Safety and Security Officer

Hivos is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Safety and Security Officer

Location:            Niger

Reports to:       Program Manager, Niger and Lebanon

Hours:               Full-time (40 hours per week)

Deadline:          3 June 2026

Purpose of the role

The safety and security officer leads all the work related to ensuring safety and security of partners, their organizations and colleagues working in Niger and Lebanon. She/he/they train, support and guide local partners on matters of safety and security. They will ensure that the organizations and groups involved in the program have the tools, knowledge and networks to stay as safe and secure as possible. This includes preventive measures, as well as (locally embedded) urgent response mechanisms in case of a crisis. Safety and security are considered holistically, and include both legal, digital, physical and psychological aspects. The safety and security officer is part of the program team and will be closely engaging with likeminded partners to create partnerships aimed at enhancing safety and security processes.

Their work will be focused on the following key areas:

• Strengthening the capacity of local partners to establish safety and security structures such as early warning systems, crisis response guidelines, and security protocols and plans.
• Working closely with the country security team and the S&S support partners, coordinate training on monitoring and documentation of human rights violations in a database, which will be used for evidence-based programming.
• Working closely with the PO, the DMEL and capacity strengthening colleagues, coordinates awareness raising campaigns in-country, aimed at countering disinformation spread by the opposition.
• Linking the programme right holders, and other partners to the National Human Rights Defenders Networks and Coalitions in their respective countries and at the regional level for support and coordination.
• The Safety and security Officer is responsible for upholding the values and principles of the Program and translating them into practice. The Officer coordinates the delivery of sound country level safety and security plans, protocols and tools needed by the local partners, strategic partners and other stakeholders in the programme.
• The officer will also be charged with the responsibility of convening and guiding the safety and security working group, supporting in country security initiative and ensuring timely response to emerging safety and security issues. In doing so, s/he/they will closely work with the Hivos Program officers, the DMEL officers, Capacity strengthening officer, Safety and Security Manage, communications officer, country-based security focal points well as with the local partners.
• The safety and security Officer will be the main point of contact for the safety and security, wellness and wellbeing partners and will champion our safeguarding approach.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Design

• Supports the partners in developing their safety and security strategies, workplans and protocols and ensure their implementation,
• Supports the partners and country teams in conducting country level safety and security analysis and developing mitigation plans
• Manage the Programme risk analysis matrix and ensure all actions are taken to prevent and respond to risks
• Spearhead the planning and reporting of safety and security components in the program

Implementation of Work Plans

• Ensure all country partners have safety and security plans and are implemented
• Identify capacity gaps in the safety and security teams and organize training and capacity strengthening on the areas identified
• Receive all the reported safety and security incidents and ensure follow-up and conclusion of the same
• Ensures Hivos’ own safety and security activities are implemented according to plan

Implementation of Work Plans

• Ensure all country partners have safety and security plans and are implemented
• Identify capacity gaps in the safety and security teams and organize training and capacity strengthening on the areas identified
• Receive all the reported safety and security incidents and ensure follow-up and conclusion of the same
• Ensures Hivos’ own safety and security activities are implemented according to plan

Monitoring & Control

• Monitors progress towards established safety and security goals in the Alliance and in the organizational level or joint project plans, and flags in the Hivos management team when problems arise.

Coordination and Collaboration

• Throughout the process of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the safety and security officer plays a proactive role in coordinating with the local organizations that participate in the program with the partners and with the regional and global Hivos teams.
• Actively contributes to and supports activities at the national and regional level, ensuring a safety and security lens is applied in all the activities.
• Coordinate the Safety and Security working group where all the country teams and Alliance partners participate.

Sharing, Learning and Quality Improvement

• Identifies, analyses and highlights success and good practices, as well as potential risks and problems.
• Proposes solutions for identified problems and follows-up on those.

• Contributes to identifying and sharing positive stories.
• Contributes to reflection and learning on both the national and regional level, as well as on the wider programmatic level

Required qualifications and experience

• Relevant degree or equivalent work experience, and academic level of working and thinking.

• Minimum of three years of relevant working experience.
• Work experience in working with civil society, in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and working in international teams.
• Expertise in working on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH-R) is desirable
• Expertise in integrating safety and security in programmes is MANDATORY
• Work experience in an international environment.
• Flexible attitude, creative, supports Hivos’ and Alliance values, has a progressive and positive view on SRH-R and the leadership of rightsholders.
• Full professional proficiency in English and French is required
• Job skills: communication, project management, safety and security management independence, creativity, collaboration
• Level skills: conceptual skills, persuasiveness, decisiveness

What we offer

We offer a stimulating work environment in a professional international organization with dedicated staff.  Work modality is hybrid, with minimum two days in the office, remaining days working from home if so desire. We particularly welcome applications from women. We offer a one-year contract, renewable based on performance and funding, based on local labor conditions, with a remuneration commensurate with the experience and expertise.

Want to apply

Please apply by June 3, 2026, by clicking on the “Apply here” button. Both a letter of motivation and resume/CV (max 2 pages) in PDF format need to be submitted in English. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.