United States Peace Corps (PC) Careers – Safety & Security Assistant (SSA)

Organisation: United States Peace Corps (PC)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Safety & Security Manager
About United States Peace Corps (PC):
Peace Corps (PC) is an agency of the United States Government, which brings American volunteer development workers to assist Uganda in capacity building and technical assistance activities in Health, Education and Community Economic Development. There are about 160 Volunteers assigned to non-government organizations, government entities, clinics, colleges and schools. Peace Corps also aims to build cultural understanding between Americans and Ugandans.  All positions require excellent command of English, both spoken and written; native ability in spoken and written in at least one widely spoken Ugandan language. 
Job Summary: The Safety & Security Assistant (SSA) will be ensuring security-related files are kept up-to-date; maintaining the whereabouts reporting system; assisting in the analysis and reporting of security incidents; preparing reports, training materials and other resource materials; and maintaining up-to-date contact information for local and national police, transportation, and consolidation points. In addition, the SSA will act as the back-up to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM). When the SSM is unavailable, the SSA may also be the contact point with the Peace Corps Safety and Security Officer (PCSSO), Regional Security Advisor (RSA), Embassy security officials, and local law enforcement agencies in carrying out the responsibilities designated in the position description or as directed by the Country Director.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: 
1. Supports and Verifies Safety and Security Policy Implementation:
  • Work closely with the Security Manager to provide administrative support and verification that adequate systems are functioning to support Volunteer safety and security in accordance with the Peace Corps Manual as regards to: Volunteer/Trainee Safety and Security.
  • Assists SSM and CD to ensure critical Peace Corps Regional Safety and Security Officer recommendations are implemented appropriately and deadlines are met.
  • Works with the SSM to provide regular updates on implementation progress and/ or challenges to the Country Director and the Peace Corps Regional Safety and Security Officer.
2. Safety and Security Training:
  • Assists in the development of training materials for safety and security related sessions during events such as Pre-Service Training (PST), In-Service Training (IST), Close of Service (COS) conferences and Warden Trainings
  • Co-facilitates training sessions with the SSM as directed by the SSM or the Country Director. Maybe required to facilitate training sessions in Lieu of the SSM if he/she is unavailable.
3. Assists with the Support of Home-Stays and Site Identification and Mapping:
  • Assists as appropriate in the delivery of safety information to Ugandan home-stay families before the arrival of the American Volunteers
  • Assists with Volunteer housing inspections, approvals, secures and enters data on GPS coordinates relevant databases and supports the SSM in mapping Volunteer sites and consolidation points.
4. Incident Reporting and Response:
  • Offers Volunteer support after crime incidents, such as police follow-up, preparation of reports, accompanying Volunteers to their sites etc
  • As backup, may manage the security and non-medical follow-up for Volunteer incidents of sexual assault
  • For all incidents- Assists the SSM to ensure that reportable incidents are communicated to the Country Director in accordance with policies and procedures; assists the SSM in completing incident reports in the Consolidated Incident Reporting System (CIRS) per the Consolidated Incident Reporting Guidelines
  • Assist the Security Manager by entering information as needed in site history files.
5. Emergency Preparedness:
  • In collaboration with the SSM, assists the Country Director and senior staff at Post during an emergency situation
  • Assists the SSM in developing and revising policies, training and testing Volunteer and office emergency and security plans.
6. Analysis, Reports and Other Communication:
  • Assists the SSM in maintaining post-crime statistics and analyzing trends
  • Prepares reports and resource materials for SSM
  • Organizes safety and security resources and helps maintain legible and orderly system for collecting, compiling, filing and disseminating pertinent safety and security information.
7. Represents the Safety and Security Program:
  • Actively participates in staff meetings (both general staff meetings and senior staff meetings at the discretion of the CD), discussions and activities and makes recommendations for changes in program policy and procedures as they relate to Volunteer safety and security.
  • Has knowledge of Embassy security staff and local law enforcement resources in order to obtain updates and information on emergency/security issues at Post. Represents the Post at regularly scheduled safety and security external meetings as needed.
8. Acts as a Duty Officer: Performs the responsibilities of a duty officer when scheduled as a part of the Post’s duty officer program rotation. Maintains and updates the duty officer binder as needed
9. Provides Back-up Coverage for the SSM: Stands in as the Acting SSM when the SSM is out of office and unavailable (i.e. on annual leave, sick leave or official travel) or there is a vacancy in the SSM position
10. Other Duties as Assigned: May perform other safety and security duties as assigned by the Country Director.
11. Temporary Travel: The contractor is subject to worldwide availability and may be requested by the Peace Corps to be reassigned or transferred permanently to another Peace Corps Post/Headquarters or perform temporary duties (TDY) as required and to travel to other assignments within Peace Corps’ as assigned. Any such reassignment or transfer shall be subject to agreement of the contractor. The Statement of work as defined will remain the same; however the duties may be subject to change as determined by the Contracting Officer.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 
  • The candidate for US Peace Corps SSA position must hold secondary school diploma (or local equivalent); college degree preferred
  • A minimum of three years’ experience working with Americans or other expatriate development organizations in Uganda.
  • Must be able to obtain security clearance with the US Embassy
  • Position requires person who is a good listener, and is able to withhold judgement
  • Possess the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with other organizations, including local law enforcement, criminal justice, emergency management and other NGO/development agencies
  • Ability to analyze crime trends and other risks and propose mitigation strategies
  • Demonstrated organizational and communication skills
  • Ability to speak, read and write in English (Level III) is required
  • Familiarity with at least one other national language of Uganda in addition to English
  • Ability to work with Microsoft Office suite and other basic computer knowledge
  • Ability to conduct training and give presentations in both English and a Local Language
  • Experience working in a cross-cultural office setting, preferably with an American or European organization
  • Self-starter capable of independent work, while also appreciative and skillful in a team setting
How to Apply:
All applications should be sent electronically. Please attach a Word formatted letter of interest and resume and names and contact information for three references to: applications@ug.peacecorps.gov. Also, please clearly indicate the position applied for on the subject line of the cover email. All submitted documents become the property of the Peace Corps and will not be returned.  You will be contacted ONLY if you are deemed qualified and invited for an interview. If called for an interview, you will be expected to bring a reference letter from your area Local Council (LC1).
Deadline:  26th August, 2014
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