Safety Specialist - Access

Security

Overview

Lead efforts in securing safe and principled humanitarian access across Sudan.

You have:

• A University level degree in relevant subject or relevant technical qualification
• Minimum 5 years’ relevant experience in planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities and projects in complex humanitarian crisis
• Proven experience working in complex emergency contexts with hard-to-reach components
• Excellent communication skills in English, including ability to present complex technical information in a simple way
• Strong experience in team management and capacity building and training of staff and target groups
• Ability to understand and integrate protection issues
• Detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and standards
• Excellent computer skills, especially working with GIS software and Microsoft office suite
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Arabic is desirable

Contract

This is a DRC - Expatriate contract. More about DRC - Expatriate contracts.

Overall purpose of the role DRC Sudan is seeking a dynamic and experienced Access Specialist to lead its efforts in securing safe, principled, and sustainable humanitarian access across Sudan. The role focuses on supporting DRC’s operations to reach conflict-affected and hard-to-reach populations while ensuring safety and acceptance through innovative and context-driven access strategies. The Access Specialist will work closely with area manager program leads, emergency teams and Safety, while also representing DRC at the Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG) and engaging in extensive coordination with partners to drive a coherent and collective approach to humanitarian access across the country.

Responsibilities

Access:

• Collect, compile and distribute information relating to humanitarian access to the Country Director, SMT, Area Managers, Emergency Coordinator, Mobile Emergency Response Team, Area Managers and Head of Safety and Humanitarian Access and other internal stakeholders in a timely manner
• Facilitate effective information flow between field-level access realities and the coordination teams at area and country level
• Support the facilitation and maintenance of a network of external stakeholders to corroborate information and resolve operational access challenges – this includes extensive engagement at community level across different areas of DRC operations
• Supports the timely production of district-level context assessments, stakeholder mapping, access dynamics and trend analysis
• Identify opportunities for strengthening access measures, as well as opportunities for promoting community acceptance and accountability to the affected population
• Promotes internal sensitization and awareness of internal access documents such as red lines, access reporting systems etc

Safety:

• Ensure linkages with the safety team regarding safety/security constraints.
• Feed into safety team context analysis.
• Provide updates regarding access and safety to relevant safety colleagues at country level.
• Liaise when necessary with INSO, security working group and other coordination bodies.

Project and program support:

• Participate in relevant programmatic strategy development
• Initial onboarding/phase – dedicated to the Mobile Emergency Response Team, to familiarize with DRC 1st and 2nd line responses related to either conflict or natural disaster induced displacement.
• Support static field sites with access engagement for respective programming – CCCM, Protection, Economic Recovery, HDP, Emergency Response.
• Support the development of programming modalities and the implementation of programs in hard to reach populations.
• Review and advise on assessments, and inclusive targeting of hard to reach populations, including marginalized communities.
• Participate in relevant programmatic strategy development.

Collaboration:

• Work closely with the Global Access Function in developing and/or strengthening components of hard-to-reach approaches related to:
  • The Access Framework
  • Humanitarian Space, Access and Needs centred advocacy

Coordination & Representation:

• Represent DRC in the Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG) and other forums.
• Work closely with partners to develop a collective humanitarian access strategy.
• Support coordination with other INGOs, UN agencies, and local authorities to maintain operational presence.

Capacity Building:

• Lead trainings for DRC teams on:
• Humanitarian Access & Negotiation
• Humanitarian Principles & Joint Operating Principles
• International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
• Develop training materials and provide guidance to staff, partners, and community leaders.

Accountability

• Ensure compliance with the DRC procurement policies and donor guidelines
• Ensure compliance with the DRC risk and accountability frameworks

Strategic Development and Advocacy

• Contribute to the development and implementation of DRC’s Access strategy, taking a lead on hard-to-reach issues and constraints
• Support advocacy efforts to improve access, including addressing restrictions and negotiating humanitarian corridors.

Qualifications, experience and technical competencies

• A University level degree in relevant subject or relevant technical qualification
• Minimum 5 years’ relevant experience in planning, implementation, and monitoring of activities and projects in complex humanitarian crisis
• Proven experience working in complex emergency contexts with hard-to-reach components, including provision of technical advice to field teams and programme development with a particular focus on access
• Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organize a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities and to delegate
• Excellent communication skills in English, including ability to present complex technical information in a simple way.
• Strong experience in team management and capacity building and training of staff and target groups
• Ability to understand and integrate protection issues.
• Detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and standards

• Excellent computer skills, especially working with GIS software and Microsoft office suite.

  Languages:

• Fluency in written and spoken English.

• Arabic is desirable

About you

• In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:
• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

Conditions Contract: Three months’ contract with possibility of extension, subject to funding and performance. Salary and conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for International staff. This position is graded at NM.G

Start Date: Immediate

Duty Station: Port Sudan

Reports to: Head of Safety & Humanitarian Access

Application and CV Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications, sent together with a CV, will be considered.

Please submit your application and CV in English via our online-application form on www.drc.ngo under Vacancies by 2 October 2025.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 8 months ago - Updated 8 months ago - Source: drc.ngo