Security Specialist (P-3)

Role Overview

This position carries operational responsibility for keeping people, premises and programmes safe in an often volatile environment. Day to day, the role holder interprets a constantly shifting threat picture, turns it into practical guidance, and makes sure that colleagues and implementing partners can keep delivering on their mandate without exposing themselves to avoidable risk. The work sits at the intersection of analysis, field operations and relationship management, and its value shows up in uninterrupted programmes and staff who return home safely.

Key Responsibilities

• Security risk management and planning: carry out location- and activity-specific risk assessments, then translate the findings into security, contingency and evacuation plans, minimum operating security standards, and clear recommendations that managers can act on.
• Protective security services: oversee the daily delivery of security services, including access control and premises protection, guard force coordination, fleet and travel security, communications equipment and staff tracking, incident response, and follow-up on staff welfare and accountability after an event.
• Programmatic security information analysis: collect, verify and interpret information from a wide range of sources, producing threat assessments, early warning notes and tailored briefings that connect the security environment directly to how programmes are designed and delivered.
• Networking and partnership building: maintain working relationships with host government counterparts, local authorities, sister agencies, NGO partners and community stakeholders, and represent the organisation in inter-agency security coordination forums to align approaches and share information.
• Compliance and oversight: monitor adherence to security policy and standards across offices and field locations, flag gaps and non-compliance, and support corrective action, audits and reporting requirements.
• Capacity building: design and deliver security awareness and skills training for staff and partners, including personal security, travel and convoy procedures, communications protocols and emergency drills and simulations.
• Innovation and knowledge management: develop and refine tools, templates, standard operating procedures and lessons-learned products, and use data and appropriate technology to strengthen monitoring and decision-making.
• Advisory support: provide timely, evidence-based security advice to senior management and programme teams, and contribute technical input to security-related planning, budgeting and resource discussions.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Education: an advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in security studies, international relations, political science, criminology, emergency management, public administration, risk management or another closely related field. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in place of the advanced degree.
• Experience: at least five years of relevant professional experience in security, global security risk management, security analysis or a comparable field.
• Language: fluency in English is required.
• Desirable: knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or of a local language.
• Desirable: demonstrated international security management experience and a working understanding of the United Nations Security Management System.
• Desirable: country-level experience, particularly in development settings, fragile contexts and humanitarian operations.