Deputy Director Syria

Based in Amman, Jordan with travel to Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria

Closing date: 7 February 2020 (Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis)

Organisation Background

The International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) is an international charity that supports the safety of aid workers by establishing safety coordination platforms in insecure contexts. INSO provides registered NGOs with a range of free services including real-time incident tracking, analytical reports, safety related data and mapping, crisis management support, staff orientations and training.

INSO services help NGOs with their day-to-day risk management responsibilities and improve their overall situational awareness to support evidence-based humanitarian access decisions.

Founded in 2011, the International NGO Safety Organisation has grown from innovative start-up to become a globally recognised charity and a highly valued component in the humanitarian safety coordination system. With operations in 14 countries, INSO has revolutionized the humanitarian safety coordination sector by introducing a robust and high-quality field safety platform model that has been deployed in some of the world’s most high-risk settings.

The strong focus on humanitarian principles and exclusive NGO-only membership criteria have meant that INSO is now accepted as a standard component of modern humanitarian response offering independent frontline reporting and coordination services that save lives, strengthen operational practice and enable humanitarian access.

Today the organisation provides daily support to more than 1000 NGOs in 14 of the world’s most insecure countries and has earned a strong reputation for performance, principles & professionalism.

INSO Syria Programme

The Syria programme supports more than 160 NGOs to deliver vitally needed aid and assistance to an estimated 11.7 million people in need across the country. First launched as an emergency response operation in 2014, INSO Syria has grown to become a regional programme, present in all of the regional Syria response hubs.

INSO Syria is now seeking an experienced professional to join our team as Deputy Director to be based in Amman Jordan with travel to Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria.

Job Summary

The Deputy Director oversees all aspects of service delivery and plays a key role in ensuring that INSO provides the best support possible to NGOs responding to the Syria crisis. Specific responsibilities include the recruitment, training and management of a team of senior analysts (Safety Advisors), editorial review of key INSO products, monitoring and continual improvement of compliance with service delivery standards and support to the Director in the broader development of the programme.

The successful candidate will have a strong background in NGO safety and security, be outgoing, inquisitive and detail oriented, and have significant experience building and leading high performing teams. He/she will also have the ability to analyse complex security issues and contexts, communicate to an excellent standard of English both verbally and in writing, and above all else share INSO’s commitment to humanitarian principles.

Major Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Management
* Direct management of INSO Safety Advisors (x4), including recruitment, training, orientation and on-the-job mentoring.
* Management of an Information Manager, ensuring rigour in the application of data collection and verification standards across the Safety Advisor and Information Management teams.

Service Delivery
* Editorial responsibility for flagship bi-monthly analytical report.
* Supervision and quality assurance of all other INSO service delivery, including: 24/7 flash reporting, safety and access roundtab le meetings, analytical reports, crisis management support and other demand-based services.
* Representation and liaison towards third parties, including NGOs, the UN and international donors.

Programme Development
* Support to programme development and implementation, including the delivery of annual planning and scheduled donor reporting.
* The development and implementation of locally specific internal security management policy, SOPs and guidelines.
* Support to the application of INSO global policy in areas including HR, finance and operations.
* Leadership and representation of the programme in the director’s absence.
* Other programme development responsibilities as required, including support to the set-up and operation of INSO Syria offices.

Mandatory Requirements

* Exemplary command of English (written and spoken).
* Graduate level education in a relevant field.
* Significant experience in insecure/conflict-affected environments with progressive seniority and at least one year at senior management level.
* Proven writing, editing, and analytical skills and a keen eye for detail – the position entails substantial report editing and reviewing.
* Acceptance and strong understanding of humanitarian principles.
* Demonstrable understanding of humanitarian safety practices and their application.
* Outgoing and confident personality.
* Mature leadership and staff management experience in a diverse multi-cultural setting.
* Excellent networking, diplomatic, and representative communication skills.

Preferred Characteristics

* A year’s (recent) experience working on the Syria response with a humanitarian NGO and demonstrable understanding of the context.
* Experience in staff capacity development and training.
* Experience with NGO project management, including donor reporting and relations.
* First-hand experience of crisis management.
* Prior experience in an inter-agency role.
* Existing information networks and/or local language skills.
* Detailed understanding of INSO mandate & services.

Key Personal Competencies

* A good listener
* An effective communicator
* Excellent analyst
* Team player
* Excellent interpersonal skills
* A people manager

Terms & Conditions: 12-month contract with expected start date of 15 March 2020, €5000 per month salary, 4 days annual leave per month and 3 days of R&R every 3 months, global medical coverage, €150,000 AD&D coverage

INSO’s Safeguarding Policy:

INSO is fully committed to safe recruitment, selection and vetting of all potential new staff, trustees and volunteers and we will ensure rigorous compliance with our Code of Conduct and Safeguarding policy throughout the recruitment process. As such, the following safe recruitment practices will be applied:

· All offers of employment will be conditional on receiving at least two satisfactory professional references.

· INSO will ask candidates about significant gaps in employment history or frequent changes of employer and address.

· All essential qualifications and relevant professional accreditations and memberships will be verified.

· The successful candidate will be required to provide a valid proof of identity (passport, ID card).

· All new hires will receive an orientation in INSO’s safeguarding policy and procedures and associated documents (Code of Conduct, Whistleblowing etc.).

· All new hires will be required to sign and abide by the Code of Conduct as a condition of employment.