The Position:

The Office of the Security Coordinator (OSC) at UNFPA Headquarters, New York coordinates and leads the organization’s global response to safety and security management to enable the strategic direction of the Executive Director with regard to safety and security of UNFPA personnel, property and assets. OSC provides technical advice, guidance and support in the implementation of security policies and procedures to the Executive Director, senior managers and personnel to fulfill their security related accountabilities.

The key functions of the Office of the Security Coordinator are:

• Enable the delivery of activities guided by the 1994 Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) targets and objectives, the UNFPA Strategic Plan in compliance with United Nations and UNFPA safety and security policies and procedures;
• Coordinate strategic corporate safety and security management policies and procedures internally within the organization and with external partners.
• Mainstream safety and security in organizational programmes and activities;
• Lead crisis management, preparedness and business continuity management for UNFPA offices globally in support of managers in their respective geographic areas of responsibility.
• Represent UNFPA at the UN Security Management Policy Forums to ensure the organization’s specific interests and needs are incorporated in security policies and procedures.
• In addition to OSC staff at Headquarters, the Regional Security Advisers (RSAs) are members of the team, located at each Regional Office to undertake the aforementioned activities in their respective areas of responsibility.
• The Security Specialist (Business Continuity Management) reports directly to the Chief, OSC on business continuity and security management policy, technical and administrative matters, and works closely with the Director Programme Division, Nairobi, and UNFPA Representative, Kenya serving as a substantive expert on safety and security and business continuity management.

Key End-Results:

• Effective implementation of Business Continuity Management in UNFPA activities and operations conducted in compliance with applicable policies and procedures;
• Strengthened crisis preparedness and management at headquarters, regional and country offices;
• Continued and enhanced programme efficiency and delivery through situational analysis, updated contingency response plans and security risk management compliance levels for all offices;
• Effective and efficient gender mainstreaming in security and crisis/emergency management;
• Enhanced collaboration with internal and external partners in support of common goals and objectives.

How you can make a difference:

• UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
• In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
• UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

You would be responsible for:

• Within delegated authority and the given operational set-up, the incumbent may be accountable for all or assigned parts of the following typical duties to provide coordinated and cohesive approach to the development and/or improvement of processes related to Business Continuity Management and Security Risk Management:

Business Continuity and Crisis Management (BCM/CM)
At a corporate level:

• Support and assist management of UNFPA in the implementation business continuity management (BCM) and Organizational Resilience Management System (ORMS) policies and procedures ;
• Assist in the implementation of business continuity and crisis management plans and ensure all required personnel are trained to respond to the required duties for preparation and activation;
• Ensure effective security related information flow/exchange to enable and improve operational assessments, planning at HQ and to enhance security awareness, coordination and implementation of security arrangements, specifically those linked to BCP;
• Ensure that the Business Continuity Plans (BCP) for Regional and Country Offices are maintained;
• Ensure that BCPs are aligned with the Crisis Management Plan at HQ, Regional and Country Offices;
• Mainstream inclusion of Business Continuity Planning within the context of Crisis Management and interface closely with relevant units, offices as required;
• Identifies problems and issues to be addressed and initiates corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties and ensures follow-up actions;
• Researches international best practices in BCM and develops recommendations on how to strengthen UNFPA’s performance in business continuity and organizational resilience.
• Organizes, and prepares a variety of written outputs, such as analyses, recommendations, and reports; among others reports to governing bodies as may be required.

Security Coordination, advisory services and client relations security risk management (SRM)

• Provide security policy guidance and security management support to the Director, Programme Division, Country Representative, Kenya and management team enabling effective Programme planning, implementation and delivery within the framework of all UN security policies and procedures.
• Assist and guide Programme Division, Kenya Country Office in updating, revising Business Continuity and Crisis Management Plans, SOPs and related documents;
• Assist Programme Division and Kenya Country Office in crisis response, affecting UNFPA personnel in Kenya.
• Assist Programme Division and Kenya Country Office in maintaining and implementing Emergency Notification System (ENS) for Kenya and dissemination of security awareness information, including security advisories;
• Coordinate with UNDSS staff safety and security for UNFPA personnel based in Kenya.
• Take necessary actions to protect and minimize risk factors to UNFPA personnel, property and operations in all locations and at the same time enabling UNFPA Programme delivery throughout the country:

Monitoring, Evaluation and Compliance:

• Evaluate and monitor implementation of business continuity plans and procedures and guide offices to improve their compliance levels.
• Collect and review compliance with corporate key performance indicators (KPIs) capturing preparedness and compliance of offices and the status of the security output supporting the UNFPA strategic plan implementation.
• Monitor and review BCM application and continuously revise the policy and related guidelines in order to timely reflect evolving changes in the subject area.

Training and capacity building

• Review country offices performance to identify training needs and capacity building requirements for business continuity and proactively identify opportunities to innovate and improve UNFPA’s ability to deliver its mandate during crises.
• Develop and implement a specific UNFPA training programme for business continuity and crisis management in line with existing United Nations business continuity and crisis management programmes to ensure that managers stay current on roles and accountability, latest policy and methodology, risk management, security awareness and topics related to crisis management and business continuity, including the design and conduct of simulation exercises within UNFPA based on country-specific scenarios in collaboration with OSC personnel at HQs and Regional Offices.
• Mainstream gender and people with disabilities considerations into the review, and operationalization of UNSMS policies and procedures.
• Monitor trends and emerging new issues, keep abreast of best practices and lessons learned in managing security for women, and proactively identify opportunities to innovate and improve performance, advise and coordinate related required Women Security Awareness Training needs.

Networking and representation

• Represent UNFPA at interagency technical working and advisory groups/forums and Kenya Security Cell meetings to enable support of UNFPA’s mandate.
• Liaise, collaborate, exchange and implement effective business continuity and risk communications and security information with Regional Security Advisers, internal and external counterparts to ensure the effective flow of information and improve operational planning to enhance security awareness and compliance with security and business continuity management arrangement.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

• Advanced university degree in business continuity management, business administration, management, social sciences or a related field.
• Training and certification in business continuity/organizational resilience desirable.

Knowledge and Experience:

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in project or programme management related to the development of business continuity management, organizational resilience or related area.
• Experience in working in crisis /humanitarian response locations enabling programme delivery is an asset.
• Analysis /information capabilities from police / military, non-governmental organizations and the private sector would be considered an important asset.
• Knowledge of Security Management System, policies, practices and procedures is highly desirable.
• Security Certification Program (SCP) certification is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English required; knowledge of French and / or Arabic is desirable.

Required Competencies:
Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact

Functional Competencies:

• Organizational leadership and direction, ensuring operational effectiveness and accountability for results,
• Delivering results based programmes,
• Providing conceptual innovation to support programme effectiveness,
• Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and information,
• Providing a technical support system,
• Strengthening the programming capacity of Country Offices,
• Facilitating quality programmatic results,
• Managing data,
• Managing documents, correspondence and reports,
• Managing information and workflow,
• Planning, organizing and multitasking,
• Ensuring Safety and security of UNFPA personnel and operations,
• Safety and Security; Coping with Pressure and Setbacks; Analyzing; Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise; Relating and networking; Deciding and Initiating action; Formulating Strategies and Concepts; Impact and influence; Innovation and Marketing of new approaches; Organizational Awareness; Client Orientation.