Safety and Access Officer

Job Title: Safety and Access Officer

Female candidates are encouraged to Apply

Location: Kampala with extensive travel to field locations

Reports to: Systems Coordinator

Application Deadline: 12th December 2024

About the Role

GOAL is currently seeking to hire a Safety and Access Officer. The position holder will be responsible for ensuring the safety, security, and access of all personnel, assets, and operations in Uganda. The Officer will develop and implement security strategies and protocols that align with the organization’s mission while ensuring compliance with both national and international security standards. S/he will work closely with the Systems Coordinator, Country Director and field teams to ensure the safety of staff and facilitate, and secure access to project locations. The role requires frequent travel to field locations within Uganda and may include liaising with local authorities, community leaders, and other stakeholders to support the organization’s operations and access needs

Requirements

• Relevant degree
• At least 3 years’ relevant experience in a similar role
• Completion of relevant security trainings 
• Experience of working in insecure environments and knowledge of security management systems and approaches for NGO’s.
• Demonstrated evidence of conducting risk assessments and developing security plans, security operation procedures.

• Training skills
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft packages, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with an analytical approach to work.
• Satellite phone communications experience, operations and management.
• First Aid qualification is desirable

The key responsibilities of the role will be

• To inform and advise senior management on safety and security related issues and ensure that they are kept informed of all security developments and can take appropriate action when required.
• To ensure that appropriate systems and procedures are in place to maximize the safety and security of all GOAL staff and that these systems and procedures are always adhered to.
• To work with programme managers at all levels to ensure that safety and security is mainstreamed into all areas of planning and operations.
• To carryout regular field visits / assessments.                                                                                     

Security documentation:

• In collaboration with the (RSAA) ensure that the Country and Field Safety Security and Evacuation Plans (SSEP) and relevant Annexes are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
• In collaboration with the RSAA ensure that all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) relating to safety and security are reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
• Ensure that all incidents are reported, analysed and actions taken where necessary. Implement incident tracking system.
• Produce weekly security reports which inform any incidents/accidents across all GOAL offices and programmes.
• Circulate security information in concise, up to date and well-presented, so that it is useful and accessible to staff and provides much needed information in an emergency
• Maintain an Emergency Contact database with up-to-date information for all staff.
• With the Country SMT, RSAA and Head of Global Safety and Access develop contingency plans, ensuring that staff understand their roles in an emergency and that GOAL has the resources to carry out the contingency plans.
• Liaise with external security actors to ensure the safety and security of GOAL staff and property.
• Carryout security assessment for new location and develop SOPs accordingly.
• Assist office set up by conducting security assessment on new properties for GOAL to rent and for hotel and international staff accommodation with reference to GOAL accommodation guidelines and SSEPs.
• Provide Liaison with any contract security services, quarterly meetings should be held, and any equipment (panic alarms, vehicle trackers etc) should be monitored & tested.
• Monitor and manage internal security teams (guards etc) and produce site instructions

Health and Safety:

• In coordination with HR and Logistics, ensure that all offices and GOAL accommodation have fully stocked, up to date First Aid and PEP kits.
• Ensure that appropriate fire safety equipment is in place in offices, compounds and vehicles. Ensure that staff are aware of what to do in the event of a fire.
• Liaise with the fleet officer to ensure that all vehicles have the necessary safety and security equipment.
• Develop security phone communication trees and maintain the GOAL warden system.
• In association with the RSAA update the security induction materials on a regular basis and provide inductions to all new staff.
• Test all secondary communications networks on a regular basis and ensure that the focal points can access and use.

Coordination:

• Attend security coordination meetings and report back to the SMT on relevant information.
• Develop contacts and information gathering systems amongst UN, NGOs, INGO’s, government agencies and embassies and share security information with them on a regular basis. (Networking)
• Keep confidential all sensitive/security related information pertinent or concerning GOAL

Incident Management and Reporting:

• Lead the response to security incidents, ensuring proper documentation, reporting, and follow-up.
• Maintain an up-to-date incident reporting database, ensuring that all security-related incidents are logged, analyzed, and lessons learned are communicated to the relevant staff.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all security-related incidents and emergencies and oversee the coordination of emergency response actions.

Risk Mitigation:

• Contribute to the country risk register, identifying key safety and security risks and proposing mitigation measures.
• Oversee the implementation of risk management processes to protect personnel, assets, and operations from safety and security risks.
• Ensure that insurance requirements for staff and assets related to security risks are adequately met.

General terms and conditions 

We strongly encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single requirement listed. At GOAL we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please just contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@ug.goal.ie

GOAL commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: GOAL is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees. We foster an inclusive culture where all voices are heard and valued. We know that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling GOAL’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and equal treatment. GOAL does not discriminate against any employee on the basis of sex, race, colour, ethnic background, tribe, birth, creed or religion or social or economic standing, political opinion, disability. 

Code of Conduct and Accountability within GOAL
GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has values and behaviours framework which defines our code of conduct. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability.

Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, Code of Conduct, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

Safeguarding
Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

GOAL
Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency and works with the most vulnerable communities to help them respond to and overcome humanitarian crises, and to assist those facing poverty and exclusion achieve greater resilience and well-being. GOAL envisions a world beyond humanitarian crises where poverty no longer exists, where vulnerable communities exposed to shocks and stresses are resilient, where barriers to well-being are removed and where everyone has equal rights and opportunities.

General description of the country programme
First operational in Uganda in 1979, the current GOAL Uganda country programme focuses on Health, (including WASH, Health Accountability and Nutrition); and a market-based systems approach to improving agricultural livelihoods and WASH. GOAL Uganda mainstreams gender, child protection, social behavior changes and resilience strategies across all programming. GOAL uses a mixture of direct implementation and partnerships with national and international civil society organizations, local government, the private sector and communities to give effect to our mission. GOAL believes that if the inherent capacities of vulnerable people are developed, the systems in which they live and work are strengthened, and positive global action is catalysed, then communities facing crisis, poverty, and exclusion will achieve greater resilience and well-being. GOAL Uganda has a skilled team of over 140 personnel and has a head office in Kampala and field offices in 7 locations across Northern, Southwestern and Eastern regions of Uganda. GOAL Uganda’s donors include the Mastercard Foundation, charity: water, Irish Aid, The Kingdom of Netherland Embassy in Uganda (EKN) and other private donors.

Our package includes a competitive salary, health insurance cover for up to 3 dependents, comprehensive 24-hour personal accident cover, terminal benefits equivalent to one month for each completed year of service and our working hours provide for a half day on Fridays. GOAL promotes a learning and development environment with training & study opportunities aligned to our staff development policy.