Security Manager at Creative Associates International

Creative Associates International provides outstanding, on-the-ground development services and forges partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions to global challenges. Its experts focus on building inclusive educational systems, transitioning communities from conflict to peace, developing sustainable economic growth, engaging youth, promoting transparent elections and more. Creative is recognized for its ability to quickly adapt and excel in conflict and post-conflict environments.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Security Manager

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Employment type: Full Time

Project Summary

• The USAID-funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub (hereinafter referred to as the Trade Hub) is a five-year, $140 million trade and investment facilitation activity that seeks to improve private sector competitiveness in West Africa through a market-based approach. By working in partnership with the private sector and fostering co-investments, the project will generate new private-sector capital investment into key sectors to create jobs and increase trade between the U.S. and West Africa, including through increased utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The project comprises of three main components:
  • Design and administration of a Co-Investment Fund for private sector partnerships, including a portion for partnerships in Research and Development (R&D) towards innovating and modernizing practices in Nigeria across five targeted value chains;
  • Technical assistance (TA) that directly supports, coordinates, and engages with qualifying recipients (i.e., partners and grantees) to achieve USAID’s trade and food security objectives.
  • Urgently respond to the secondary economic impacts of COVID-19, notably to; 1) increase  access of working capital with financial actors, 2) prevent and mitigate job losses, and 3) help respond to local and regional supply chain disruptions and shortages of critical medical supplies and services as well as for agricultural inputs and food staples.
• Through this Co-Investment Fund and technical assistance, the Trade Hub will improve companies’ abilities to expand business operations, increase productivity, and create jobs that build on the talents and aspirations of West Africa’s growing population. The Trade Hub will collaborate on specific commercial opportunities with firms, service providers, research organizations, as well as other business network actors to access private capital that will contribute to large-scale jobs, exports, and investment, particularly with strong demonstrated or potential links to the U.S. companies and investors.

Position Summary

• The Project Security Manager’s (PSM) overall mission is to keep all project personnel and assets safe from harm. S/he has delegated responsibility for the day-to-day management and coordination of operational field security activities, provides continuous security and contextual information to the team, ensures compliance with corporate security policies, and maintains liaison with the Regional Security and Operations Director for West Africa (RSOM).  This employee will be appointed by the Chief of Party, with concurrence from the RSOM. This position will be based in the Abuja office, with program activities expected to be carried out throughout states in Nigeria and West Africa.  Extensive understanding of the security issues in the Nigeria and frequent travel throughout Nigeria is required.  Travel will also be required across the West African region, notably to Ghana, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire

Reporting and Supervision:

• The Project Security Manager reports to the Chief of Party based in Abuja.  The PSM, based in Abuja, works closely with the RSOM, and supervises the guards hired through a local security provider in Abuja.

Primary Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

General:

• Work with the RSOM to develop, manage, and coordinate all Creative security and safety programs, plans and policies relevant to the project including detailed security procedures that comply with Creative security policies. This will include emergency response drills and communication procedures for the project.
• Ensure that appropriate risk migration measures are taken by the project to respond to the threats or changes in threats faced by the project. This is to include physical protection measures, safe working routines, movement restrictions, protection equipment and security staff provision, as required.
• Oversee movement control and coordination for the project, including driver and vehicle deployment and staff whereabouts.
• Oversee the local security provider contracted by the project to ensure contractual compliance and performance of their duties, and act as the focal point of contact with the security provider.
• Provide training, mentoring, and monitoring of the local security provider’s guards.
• Report security incidents, violations, and recommended corrective actions, as appropriate, to the Chief of Party, Operations Director and RSOM.
• Provide security, safety and risk mitigation advice and recommendations to the Chief of Party.
• Ensure that project staff complies with project security and COVID-19 protocols and procedures.
• Carry out security assessment of offices, compounds, vehicles, and expatriate and TCN housing and make recommendations for required security upgrades, as required.
• Monitor and analyze the ongoing threat environment faced by the project and brief the Chief of Party, Operations Director, RSOM and other project staff accordingly. Distribute threat warnings to all staff as appropriate.
• Ensure all new employees, consultants, and partners working in Creative offices and traveling in Creative vehicles receive appropriate security orientations and briefings.
• Verify that all security devices such as locks, alarms, access systems and physical force protection measures are operational or reported for repair.
• Be able to assist with out-of-hours emergency response for the project staff and partners, if needed.
• Assist the project with business continuity planning, as required.
• Ensure that the Creative Sensitive Information (CSI) Plan is distributed to and is being followed by project staff.
• All of the above includes ensuring security protocols are understood and security drills are periodically conducted with staff in the Abuja office, as well as offices in other locations.
• Ensure field staff receive first aid and fire response training.
• Carry out regular check in calls and communications tests with drivers and field personnel traveling outside of the main cities and or during any critical security incident.
• Ensure visitor access and vehicle control systems are effective and appropriate for the threat environment.
• Work with the RSOM to develop and maintain the project Crisis Response Plan in coordination with the Chief of Party and ensure that the contact information contained therein is always up to date.
• Provide, if directed, a weekly security report to the Chief of Party, Operations Director, and RSOM.
• Additional assignments, as instructed by the Operations Director and/or Chief of Party.

The PSM should understand, brief, and regularly train all project staff on:

• The need for all staff to maintain a good level of situational awareness, and to report concerns.
• Project movement / field trip planning and control procedures.
• The need to avoid all demonstrations, possible demo sites and areas where crowd trouble could start.
• The location of the nearest medical facilities.
• Implement and execute actions relating to the Crisis Response Plan.
• Project communications procedures including emergency phone trees, SMS blast service, Eden SafeBase, and contact lists.
• Office emergency response procedures including fire evacuation, direct threat lockdown, etc.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• BA degree required in a security-related field,
• Must have 6 +years of general work experience and 4+ years of specific experience related to the position required. If supervising staff, must have 3+ years of supervisory experience with groups or teams of staff.
• Fluency in spoken and written English highly desired, advanced knowledge required.
• Proven understanding of security management protocols essential.
• Proficient at using Microsoft office software: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc. Prior experience using MS Access and web-based database applications.
• Ability to draw information from a broad range of sources and provide concise and timely analysis and recommendations
• Demonstrated ability to engage all team members as resources to manage security and contextual awareness in a manner that is proactive
• Must have the physical capacity to travel extensively on short notice to remote regions within Nigeria
• Demonstrated ability to solve challenging and complicated security issues.
• Ability to develop in-depth understanding of and willingness to comply with all Creative security policies and procedures.
• Should have a proven and established network of contacts within the local security establishment and throughout Nigeria.

Preferred Experience & Skills:

• Officer from the Nigerian military, police, or DSS is preferred.
• Prior extended experience with private security company or Nigerian government security services.
• Prior experience with Creative security policies and procedures is preferred.
• Proven experience directly and indirectly supervising and managing staff and teams.
• Experience with a USAID-funded or other international organization implementing a program operating in insecure areas in Nigeria desired.
• Excellent record keeping, and documentation skills are required.
• Working knowledge of modern technical security systems, security standards and procedures within the private sector of Nigeria.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Written and spoken fluency in English required.
• Fluency in one or more of the local languages used in Nigeria is desired.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with institutional and private sector partners and stakeholders, including the national government.
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout Nigeria and West Africa.
• Strong ability to deploy and use various forms of tracking.
• Develop security management and movement tracking systems.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills are required.
• Problem solving, stress management and time management skills are required.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV either in PDF or Word format as one document to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.

Note

• Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Only finalists will be contacted.
• Creative Associates International Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran

Application Deadline 21st May, 2021.