We don’t just talk, we do. Lead the change with us.

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.

We are a global team of nearly 800 changemakers, operating in more than 30 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Role Summary

TBI continues to grow its work globally. As a result of this growth, we are searching for a Regional Security Manager – Eastern Europe to provide effective and efficient support to TBI teams across the region. The candidate must have experience working in conflict or post conflict affected countries.

This role reports to the Head of Operations - Middle East, Eastern Europe and will be part of the Operations – MEEE team and works closely with the Regional Director, Country Directors (CD), and Security, Resilience and Technical Operations Team. The postholder will deliver excellent operational, safety and security support to our people and work closely with our teams on the ground.

You will integrate into a team led by our Head of Operations and work closely with a committed group of operations staff to assist you in supporting our operations across the region. Our operations team comprises translators, team assistants, HR professionals, recruiters, legal experts, and finance personnel, all working together to ensure the seamless operation of our business.

The RSM will work closely with the Security, Resilience and Technical Operations Team, the SRT support the institute in achieving its Duty of Care for its staff, they do this within three connected specialisms:

Security

Incorporating security risk management, incident management, travel security management, health and safety, access negotiations and Duty of Care, we keep our people and programmes safe from harm and insecurity.

Resilience

Incorporating crisis management, business continuity, election contingency planning and special contingency insurance, we enable and enhance Institute resilience.

Technical Operations

Incorporating international procurement support, fleet management, travel and event management, facilities management, logistics, new country start up and special projects, we provide the technical operational expertise the Institute needs to deliver impact.

Key Responsibilities

Core Areas

The Regional Security Manager will:

• Support TBI staff within Eastern Europe with Security, Resilience and Technical Operational support.
• Be confident in escalating operational demands and specific support needs.
• Draft, maintain and embed Essential Security Packages to ensure that the Institute is efficient and meets duty of care obligations.
• Ensure TBI is working to best practice standards and deliver contextualised and relevant SRT support.
• Support with the set up of Technical Operations for the institute in Eastern Europe.
• Conduct regular quality assurance, including capacity building and technical mentoring to ensure active Security Risk Management.
• Cover other duties, where capacity and availability permit and where they are communicated and agreed in advance, with the Director of Security, Resilience and Technical Operations.

Security

The Regional Security Manager will:

• Act as the lead for safety and security services and support for the region.
• Proactively monitor and analyse country contexts, sending operational and security updates to the relevant teams, including CDs, RDs and the centre.
• Maintain and Update the Essential Security Packages (Country Risk Register, Welcome Pack, SOPs and contingency plans).
• Ensure that all field staff are fully cognizant of prevailing security threats and fully advised on means to reduce their vulnerability to those threats.
• Monitor the security preparedness of country staff and enforce staff compliance with internal security rules and SOPs, ensuring they are communicated to all staff and understood.
• Set up and control the implementation of mitigation measures and security rules according to the local context.
• Maintain an active security network, proactively engaging with the relevant governments, security forums, agencies and organisations to ensure active monitoring and response to emerging threats within Eastern Europe.
• Ensure preparedness to evacuation and contingencies (check contingency kits, first aid kits etc.).

Resilience

• Support the Head of Operations to build the crisis management capacity of the country teams through policies, procedures and training.
• Act as a key member of the Crisis Management Team as required.
• Build the level of maturity required to maintain operational resilience, business continuity and crisis management capabilities.
• Build a calendar of trigger events, within Eastern Europe to deliver tailored contingency plans for the relevant events.
• Support or lead the review of incidents and ensure that lessons are identified, and corrective action plans are created, implemented, and monitored.

Technical Operations

• Maintain the policy, capacity and systems to deliver effective logistics, fleet management, asset management and facilities management.
• Manage and monitor all movement of staff in Eastern Europe.
• Conduct scoping on potential TBI amenities, including accommodation and office spaces and complete facilities assessments forms.
• Support teams with logistics coordination for VIP leadership visits and regional events, including working with the travel team to manage travel logistics and provide visa support.
• Ensure value for money in all procurement and supplier management, conducting suppliers spot checks, including conducting due diligence, during quality assurance visits.

Representation and Coordination

• Draw on TBI resources and specialists to deliver high quality technical advice to Institute staff in Eastern Europe.
• Act as a trusted critical friend to Managing Directors, Regional Directors, Regional Head of Operations and Country Directors, building relationships that enable them.
• Support the Regional Director and Country Directors in the development of SRT related budgets.
• Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of TBI’s, values and policies with regard to internal and external stakeholders.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate should work to the highest standard with a keen attention to detail, delivering workable solutions to multiple teams with competing priorities. They should proactively engage with the business and be bold in their approach, working to make change for the better, improving operational efficiency and reducing the threat to our people, assets and reputation.

This is a role requiring an exceptional candidate:

• With between 8 and 10 years’ security risk management experience in conflict affected country contexts, in the government, government advisory, financial services, management consulting or non-profit sectors.
• Who has a deep understanding of the legal, moral and contractual elements of Duty of Care, at all organisation levels.
• Who has managed incidents and critical incidents, including guiding crisis management teams to deliver effective responses and embed incident-based learning.
• Who is a skilled written and verbal communicator.
• Who has the ability and confidence to work independently and as part of a committed and interdisciplinary team.
• Who understands and practices the importance of integrity and confidentiality.
• Who is pro-active, solution orientated and delivery focused, acting as a thought leader and change agent within and beyond SRT and Internal Operations.
• Experience in managing diverse, multi-location teams.
• Who understands information security and digital security contexts, risks and mitigations.
• Has an understanding of Cyber Security.

Closing Date:

2024-02-01