Humanitarian Access & Operations Senior Officer

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Location: Ukraine, Kherson

Duration: in accordance with the contract

Start date: in accordance with the contract

The Humanitarian Access Safety and Security Operations Senior Officer (SO) will support the safe and effective establishment and day-to-day functioning of the IRC field presence in Khersonsyi raion. Given the high-risk operating environment, Safety and Security is the primary responsibility of the position, while Supply Chain and Administrative support are secondary functions that enable program delivery.

The SO will serve as the key field-level focal point for staff safety, operational security, movement management, security preparedness and incident response in Khersonskyi raion. The SO will also support procurement, logistics, fleet, warehouse, premises and administrative processes required for the Kherson office, while ensuring compliance with IRC policies, procedures and security requirements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Humanitarian Access, Safety & Security Management – PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY

·       Act as the primary field-level focal point for staff safety and operations for the office and program activities in Khersonskyi raion under the technical guidance of the Humanitarian Access Safety and Security (HASS) team and in coordination with the Field Coordinator

·       Monitor and analyze the local security environment daily, identify emerging threats and vulnerabilities, and provide timely security advice, updates, alerts, and reports to Field Coordinator and staff that will inform decision making on daily movements and program activities

·       Implement the Security Management Plan, SOPs, contingency plans and other relevant security protocols

·       Conduct or support security risk assessments of the office, accommodation, routes, program locations and other operational premises, and follow up on agreed mitigation measures

·       Support the development and implementation of evacuation, relocation, hibernation and emergency response plans, ensuring appropriate emergency preparedness measures are in place

·       Support the review and revision of the operational model for project implementation in Khersonskyi raion, including activity locations, delivery schedules, team movements, and communications

·       Monitor staff movements and ensure compliance with movement approval, tracking, and security procedures in Khersonskyi raion

·       Deliver security briefings, inductions, refresher sessions, and practical drills for staff, visitors and travelling personnel entering the Khersonskyi raion operational area

·       Manage and maintain all safety and security equipment in Kherson and escalate any concerns and anticipated needs to the Field Coordinator

·       Support incident management, documentation and follow-up in coordination with the HASS team, Field Coordinator, and People and Culture

Represent IRC and liaise with INGO, NGO, and local stakeholders and also relevant security actors e.g., NGO security staff, security forces, local authorities

·       Support the establishment and maintenance of a secure Kherson office in line with IRC safety and security requirements

·       Promote staff awareness of and compliance with security policies and procedures, identify training or preparedness gaps, and promptly escalate serious concerns or breaches through the appropriate management channels

Supply Chain, Fleet & Logistics Support – SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITY

·       Support day-to-day logistics required for program implementation in Khersonskyi raion, including transportation, fleet coordination, procurement follow-up, warehouse activities and movement of supplies

·       Support armored vehicle allocation and transportation planning, with particular attention to security clearance, safe routes, driver compliance and movement restrictions

·       Monitor operational readiness of armored vehicles and logistics resources and escalate maintenance or safety concerns

·       Support warehouse and inventory activities in Kherson, including receipt, storage, dispatch and physical inventory checks

·       Ensure appropriate documentation is maintained for logistics, fleet, procurement and inventory in Kherson, in accordance with IRC policies and donor compliance

·       Support local supplier and service-provider coordination in accordance with IRC procedures

Administration & Office Support – SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITY

·       Support the day-to-day administrative functioning of the Kherson office, including office supplies, premises-related issues, service arrangements and facilities management

·       Support office setup, furniture, equipment, utilities and other administrative requirements

·       Maintain accurate administrative records and provide information required for operational reporting

·       Undertake other operational or administrative tasks assigned by the Field Manager, provided they do not compromise the primary HASS responsibilities

Concerning all client-facing staff:

• Information sharing - Regularly share and discuss timely, accurate and relevant information in local

languages with communities about: - access and eligibility to service, -expected staff behaviors and

code of conduct, - community feedback, safeguarding mechanism and how to use them .

• Facilitating participation - Identify and provide communities with opportunities to participate in and

guide programs – from assessment and design through to monitoring and evaluation. Talk with

communities about how they would like to be involved in decision-making and discuss with

management how this can be facilitated.

• Feedback collection and reporting - Establish or promote the formal feedback mechanism – aligned

with organizational best practice – to capture, monitor, respond to and act on feedback and

complaints from communities.

For people managers:

• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue, and reflection at team level to strengthen safeguarding,

wellbeing and duty of care, and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.

• Lead by example and support IRC’s commitment to taking all necessary preventive measures and

creating an environment where people feel safe and can report misconduct.

For FMT and ESMT members:

• Model accountability and commitment to safeguarding all staff, partners, clients and others the IRC

works with to build a culture of prevention of safeguarding violations in our workplace and our

programs.

• Model accountability and commitment to wellbeing of all staff, partners, clients and others, the IRC

works with to build a culture of duty of care in our workplace and our programs

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education: Graduation from a higher education facility in a relevant subject is preferred, however secondary education and significant professional experience will be considered

Experience:

- Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience, preferably in humanitarian, NGO, security, logistics or field operations
- Demonstrated experience working in a high-risk or conflict-affected environment, with practical responsibility for staff safety, field movements or operational security
- Experience implementing SOPs, contingency plans, risk assessments, movement procedures or emergency preparedness measures
- Experience coordinating with local authorities, NGOs, UN agencies or other humanitarian/security stakeholders is an advantage
- Experience in logistics, fleet, procurement, warehouse or office administration is desirable

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively represent IRC in coordination forums with external stakeholders

·       Strong understanding of operational security and risk management in a conflict-affected environment

·       Ability to assess rapidly changing situations and provide clear, practical and timely advice

Strong negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills essential

·       Ability to remain calm and make sound decisions under pressure and during emergencies

·       Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize security-critical tasks while managing competing operational demands

·       Ability to work independently and take initiative while maintaining appropriate coordination and escalation

·       Fluency in spoken and written Ukrainian, Russian and English (minimum B2)

·       Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint

REPORTING STRUCTURE AND TEAM COLLABORATION

Managerial Reporting to: Field Coordinator

Technical Reporting to: Humanitarian Access, Safety & Security Sn. Manager

Supervises: None

Key Interfaces – internal: Field Manager; Program teams; Operations/Supply Chain and Admin, Fleet, Finance; HASS Department; People & Culture; IT and other support functions.
Key Interfaces – external: Local authorities and public services; NGO and UN security/access focal points; local suppliers and service providers; relevant humanitarian and community stakeholders

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

·       The position will be based in Kherson and will require regular movement within the operational area of Khersonskyi raion. The operating environment is high-risk and may change rapidly.

·       The SO must be prepared to work under significant security constraints, including changes to movement permissions, temporary suspension of activities, emergency relocation/evacuation and other measures required by the security context.

·       Travel to other locations is needed up to 30% of time

·       The SO is expected to comply fully with IRC Safety & Security policies and procedures and to support a strong safety culture across the Kherson team. The position may require work outside normal office hours, including evenings, weekends or on-call availability, in response to operational or security needs

·       Work in the matrix organization

·       Fast pace of working, multitasking and stressful work

·       The organization cares about staff and provides flexible working options (start early-finish early, start later-finish later, remote work)

IRC employees are eligible to the following benefits:

·       Competitive salary

·       Purposeful job and development opportunities

·       English classes and unlimited online training courses

·       Life Insurance

·       Medical insurance for staff and family members

·       Free psychological support to employees and their family members

·       30 calendar days of annual vacation with flexibility beyond the legally set minimum requirements

·       Up to 10 days of paid medical leave

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct . Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding , Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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