FULL-TIME JOB VACANCY
SECURITY OPERATIONS OFFICER
Physical Security Team
London Office
Application Deadline: 23 April 2023

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking a Security Operations Officer to play a key role in building and maintaining a responsible culture of security-related risk at HRW. This is an excellent role for someone who is interested in developing security technical skills, and who is coming from a logistics, office management, or event coordination background.

HRW staff investigate, expose and advocate to change human rights abuses globally. This work brings significant physical risk to its staff, and we have a robust safety and security infrastructure that works to minimize risk to our staff, and those we interact with.

This position reports to the Physical Security Director who is based in Ottawa, Canada. The Security Operations Officer will be based in the London office and will require travel (up to 15% of the time) domestically within the UK, and internationally.

The successful candidate will be expected to work from the London office a couple times a month, though the successful candidate may choose to work from the office more often. We aim to be as flexible and supportive as possible in both the recruitment for and onboarding of this position.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITES:

1. Team Administration and Coordination

• Provide day-to-day administrative assistance to the Security team including, but not limited to, scheduling meetings, managing calendars, processing invoices, taking minutes at team meetings and for the Crisis Management Team; updating internal documents and reports; coordinating cross team collaboration efforts on specific projects; and documenting team processes, guidelines and tools;
• Regularly monitor travel tracking systems to ensure proper functioning and compliance;
• Resolve and respond to employee requests sent to the Security Team inbox;
• Schedule regular Security trainings for new staff, and occasionally act as the training facilitator for these onboarding sessions;
• Coordinate development of the Safety and Security Team Newsletter which we send out every second month;
• Own the Safety and Security Team’s internal and external knowledge management systems; and
• Develop reports for internal or external purposes.

2. Asset procurement, tracking and deployment (body armor, CBRN masks, first aid kits, satellite phones, etc)

• Procure, distribute, and dispose of security equipment and assets including satellite phones, trauma first aid kits, body armor, and other security equipment that is provided to staff on a temporary or permanent basis;
• Oversee and assess relationships with service providers, in collaboration with the General Counsel’s office and the Economic Justice and Rights Division, and maintain strong vendor relationships;
• Stay on top of new industry developments for security-related items, and assess, in collaboration with others in the organization, the potential for these to support HRW work; and
• Develop/maintain/review/ internal tracking systems for security assets.

3. Training

• Manage and support the logistics and administrative functions of HRW’s five day, residential Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT), which is held 3-4 times per year, including maintaining oversight over venue, catering, and hotels; staff registrations and visa processing; and troubleshooting any challenges that may occur before or during the course;
• Maintain the security team’s training tracker, logging participation dates of all staff in all security-led trainings and sending regular reminders to staff and their managers about upcoming training renewal dates; and
• Identify, determine appropriateness of, and liaise with external HEFAT vendors, ensuring that staff who cannot make an internal course are registered for an external, vetted course.

4. Office Safety and Security Planning

• Liaise with HRW’s building management/facilities staff in the Operations Department to ensure that the Security team is supporting office management staff to fulfil their safety and security responsibilities. This includes supporting the development of office security plans, new office assessments, and office reviews;
• Coordinate and lead in-person and virtual training opportunities for office-based staff globally to effectively manage risk for office-based work; and
• Maintain oversight over the office-related incident management database.

5. Other

• Participate in special projects associated with the Safety and Security Team’s process of reviewing, revising and revamping its policies, procedures and systems;
• Support the recruitment and coordination of interns and fellows for the team; and
• Carry out other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

HRW’s Security team is especially interested in receiving applications from individuals who do not fit the traditional profile of security professionals. Candidates must be able to demonstrate a commitment to HRW’s Security Values of creativity, consistency, compassion and competence.

Education: A level of education that when combined with your professional experience will adequately show you have the capability to contribute meaningfully to the security team.

Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of relevant work experience is required. Candidates with experience in office-based safety and security management (this does not include security guarding roles in offices), customer service, administration and logistics, and event coordination/support are encouraged to apply.

Related Skills and Knowledge:

1. Strong oral and written communications skills in English are required. Proficiency in another language, such as French, is desirable.

2. Highly organized and detail oriented, with ability to execute projects with minimal guidance.

3. Knowledge of Power BI, Microsoft Excel, and Word Press-type websites, or a willingness to learn these systems, is required.

4. Excellent time management skills and ability to work well under pressure while juggling multiple tasks simultaneously, as well as the ability to prioritize and work independently, is required.

5. Great interpersonal skills in order to work collaboratively within HRW and with a team of talented professionals in multiple global locations is required.

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits. HRW offers a relocation assistance package and will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization, if required; citizens of all nationalities are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply: Please apply immediately or by 23 April 2023 by visiting our online job portal at careers.hrw.org and attaching a letter of interest and a CV or resume. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission, or if you require disability-related accommodations during the application process, please email [email protected]. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.

Human Rights Watch is strong because it is diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio-economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high-profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.