Liaison and Security Officer in Medair Ukraine

The position will be based in Sumy, with the possibility of business trips within the region.

 General purpose

Communications specialist with local authorities represents Medair to external stakeholders in Ukraine, with a special focus on establishing seamless interaction and communication with local authorities. He/she is also responsible for gathering and verifying community safety information to provide the Project Coordinator, Branch Chief and his/her deputy for further decision making regarding safety measures.

Project Overview: Medair (Medeiros) is an international Christian humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance to the most vulnerable people in conflict, disease and disaster to ensure they live in dignity and hope. It began its activities in Ukraine at the beginning of March 2022 as a result of the escalation of Russia's military operations in Ukraine. Medair has implemented numerous activities in different sectors such as: housing, health care, cash and non-financial information, social support, WASH, mental health. Medair teams are located in the east, north and west of Ukraine to provide a multi-sectoral approach to assistance. We are looking for a qualified professional to join us in supporting vulnerable communities.

GENERAL TASKS

- To uphold the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence;< /p>

- Respect Medair's values ​​at all times: both during working and non-working hours;

- Know, understand and follow Medair's internal policies and procedures;

- Share Medair's operating principles and values ​​with a wide range of people;

- Comply with Medair's Safety Plan and other related policies and instructions;

- Comply with Medair's manual and rules for nationally recruited staff (NRS);

SPECIFIED TASKS

Liaison with local authorities/communities< /p>

- To act as the first link between the project team and authorities at the district and oblast level and local communities, establishing contact and maintaining mutually beneficial relations with them.

- Building positive relations with local authorities authorities and communities on behalf of Medair.

- Accurately inform the project coordinator about notifications made by local authorities and communities regarding Medair.

- Defend Medair's position, authority and access at the level local communities.

Communication with NGOs/MNGOs

- Ensuring effective cooperation and exchange of information on needs considered during coordination meetings, cluster meetings and working groups with program teams.

- Collect, organize and disseminate information about the activities of other non-governmental public organizations/international humanitarian organizations in certain areas.

- Maintain good contacts and relations with others NGOs/MNGOs to ensure effective cooperation and coordination in order to best meet the identified needs of beneficiaries without duplication.

- Participation in cluster meetings to share information on potential needs in certainspheres.

- Maintaining good relations with other NGOs/MNGOs to share experience and coordinate solutions to potential problems.

Security

- Know, apply, actively promote and regularly review compliance with all Medair policies and standard operating procedures regarding security, field travel, vehicle and asset management at the Sumy base.

- Collect, review, organize and provide all available information on security issues in a certain region or locality.

- Interact with other NGOs/MNGOs and local authorities in order to obtain and triangulate critical information on security issues.

- Establish and maintaining contacts with local authorities responsible for security in order to respond in a timely manner to potential threats and challenges.

- Support the project coordinator in coordination and communication with the daily field trips of the project teams. 

- Actively monitor the development of the conflict and changes in the humanitarian context that may affect or affect Medair's response measures in the Sumy region.

 Other tasks 

- Preparation of official requests and letters to local administrations.

- Conducting briefings and keeping records of each meeting with government officials.

- Creation and maintenance of a database of contact persons of the local authorities, memoranda of understanding and developments in the field of security. 

- Other tasks at the request of the line and/or matrix manager.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CANDIDATE:

QUALIFICATION / EXPERIENCE:

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Bachelor qualification in humanities, political science, law, international relations. DESIRED Practical training in security management and/or personal safety and security. 

Work experience: Coordination of work with state bodies or departments, law enforcement agencies, other NGOs/MNGOs, local community leaders. One year of previous work experience in a humanitarian NGO is DESIRED

LANGUAGES:
 Fluent Ukrainian and good English (oral and written)

IT:
 Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs< /p>

COMPETENCIES:

Motivation - Self-motivation and enthusiasm, willingness to take on challenges and work hard to achieve goals, passion for serving people in need regardless of their background. DESIRED Willingness to stay with Medair long-term.

Teamwork - Team player with good interpersonal and communication skills, experience working in a diverse team with different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs. EXPERIENCE IN STAFF TRAINING DESIRED.

Adaptability - Willingness and ability to work under pressure, with safety risk, ability to manage personal stress level, ability to adapt communication strategies to different situations. DESIRED Ability to perform duties of other team members as needed.

Technical expertise - Detailed knowledge of the social and political context of Ukraine (and Sumy Oblast).

Knowledge of government structures and local self-government bodies. DESIRED Detailed knowledge of the humanitarian sector and coordination mechanisms, knowledge of humanitarian principles.

Managementand leadership - Ability to take initiative in planning, organizing and implementing. Ability to encourage and motivate others.

MEDAIR UKRAINE BRANCH is committed to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces and is an equal employment opportunity employer. For more detailed information, please contact us.

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Overall Purpose

Working as an important member of a diverse team who are committed to serving the world's most vulnerable with practical and compassionate care, the Liaison and Security Officer will represent Medair to external stakeholders in Ukraine, perform, with a particular focus on establishing smooth interaction and communication with local authorities. The person will also be responsible for collecting and verifying security information to be presented to the PC, Country Director and Deputy Country Director for security decision making.

Project Overview

Medair is an international Christian humanitarian organization that provides emergency response to the most vulnerable people occurring amid conflict, disease, and disaster to ensure their life in dignity and hope. It launched its activities in Ukraine in early March 2022 as a result of the escalation of Russian military actions in Ukraine. Medair has implemented numerous interventions in various sectors, such as Shelter, Health, Cash and NFI, Case Management, WASH, Mental Health. Medair teams are located in the East, North and West of Ukraine to ensure a multi-sectoral approach to assistance. We are looking for a qualified professional to join us in supporting vulnerable communities.

Functional Links

Internal: Project Coordinator, Project Support Officer/ Manager

External:Governmental departments, inter-governmental authorities, local communities, other NGOs-INGOs, law-enforcement bodies

Responsibilities

GENERAL TASKS

• Uphold the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence
< li>Respect the Medair values ​​at all times, both within and outside of working hours
• Know, understand, and comply with Medair internal policies and procedures
• Share Medair principles of work and values to wider range of people
• Follow the Medair Security Plan and other related policies and SOPs
• Adhere to Medair Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) handbook and regulations

SPECIFIC TASKS

Local Authorities/Communities liaison

• Act as the first connecting link between the PC/Project team and the Raion and Oblast level authorities and local communities by establishing contact and maintaining mutually beneficial relations with them
• Build positive relationships with local authorities and communities on behalf of Medair
• Inform the PC accurately of the communications made by local authorities and communities towards Medair
• Advocate Medair position, mandate and access at local community level

NGOs/INGOs liaison

• Ensure effective cooperation and exchanging of information about the needs addressed during Coordination Meetings, Cluster and Working Group meetings with programme teams.
• Collect, arrange and share information about other NGOs/INGOs activities in certain areas
• Maintain good contact and relations with other NGOs/INGOs to ensure efficient collaboration and coordination in order to best cover revealed needs of beneficiaries without duplication.
• Participation in cluster meetings to exchange information about potential needs in certain areas
• Maintaining good relations with other NGOs/INGOs to share experience and coordinate addressing potential challenges

Security 

• Know, apply, actively promote, and regularly spot-check compliance of all Medair’s Policies and Standard Operating Procedures for Security, Field Movements, Vehicle and Asset management at Sumy base
• Collect, verify, arrange and submit all available information about security issues within certain region or area
• Interact with other NGOs/INGOs and local authorities in in order to obtain and triangulate critical security information
• Establish and maintain contact with local security ensuring bodies for timely reaction on potential threats and challenges
• Support PC in coordination and communication with daily field trips of project teams. 
• Actively monitor conflict developments and changes in humanitarian context that may influence or affect Medair’s response in Sumy Oblast.

 Other tasks 

• Produce official requests and letters to local administrations
• Brief the PC, and keep records of each meeting with authorities
• Build and maintain database of local authority contact persons, Memorandums of Understanding, and security developments. 

Other tasks as requested by line- and/or matrix manager

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

QUALIFICATION / EXPERIENCE:

Qualification Bachelor degree in humanities, political science, law, international relations. DESIRABLE Practical training in security management and/or personal safety and security. 

Work experience Coordination with governmental bodies or departments, law-enforcement bodies, other NGOs/INGOs, local community leaders. DESIRABLE One year of previous humanitarian NGO experience

Languages Fluent Ukrainian and good English (spoken and written)

IT Microsoft Office proficiency

COMPETENCIES

Motivation - Self-motivated and Enthusiastic, Enjoys a challenge and works hard to achieve objectives, Passionate about serving people in need, no matter their background. DESIRABLE Desire to remain with Medair for the long term

Team building - Team player with good interpersonal and communication skills, Experience of working in a diverse team with different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs. DESIRABLE Experience of training personnel

Adaptability - Willing and able to work under pressure, with security risks, Able to manage personal stress levels, Able to adapt communication strategies for different situations. DESIRABLE Able to step in for other roles

Technical expertise - Detailed knowledge of Ukraine (and Sumy specific) social and political context

Knowledge of governmental structures and local authorities. DESIRABLE Detailed knowledge of the humanitarian sector and coordination mechanisms, Knowledge of humanitarian principle.

Management & Leadership - Able to take initiative in planning, organisation and implementation

Ability to encourage and motivate others.

Position will be based in Sumy, with field trips within the region.

MEDAIR UKRAINE BRANCH strives to create diverse and inclusive workplaces and is an equal employment opportunity employer. For more detailed information, please contact us.