Nigeria Security & Operational Risk Specialist

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa's farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions. To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

The Nigeria program, established in 2018, is headquartered in Minna, Niger state. We're currently serving over 100,000 unique farmers across the state via our inputs on credit 'Core' program, inputs on cash 'Retail' program, and have a free tree seedling distribution 'Agroforestry' program. To learn more about our work, look at our Nigeria program blog.

The Security & Operational Risk Specialist is the primary technical authority, strategic leader, and advisor to Nigeria country leadership on all aspects of staff safety, security, and operational risk management. Operating in a complex and volatile environment, you will lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of all health, safety, and security (HSS) systems across office, warehouse, and field operations in Nigeria.

You will serve as an influential internal voice and key thought partner to country leadership, directly shaping critical decisions such as geographic program scaling and the systems required to mitigate residual operational risks. You will also coordinate field risk strategies, including facility security management, emergency preparedness, and government security relations.

 Strategic Security Risk Management

• →Strategic Thought Partnership: Act as a strategic advisor to country leadership and the Global People Division, delivering critical HSS insights that drive proactive, data-informed risk management and high-stakes decision-making.
• →Field Operations Risk Framework: Build and maintain an operational risk-identification and mitigation framework covering the complete agricultural cycle (enrollment, input delivery, and loan repayment).
• →Scaling & Expansion Advisory: Evaluate the risk profiles of new geographic areas to directly influence and advise on program scaling decisions.
• →Residual Risk Mitigation: Design and deploy comprehensive systems, policies, and structures to identify and mitigate residual operational risks in remote field sites.
• →Context Analysis & Reporting: Provide weekly and quarterly security briefs to Country Leadership, using data-driven high-risk location heatmaps, trend analysis, and mapping tools to guide operational posture.
• →Budget Ownership: Act as the budget owner and advocate for country-wide HSS expenditure, ensuring relevant, high-impact risk-mitigation investments.

 Health, Safety & Security (HSS) Systems - Closely collaborate with the the Corporate Operations team lead on the following:

• →SOP Development: Design, adapt, and continuously improve tailored HSS SOPs aligned with Nigeria's specific risk context, including protocols for staff travel, remote site safety, incident reporting, and office/warehouse safety.
• →Compliance Tracking: Deploy and maintain robust compliance tracking systems for organization licenses, permits, and regulatory requirements, flagging risks before they impact operations.
• →Process Improvement: Initiate and lead high-complexity process improvements across departments (such as HR, Operations, and Supply Chain) to integrate HSS considerations into daily workflows.

Emergency Preparedness & Incident Response

• →Emergency Response Leadership: Own the design, rollout, and testing of the Country Emergency Response Plan (ERP), Security Escalation Plan, and Field Operations Contingency Plan through live simulations and tabletop exercises.
• →Incident Management: Serve as the primary focal point and responder for security incidents, ensuring immediate containment, escalation, detailed documentation, and corrective actions.
• →Incident Post-Mortems: Conduct rigorous post-incident reviews (after-action reviews) to extract lessons learned and integrate them back into training and SOPs.
• →External Security Partnerships: Act as the primary liaison with Nigerian security agencies (NPF, NSCDC, DSS) across all operational states, formalizing security partnerships and keeping a structured contact log.

Team Leadership & Project Management

• →Directly manage and mentor Field Risk Officers, taking ownership of their professional goals, performance plans, and contribution to an inclusive team culture.
• →Design and deliver comprehensive safety training programs (including HEAT, defensive driving, first aid, and incident reporting) to build a proactive safety culture.
• →Risk Project & System Execution - Scope, plan, and execute key HSS cross-departmental initiatives (e.g., annual HEAT training schedules, warehouse security upgrades, GPS tracking integration, and seasonal field contingency plans) on time, within budget, and across diverse operational locations.
• →Directly oversee the organization's guard force (currently 60+ personnel across 3 agencies), managing vendor relationships, performance reviews, and compliance with the Code of Conduct.

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• Bachelor's degree in Security Management, Occupational Health & Safety, Risk Management, International Relations, or a related field.
• Professional certifications (e.g., NEBOSH, ASP, CSP, HSE) are highly preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in health, safety, and/or security risk management.
• Proven experience operating in complex, volatile, or high-risk environments (specific knowledge of Nigerian security dynamics or Northern States is a strong advantage).
• Demonstrated expertise conducting security risk assessments and setting up organizational HSS systems.
• Hands-on experience with incident management, emergency response planning (ERP), and crisis response.
• Proficient in using data, mapping tools, and dashboards to analyze risks and track compliance.
• High proficiency in English. Knowledge of local languages spoken in project areas is an asset.

As soon as possible

Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

This role is only open to citizens or permanent residents of Nigeria

11 February 2027. Please note that we hire on a rolling basis which means that applications are reviewed and processed on a continuous basis until a hire is made.

One Acre Fund never asks candidates to pay any money or pay for tests at any stage of the interview process. Official One Acre Fund emails will always arrive from an @oneacrefund.org address. Please report any suspicious communication here (globalhotline@oneacrefund.org), but do not send applications or application materials to this email address.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI), and anti-racism are deeply connected to our organization’s mission and purpose. One Acre Fund aspires to build a culture where all staff feel consistently valued, represented, and connected – so that our team can thrive as professionals, and achieve exceptional impact for the farmers we serve.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.