Humanitarian Access and Safety Coordinator Cameroon Yaoundé (Internal Applicants Only)

Ensure principled humanitarian response in safe manner for communities and partners.

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NRC - Norwegian Refugee Council

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Application deadline 5 months ago: Monday 8 Dec 2025 at 18:00 UTC

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Overview

Ensure principled humanitarian response in safe manner for communities and partners.

You have:

  • Minimum three years of relevant experience in a humanitarian/recovery context.
  • Solid understanding of the Humanitarian Principles and their application in programmatic and advocacy responses, NGO safety and risk management, humanitarian access, and civil-military coordination.
  • Previous experience working in complex contexts and understanding of access negotiations.
  • Proficient in MS Office applications including Word and Excel.
  • Prior experience as a trainer is an added value.
  • Working proficiency in English and French, both written and verbal.

The purpose of NRC’s Humanitarian Access and Safety (HAS) function is to enable a principled humanitarian response in a safe manner for the communities and partners we work with and our staff. Despite NRC’s success in delivering assistance to those in need, security and access constraints remain significant challenges. Obstacles such as conflict and violence, environmental and physical challenges, bureaucratic hurdles, and interference in humanitarian operations, hinder the delivery of services and protection to displacement affected people.

Qualifications

  • Minimum three years of relevant experience in a humanitarian/recovery context.
  • Solid understanding of the Humanitarian Principles and their application in programmatic and advocacy responses, NGO safety and risk management, humanitarian access, and civil-military coordination.
  • Previous experience working in complex contexts and understanding of access negotiations.
  • Proficient in MS Office applications including Word and Excel.
  • Prior experience as a trainer is an added value.

Working proficiency in (relevant language(s) : English, French, both written and verbal

Responsibilities

The Country Humanitarian Access and Safety (HAS) Coordinator is a technical resource on safety and security, crisis management, and access supporting the HAS Manager and the Country Director. This role contributes to managing safety and security risks, building capacity, implementing Duty of Care (in direct coordination with People and Organisation), developing humanitarian access strategies, and facilitating principled humanitarian programming. The Country HAS Coordinator reports directly to and is technically overseen by the HAS Manager,

Generic Responsibilities

  • Support the HAS Manager and Country Director to implement the NRC Global HAS Management System at the country level, prepare reports as required and execute the HAS Operational Plan.
  • Contribute to a culture of enabling a safe and principled humanitarian response and support the implementation of Safe and Inclusive Programming Minimum Standards.
  • Line management responsibility for direct reporting staff. This includes:

    • Performance management process: setting clear goals aligned to strategic priorities, and to follow up and support staff’s achievement.
    • Workforce planning, recruitment, staff induction and development, and support for Duty of Care.
  • Support the HAS Manager with contextual analysis.
  • Contribute to the development of country-level HAS documents, including contingency plans, access strategies, and context-relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), in line with organisational standards.
  • Support the HAS Manager in conducting Security Risk Assessments (SRAs) and access assessments, including Rapid SRAs for new operational locations, and collaborate with management to implement relevant mitigation measures and support safe programming, with a focus on the country office.
  • Support the HAS Manager to maintain oversight of compliance with NRC’s HAS Management System at the country level.
  • Co-lead with the HASM ongoing culture of learning relevant to Humanitarian Access and Safety and arrange for trainings including Hostile Environment Individual Security Training (HEIST), Field First Aid, drills and simulations for NRC staff and partners, in line with NRC policies.
  • In consultation with the HAS Manager and Country Director, communicate, and coordinate with relevant external actors and coordination structures and build relationships with various stakeholders to inform operations and security management as well as increase humanitarian access and protect humanitarian space at the country level.
  • Ensure adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures, and a specific responsibility for HAS policies and procedures.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe a time you had to implement safety measures in a challenging humanitarian context? This question assesses your practical experience managing safety in humanitarian settings. Provide specific examples that highlight your decision-making skills and the outcomes.
What strategies would you employ to manage access negotiations in a conflict area? This question evaluates your strategic thinking and negotiation skills. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you approach capacity building for local staff in safety protocols? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe how you maintain compliance with humanitarian principles while ensuring safety. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What is the importance of civil-military coordination in humanitarian responses? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you provide an example of how you improved humanitarian access in a past role? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What are the key considerations you take into account when conducting Security Risk Assessments? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How would you handle a situation where there is a conflict between the need for access and safety of staff? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 5 months ago - Updated 5 months ago - Source: nrc.no