Summary:Seeking an experienced safety, and security professional to play a key role in overseeing and driving our health/safety/security work forward at One Acre Fund.
Job Description
We are looking for a resilient and experienced health, safety and security professional to take on a critical leadership role in the Corporate Operations Department. One Acre Fund is a rapidly growing organization, with a team of over 7,000 staff distributed across 11 locations within Africa and Asia.
We believe that our team is our greatest and most valuable asset. We also understand that our locations of work can at times pose heightened risks. Given this, we prioritize investing in the safety, security, and well-being of our team, and so see this role as absolutely critical to the success of the organization.
The Health, Safety and Security team forms a key component of our Corporate Operations department, and members of the HSS team work closely with our most senior leaders to create and execute the Health, Safety and Security vision and strategy.
You will ensure the delivery of this strategy through the development of simple, effective and scalable systems to proactively mitigate risk and improve our preparedness to keep our staff safe and healthy. You will also be responsible for leading the response to any situations that do arise, such as staff injury in the field or political instability in one of our countries of operation.
This is a dynamic, challenging and high-impact role.
The successful applicant will thrive on creating and delivering on high-level strategy, continuously looking for opportunities to mitigate risks, and making decisions in high-pressure environments.
The overarching goals of this role are to:
Design and deliver solutions to observed operational challenges relating to health, safety, and security issues by guiding implementation through a team of staffers across our locations. These challenges, if not managed well, would cause significant risks and barriers to the organisation as we seek to scale up globally.
Devise a strategic approach to organisation-level health, safety & security work and advance organisational policy, structural procedures and on-the-ground responses in line with this strategy.
Coordinate response to acute emergencies (e.g. staff security incidents or road traffic accidents) or longer-term crises (e.g. global COVID-19 pandemic). Responses to emergencies affecting our staff are important moments in the morale and retention of staff. Getting the response right depends on thinking on your feet, working with a lot of different people, applying a range of skills, and advocating at all times for the well-being of all affected parties.
Build Team: Hire and manage a team of in-country security experts who will deliver on ensuring that systems and processes are maintained to an excellent level on a day-to-day basis, to lead on the smooth roll-out of new initiatives, and to provide leadership and strong communication systems on the ground in all locations.
Build Relationships: Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships across several departments, amongst key in-country leaders, senior leaders in the organisation, and a range of international security partners in order to create alignment and momentum on systemic improvements to our health, safety and security systems.
Educate and Influence Behaviour Change: Use intel communications, internal systems, and trainings to improve staff awareness, education, and behaviour patterns to mitigate risks and improve their safety.
Career Growth and Development
We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people.
You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance.
We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals.
You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.
Qualifications
We are seeking exceptional candidates with 5+ years’ of strong project management experience at an NGO, private organisation, or a security consultancy organisation.
Candidates who fit the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply:
Passion for operations, building scalable and efficient systems and solving problems in a difficult operating environment.
Level-headed and able to work well under pressure.
Proven ability to manage teams and develop leaders; experience in remote management a plus.
Strong analytical skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
High levels of emotional resilience and emotional intelligence.
Creativity and strong problem-solving skills.
Related Master’s Degree is an asset, but not strictly required.
We are looking for passionate professionals who combine strong leadership skills with patience and a humble approach to service.
A willingness to commit to living in East Africa for at least two years – this is a long-term, career-track role.
Experience working in a multicultural workplace in a developing country a plus.
Language: Fluent English required. French and/or Swahili also valuable.
Travel: 3-months travel per year to our sites of operations. ~6 weeks unplanned travel in response to emergency incidents.
Preferred Start Date:As soon as possible
Job Location:Kigali, Rwanda or Nairobi, Kenya
Compensation:Commensurate with experience
Duration:Full-time job
Benefits:Health insurance, paid time off
Sponsor International Candidates:Yes; East Africans are strongly encouraged to apply.
