Helen Keller
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Global Security Advisor
(Global position – flexible to be based where Helen Keller can support employment)
Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with
communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential
building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create
lasting change in their own lives. Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe
and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every
person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.
Helen Keller is seeking a Global Security Advisor to serve as a subject matter expert for staff
across the organization and function as the primary safety and security focal point for program and
country operations, including for francophone West Africa.
The safety, security and wellbeing of our staff and stakeholders is of the utmost concern to Helen
Keller. We strive to plan and conduct all activities with safety, security and duty of care in
mind. The Advisor will spearhead efforts to monitor, develop and coordinate comprehensive global
duty of care policies across the organization to enable the safest effective implementation of
program activities. They will provide expertise on security management best practices and building
organizational resiliency, while playing a hands-on role in supporting country office security
management, incident management, risk identification, with a particular focus on
higher-risk environments and monitoring compliance.
Functional Relationships
As a key member of the organization, the Global Security Advisor will report and work closely with
the Director, Operations. The position will partner closely with colleagues in global management
roles as well as those implementing programs to facilitate organizational alignment and appropriate
adaptation of duty of care efforts.
Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork
among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.
Key Responsibilities
The Advisor will foster a proactive, pragmatic risk management culture. This involves collaborating
with various departments and country offices to align safety and security strategies with
programmatic and operational objectives, ensuring the protection of staff and program participants
while facilitating programs’ successful delivery in diverse and challenging environments.
Overarching
• Advise on the ongoing development and implementation of global safety and security policies,
systems, procedures, training and tools for the organization.
• Work with key stakeholders to integrate safety and security risk management strategies into
program design, budgets and implementation.
• Develop staff capacity across the organization to identify safety and security risks, adapt
circumstances, and respond when there is an incident, with a focus on
training support for staff.
• Advise and liaise with senior stakeholders when managing serious incidents.
• Lead Global Safety & Security Working Group to develop global policies and/or optimize
systems and procedures.
• Build and manage a network of Safety & Security Focal Points in-country.
• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to
maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter
experts in your department and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Work with staff to achieve goals and ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners,
colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
Security Analysis
• Stay informed and abreast of each region, monitor threats, track trends in our operational
and security context. Track incidents, report on trends.
• Conduct safety & security risk assessments. Maintain maps on operating locations.
• Review and produce variety of security analysis for staff.
• Partner with Director of Operations to maintain global safety and security risk register.
Country Safety & Security Support
• Review and edit safety, security and risk mitigation resources for Country Offices,
including country office security plans, visitor guides, election mitigation plans, local
protocols, security presentations, etc.
• Conduct and/or support risk assessments (site security, project areas, etc) and ensure
adequate mitigation measures.
• Ensure local travel protocols are in place, including movement tracking, go/no go protocols
and communication check-in procedures.
• Strengthen vehicle maintenance and safety protocols, support offices in ensuring vehicles
are well equipped and prepared for field travel.
• Train and support country staff on standard operating procedures and general incident
protocols. Monitor and improve compliance with annual country self-certification.
• Continue to build robust toolbox of security resources for Country Offices.
• Laise with country team to ensure adequate site security, including site assessments.
Travel Safety & Security Support
• Provide travel safety and security briefings.
• Collaborate with Director, Operations to provide staff with resources related to various
travel emergency security supports and protocols, such as International SOS.
• Recommend, develop and implement various travel protocols.
Incident & Crisis Management and Business Continuity Planning
• Provide support for day-to-day security incidents affecting Helen Keller staff and assets,
escalating when necessary. Maintain effective security incident report mechanism.
• Support Country Offices to maintain and update their Country Incident Management Team
protocols and periodically train relevant staff on the plan.
• With the Director, Operations, maintain global crisis management plan. Coordinate training,
including annual Crisis Management Training.
• Collaborate with Director, Operations to maintain business continuity plan for countries.
Training & Awareness
• Continue to develop/identify and promote training for staff on security preparedness
protocols, including crisis and incident management, first aid, hostile environment training,
travel preparation, incident reporting, and other related requirements.
• Manage the procurement process for external service providers on various aspects of security
related training (HEAT, first aid, safe driving etc..).
Networking & Relationships
• Continually engage with security industry leaders and other appropriate external expertise
in the development of emerging best practices.
• Liaise with S&S counterparts at NGOs, international and diplomatic institutions, private and
governmental sectors to maintain a strong understanding of local risk and context.
Other
• Provide support and guidance for US security management, including NY Global office and US
Vision Program. Including general crime and safety violence, de-escalation and active shooter
protocols.
• Provide support for proposal development as it relates to security, including location
assessment, security training needs and budgeting for security.
• Support Director, Operations to ensure adequate insurances.
• Establish security dashboard. Maintain Safety & Security Hub on internal intranet.
• Recommend updates to policies and procedures, as needed, to incorporate duty of care best
practices, and comply with UN, host, federal government, and other requirements such as COVID-19
protocols.
• Collaborate on other projects as assigned.
Competencies
• Experience liaising with international, diplomatic, governmental, and localauthorities,
including security networks.
• Experience developing safety and security protocols and procedures, supporting
implementation across diverse stakeholders.
• Able to consolidate intelligence to produce threat assessments and recommendations.
• Experience in crisis and incident management for INGOs.
• Fluent in English; French language skills strongly preferred. Ability to write clear, well
organized business documents in either English or French.
• An ability to work in challenging and changing environments, to find solutions to emerging
challenges, and maintain balance when under stress.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, including the ability to exercise
diplomacy and tact, and to communicate effectively across cultures as demonstrated through previous
roles that required crisis management.
• Experience in a training and/or facilitation role delivering content to diverse audiences.
• Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented.
• Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender,
with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high
professional ethical standards.
• Personal commitment to Helen Keller’s mission and goals and the values embodied by our
co-founder: courage, integrity, rigor and compassion.
• Ability and willingness to:
o flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones, as needed.
o travel at least 30% to visit programs; this includes travel to higher risk locations with
minimal notice.
Qualifications
• At least seven years of security management experience, ideally with an international
organization, global non-governmental organization, national institution; plus a Bachelor’s Degree
and security management and/or project management. certifications; or equivalent combination of
education and experience.
Compensation
The midpoint of the salary range for this position is $121,000 with a minimum of $95,800 and a
maximum of $145,200. Actual salary will vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience,
salary of internal peers, and functional specialty.
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hki.recruitment@hki.org
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity in all its forms is fully valued.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for
employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation,
gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are
a qualified individual with a disability and need to request an accommodation during the
application or interview process, please contact us at the email above or call: +1 646-356-1789.
How to Apply:
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to hki.recruitment@hki.org Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
