Humanitarian Access Advisor

Requisition ID: req6500

Job Title: Humanitarian Access Advisor

Sector: Emergency Response

Employment Category: Proposal

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: Yes

Location: Hague, Netherlands

Job Description

Humanitarian crises are becoming longer and more complex and resulting in increased humanitarian needs in high-risk and hard-to-reach locations, challenging humanitarian actors’ abilities to reach people in need wherever they are. Faced with these challenges, the International Rescue Committee reaffirms its risk appetite, commitment to scale and reach and the guiding principles of humanity and impartiality: reaching the most vulnerable wherever they are.

In collaboration with Stichting Vluchteling, the IRC is increasing its ability to deliver impartial humanitarian action through operational and technical assistance in humanitarian access. As part of the IRC’s Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit and SV’s headquarters a new team will build on the IRC’s developing thought and operational leadership on humanitarian access and, with SV, develop a centre of expertise and shared operational capacity, reaching out from The Hague to key centres in Europe and globally.

The team will provide field-based and remote assistance to regional, country and emergency programs to obtain, sustain and improve humanitarian access to and for people in need, including through the provision of expertise and support on humanitarian negotiation, civil-military coordination and engagement with armed groups.

Job overview/summary

The Humanitarian Access Advisor provides field-based and remote assistance to programs and operations through the provision of timely and quality advice, facilitation, support, training and coaching on humanitarian access and related topics. This field-oriented role spends substantial and extended time in the field working with colleagues to design, develop and deliver strategies to reach people in need. When not deployed, the Humanitarian Access Advisor will support technical development and strategic projects as well as ongoing remote support and coaching to assigned field programs.

Major responsibilities

• Facilitate and support the analysis, development and delivery of strategies and plans to advance humanitarian access in assigned situations in close collaboration with regional, country or emergency colleagues
• Provide expert advice to regions, countries and emergency teams on humanitarian access strategy, planning and related disciplines including humanitarian negotiation, humanitarian civil-military coordination, engagement with armed groups and community engagement
• Provide training and ongoing coaching on humanitarian access strategy, planning and related disciplines including humanitarian negotiation, humanitarian civil-military coordination, engagement with armed groups and community engagement
• Develop and manage partnerships and networks to support humanitarian access for assigned situations in collaboration with field colleagues
• Support the development, roll-out, utilisation and flexible application of global technical and operational guidance and materials related to humanitarian access, negotiation and associated topics
• Share cross-context learning with field and management colleagues across the organisation and contribute to a community of practice and culture of learning for humanitarian access
• Contribute to reflection and analysis on humanitarian access practice and policy to support learning, debate and strategic decision-making
• Maintain currency with best, good and emerging practices in humanitarian access and related topics and disseminate and share learning and trends within IRC and SV
• Support the design, development and delivery of strategic and special projects in collaboration with colleagues when not deployed

Qualifications

Education: Master’s/post-graduate degree in humanitarian affairs or relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.