vulnerabilities, and lessons learned.
Lead on HANDS' organisational security policy, refreshing it periodically (at least every two years) as agreed with the Programme Director.
Understand and apply Health & Safety compliance requirements and safety management systems, including hazard identification, risk assessment, and control measures, across HANDS' offices and field sites.
Collaborate with Human Resources to ensure the provision of post-incident personnel well-being support.
Safeguarding:
Stay abreast of donor and legal safeguarding requirements and sector standards, and provide guidance to the organisation to maintain compliance.
Provide expert advice to HANDS staff to develop, implement, and review safeguarding procedures, including project and event safeguarding risk assessments.
Lead the network of safeguarding focal points across HANDS, providing training and sharing experience and information.
Develop and deliver, or signpost staff and trustees to, basic safeguarding training.
Provide expert advice on how to investigate a safeguarding report, decide on actions, support survivors, and report; lead safeguarding investigations were agreed with the Programme Director, and report safeguarding incidents to the Executive Team, Board, and donors.
Work with Human Resources to ensure safeguarding considerations are integrated into recruitment, onboarding, and performance management processes.
Support trustees to carry out their safeguarding governance responsibilities, through training, regular reporting, and support in the event of an investigation.
Other Tasks:
Prepare and present reports to senior management, including the Executive Team and the Board of Trustees, on controls and compliance activities, findings, and recommendations.
Contribute to organisation-wide learning and experience-sharing on security, safety, and safeguarding.
Undertake any other task reasonably requested by the Programme Director or line manager.
Person Specification
Essential Requirements:
Interested candidates should possess a Bachelor's Degree
Proven experience in security, safety, and safeguarding management, preferably within an NGO or a high-risk environment.
Strong understanding of security risk assessment and security management principles, crisis management, and emergency response protocols.
Strong understanding of safeguarding principles, international standards, and best practices in preventing and responding to abuse, exploitation, and harm.
Experience providing safeguarding and/or security advice, support, and coordination.
Familiarity with safeguarding considerations in areas such as child protection, gender-based violence, and vulnerable populations.
Experience working in fragile or conflict-affected contexts.
Experience managing security incidents.
Experience conducting safeguarding risk assessments and investigations, and managing confidential and sensitive information.
Experience designing and delivering basic security, safety, or safeguarding training.
Experience writing and implementing organisational policies.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to engage with staff at all levels, partners, and trustees, in diverse cultural environments and in a trauma-sensitive manner.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess complex situations and make informed decisions.
Clear and concise writing style, including the ability to simplify and explain technical issues.
Ability to multi-task and work effectively under pressure.
Fluency in spoken and written English; knowledge of Hausa is an added advantage.
Desirable Requirements:
Understanding of Health & Safety compliance requirements and safety management systems, including hazard identification, risk assessment, and control measures.
Equal Opportunity:
HANDS is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and maintaining an inclusive workplace.
Women, persons with disabilities, and qualified candidates from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Selection will be based on qualifications, competence, relevant experience, and demonstrated suitability for the position.