Security Advisor (INT11689)

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

Do you have a Master’s degree in Security Management, International Relations, Risk Management, Humanitarian Security or related field.A Bachelor’s degree combined with relevant postgraduate or professional qualifications and significant experience of at least 10 years may be considered?

Do you at least 6 years’ experience of progressive senior experience in security risk management, humanitarian security, crisis response, and multi-country operational security?

Do you have proven ability to provide strategic security advisory, risk analysis, incident management and duty of care systems?

If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you.

The Role:

Oxfam is looking for Security Advisor

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

 Security Risk Management & Analysis (20%)

The role leads the identification, assessment, and monitoring of security risks across the Cluster, ensuring that decision-making is informed by up-to-date and context-specific analysis.

• Conduct and maintain security risk assessments across countries and programme areas
• Monitor and analyse evolving security trends including conflict dynamics, political risks, civil unrest, environmental threats, organised violence, and access constraints and provide timely advise to SAF partners, operational teams and leadership.
• Develop context-specific risk mitigation strategies
• Strengthen scenario planning and strategic foresight.

2. Security Frameworks, Policies & Protocols (15%)

The role is responsible for developing and maintaining security policies and procedures that are aligned with organisational standards and adapted to local contexts.

• Develop, update, and harmonise and maintain security policies, SOPs, Crisis protocols , travel systems, access frameworks and security governance tools.
• Ensure alignment with Oxfam global security policies and duty-of-care frameworks, humanitarian principles, and safeguarding systems.
• Support implementation and compliance across all operational hubs
• Standardise security systems while adopting to local realities

3. Duty of Care & Staff Safety (15%)

The role ensures that duty-of-care obligations are met, with a strong focus on staff safety, wellbeing, and preparedness.

• Advise on staff safety, field travel, access protocols, safe accommodation, and incident prevention.
• Support development of safe working practices across all contexts
• Work with People, Culture and Organisational Development Lead to integrate security into  wellbeing systems, staff care, and crisis support.
• Strengthen business continuity and safe operating environments.

4. Incident Management & Crisis Response (15%)

The role leads and supports effective response to security incidents, ensuring timely action, coordination, and learning.

• Provide guidance during security incidents, critical events , emergencies, evacuations, and access disruption.
• Lead or Support incident report coordination, escalation protocols, crisis management structures, and after-action reviews.
• Ensure incidents are documented, analysed, reporting, and used for institutional learning.
• Strengthen business continuity systems and contingency planning.

5. Security Capacity Building, Awareness & Organisational Culture (10%)

The role strengthens staff and partner capability to manage security effectively.

• Design and deliver security training, HEAT-related preparedness, briefings, Incident simulations, and risk awareness systems
• Build security competence across staff, leadership, partners, and field teams
• Promote a culture of preparedness, accountability, safe decision-making, and risk awareness
• Strengthen organisational confidence in high-risk contexts

6. Security Integration into Programme Design, Delivery & Humanitarian Systems (10%)

The role ensures programme ambitions remain aligned with operational realities.

• Advise programme teams on risk-sensitive design, safe implementation, access strategies, and context adaptation
• Strengthen integration of security considerations into programme planning, humanitarian response, partner-led systems, operational decision-making
• Ensure programme continuity in volatile contexts.
• Support ethical programming in fragile environments

7. Partner Security Support, Localisation & Responsible Risk Sharing (10%)

The role strengthens security systems within Oxfam’s partner-led model.

• Support partners in security assessments, risk management, incident response, and security systems design
• Strengthen partner organisational resilience and preparedness.
• Promote responsible localisation by ensuring shared risk understanding, ethical risk transfer, and partner safety
• Build partner capability without externalising disproportionate security burdens

8. Coordination, External Engagement & Security Network Management (5%)

The role strengthens Oxfam’s security ecosystem through strategic coordination.

• Liaise with Oxfam global security teams, regional security networks, governments, security actors, and humanitarian coordination systems
• Build credible external security relationships.
• Support strategic coordination across countries and affiliates.
• Strengthen information sharing and intelligence systems

What we are looking for:

We’re looking for a candidate who cares about Oxfam’s mission to end poverty and is personally aligned to our feminist principles and values of empowerment, accountability and inclusion in all you do.

An ideal candidate for the role will also be / have:

• Master’s degree in Security Management, International Relations, Risk Management, Humanitarian Security or related field.A Bachelor’s degree combined with relevant postgraduate or professional qualifications and significant experience of at least 10 years may be considered.
• At least 6 years’ experience of progressive senior experience in security risk management, humanitarian security, crisis response, and multi-country operational security
• Strong understanding of risk assessment, incident management, and duty-of-care frameworks.
• Proven ability to provide strategic security advisory, risk analysis, incident management and duty of care systems.
• Strong communication, leadership and systems capability.
• Ability to build strong, credible relationships with internal and external individuals and organisations
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English, with strong influencing and persuasive skills
• A high level of self-awareness, personal energy, stamina and flexibility.  Ability to work creatively, effectively and in an innovative manner, adjusting to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through
• Proven experience as a team worker and demonstrably cooperative with members of other teams
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English and Portuguese.

Enhance Oxfam’s institutional resilience through external engagement.

We offer:

We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including flexible working options, generous pension scheme, annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits. 

From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more. 

You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.

How to apply:

As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.  

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

About us

Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

Oxfam GB is a member of international confederation of 21 organisations working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. 

A thriving diverse Oxfam:

It’s people power that brings about change. To play our part as a global organisation working to overcome poverty and inequality, we need equality, diversity and inclusion across our community of staff, partners and volunteers. Together, we’re committed to becoming a more diverse workforce, better able to tackle the global challenges that face our world today.

To do that:

• We need to dismantle the unequal power structures that exist everywhere, this including Oxfam and the wider development and charity sectors.
• We need an inclusive Oxfam where everyone can bring who they are to our work and feels celebrated for the differences they bring.
• We want and need everyone, and that means we need you.