The Maram Foundation for Relief and Development (Maram) is a non-profit organization, founded by American-Syrian activists to alleviate the suffering of people in need since its inception to date the foundation had delivered lifesaving aid and developmental projects to hundreds of thousands of Syrian IDPs and refugees along with host committees. 

Location: Turkey-Gaziantep

Duration:6 months (subject to extension based on performance)

Position: Sr. /Safety and Security Officer

Vacancy Ref.No:MF-HR/20-212

Function and Organizational Relationships 

Ultimate accountability for staff safety and security rests on the Executive Director/CEO, to enforce effective security risk management. Day-to-day management and responsibility for security shared across various levels in the Maram foundation department managers and personnel. 

The Security Officer at Maram Foundation for Relief and Development holds one of the most critical position within the foundation, and responsible for the biggest challenge facing the foundation and that is the security of personnel in north Syria. With growing insecurity, threats, and violence all personals are faced with growing insecurity, threats, and violence, working, and travelling in such unpredictable environments will always carry a degree of risk. 

The security officer is responsible to develop, implement monitor, and control a safer and more secure working environment for Maram foundation staff. However, this requires increased prioritization and resourcing of security risk management by the foundation security officer.  

Reports to:   CEO 

Sr. /Safety and Security Officer Job Responsibilities: 

1.      Implement Maram foundation approach to safety and security, including the policies, procedures and mechanisms which have been put in place to ensure effective security and risk management.  

2.      Understand and develop security plans, travel security procedures, security training, and incident reporting are the key parts of safety and security operating procedures.  

3.      Understand the risks and consider all foreseeable risks related to a particular location or activity.  

4.      Implement local and government Law enforcement in handling any potential violations. 

5.      Must be able to  

A. Identify the risks – Identify all security and safety threats that could affect staff, programs, or the foundation (including its reputation), and understand how, when, and why each threat might occur.  

B. Analyze the risks – undertake a comprehensive assessment to determine staff members’ exposure to the different threats identified. The security officer must assess each risk (threat and exposure to it) to determine the severity, considering the likelihood of it occurring and the potential impact should it occur, given the current measures and procedures in place.  

C. Evaluate the risks – with a good understanding of the foundation risk exposure, the security officer must make informed decisions on whether to accept certain risks or take extra actions to prevent or minimize them.  

D. Treat the risks – Security officer must be able to make immediate decisions to prevent or minimize/mitigate risk include reducing the risk, transferring the risk to, or sharing it with, other parties, or avoiding the risk by not undertaking that activity. Reducing security risks involves implementing different strategies that minimize the likelihood and/or impact of certain threats. These strategies are put into practice through the development of country, or area, security plans. 

E. Monitor and review – Security officer must continually review each part of the risk management process to ensure that current approaches and measures still are proper to the changing situation. Effective communication and consultation are integral to the risk management process. No individual can hold all the information needed to identify, analyze and mitigate the risks. It is, therefore, important to identify a range of stakeholders, both internal and external, who can aid you in this process. 

F. Acknowledgment of risk – managing security will not remove the risks. Security Officer must educate staff to appreciate, as part of their informed consent, that they are exposed to risk.  

G. Proportionate risk – the risk to staff must be assessed all the time and should be proportionate to the need for, and benefits of, certain activities, and to the ability of the Maram foundation to manage these risks.  

H. Equitable security – some individuals may be more vulnerable to certain threats than their colleagues. These individuals must know of the risks, and personal security, restrictions/measures should not discriminate against individuals based on their personal characteristics.  

I. Work close with local authorities, camp security and stakeholders;  

6.      Must be able to identify right to withdraw – all staff should have the right to withdraw from or refuse to take up work in an area due to security concerns.  

7.      Must decides when to suspend activities or withdraw staff from situations that it considers to be too dangerous. Staff do not have a right to remain in a location when directed to withdraw from it by CEO.  

8.      Establish mitigation measures – The Security officer must develop comprehensive up-to-date plans, procedures and mechanisms and must be in place to mitigate the risks that exist in a location or associated with a specific activity.  

9.      Develop emergency plans – detailed plans, measures and assistance must be in place to respond to emergency situations involving staff, regardless of the location.  

10.   Ensure informed consent – staff must understand and accept the risks they face and the measures in place to manage them. There must be a process in place to document their understanding of the risks and their role in managing them. However, such documents will not provide a legal waiver in a court of law.  

11.   Raise awareness – staff must receive detailed, up-to-date information and guidance, and in many cases training, related to the risks that they face.  

12.   Provide support – organizations must have support and insurance in place to aid staff and Maram Foundation managed camps affected by an incident. Duty of care responsibilities apply equally in both high- and low- risk environments. However, it is expected that Maram foundation takes even greater responsibility for staff and beneficiaries in higher risk situations.  

13.   Use automated applications to report incidents and near misses, and of sharing their security concerns. Must and capture incidents. 

14.   Establish security forums and presentations – Must be involved in various meetings or mechanisms within the foundation or represent the foundation where security issues and challenges are raised and discussed.  

15.   Monitor and review – undertake periodic reviews of the foundation’s security approach and management framework, and their implementation, to ensure the framework is effective.  

16.   Enforce accountability – set up a mechanism to hold people accountable for security, and security risk management and responsibilities in staff performance reviews.  

17.   Resourcing security – There are inevitable costs associated with managing security. Developing and rolling out a comprehensive approach to security risk management can take considerable time and financial resources – both limited commodities in all organizations. 

18.   Establish Crises Management procedure and control 

A. Death or severe injury of a staff member;  

B. Death or severe injury of a third party because of actions by staff or the organization’s activities; 

C. Serious security deterioration or a specific threat that directly affects the security of staff;  

D.  Mass-casualty incident (for example, natural disasters, bombings, or attacks) affecting staff; Physical assault or sexual violence against a staff member;  

E.  Abduction, kidnapping, arrest, or detention involving staff;  

F.   Any security incident likely to result in damaging representation in the media 

Qualifications 

Minimum Bachelor’s degree in risk, economy, accounting, Business Administration, or any other related area; 

1.     At least three years of relevant experience in the following; 

·  Personal security awareness – aimed at individuals who work in or travel to moderate-risk environments. Supplies basic personal awareness about security risks and how to reduce and respond to them.  

·   Advanced personal security awareness or Hostile Environment Provides intensive, threat-specific personal security training, including simulation exercises.  

·  Security risk management –security risk management responsibilities (security focal points, program managers and members of senior management). Introduces the core concepts of security risk management and helps develop skills in security risk assessment, operational security risk management and critical incident management.  

2.     Crisis management – aimed at members of senior management or crisis management teams (at headquarters and country levels). It provides awareness of the principles and actions involved in responding to critical incidents or crisis situations.  

3.     Previous experience in relief and development preferably in an international organization; 

4.     Ability to listen, communicate (written and verbal), and follow-up effectively with all staffing levels and Ability to multi-task, prioritize and work efficiently 

5.     Strong local credentials in the given area inside Syria; 

6.     Ability to manage important and fast response in a fast-paced ever-changing work environment. 

7.     Ability to show good common sense and sound judgment. 

8.     Flexibility to adapt to emergency situations and work varied hours; work weekends or evening 

Job Requirements Related to the Syrian Conflict 

1.      In-depth knowledge of the Syrian conflict, Syrian NGOs and stakeholders 

2.      Flaunt in Arabic and English languages, Turkish language is definite plus. 

3.      Valid Turkish residency permits and ability to travel in the region. 

Technical Requirements 

1.     Microsoft office 365 Experience with spreadsheets and automated accounting system 

2.     Basic computer skills and word processing 

3.     Ability to sort, check, count, and verify number 

4.     Social media 

 Maram Foundation is committed to an equal opportunity employer; therefore, we encourage applications from marginalized populations.

All applicants and employees at Maram Foundation will enjoy equality of opportunities and fair treatment without regard to Race, Color, ethnicity, age, sex, religion, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or marital status.

Kindly fill this form:

https://forms.gle/NCwBsALzaQfQnvVA8