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Job description
Job Description
Organization
The Danish Refugee Council
Job Title
Safety and Access Officer
Location
Kosti
Closing Date
06 Aug 2026
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the world’s leading NGOs, with a focus on responding to displacement, have been registered in Sudan since 2004, delivering life-saving programming in protection, emergency response, shelter, food security and livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, camp management, and humanitarian mine action. DRC has implemented projects in Central Darfur, South Kordofan, Gedaref, Port Sudan, and White Nile. Sudan hosts one of the largest displaced populations in Africa, with over 3.7 million internally displaced people and over 1.1 million refugees from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Chad, Yemen and Syria. Against a background of political crisis, Sudan faces economic and social turmoil, with sharp increases in food and energy costs, further exacerbated by disease outbreaks and ongoing conflict.
The overall purpose of the role:
Safety and Access Officer will oversee safety matters directly or indirectly related to all DRC personnel, assets, and programs within the Area. This includes ensuring the Safety Risk Management System (SRMS) and responsibility for planning, implementing, monitoring, and reporting measures required to support programme continuity. S/he will also coordinate day-to-day movement and transportation as per standards, operation procedures, rules, and regulations. The Safety and Access Officer will also compliment the liaison and coordination efforts for the Area Manager and/or Officer in Charge (OIC)
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Safety and Access Management & Analysis:
Ensure there is strong communication between local authorities, community leaders, security stakeholders and DRC and act as the local focal point for safety coordination and information sharing between the relevant national actors within the area of operation/s.
Also includes representation of DRC at inter-agency safety forums.
Ensure DRC operates within the local authorities’ guidelines and protocols.
Collect, verify, analyze, and report information that affect, or may affect, DRC operations.
Conduct drafts of required assessments including Context Assessments and participate in field missions and undertake safety risk assessments.
Lead in identifying and minimizing potential safety risks to staff, partners, assets, and operations/ programme.
Develop/and update Safety Plans, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Local Safety Rules (LSR), Safety Briefings, Safety Advisories, and Site Evaluation Checklist (SES) based on Safety Assessments.
Ensure all staff adhere to safety policies and rules.
Keep Record of Emergency Data (RED) list updated and ensure all new staff will submit their forms.
Update and brief all DRC staff regarding security and context situations.
Actively support the Safety and Access Unit to ensure and monitor compliance with Minimum Operating Safety Standards (MOSS).
Maintained safety upgrade plans and develop Safety Improvement Plan (SIP) based on the needs in the area office
Establish phone trees, alert rosters, and alert procedures; ensure the timely dissemination of relevant safety information to all field staff and build strong network/s with Safety-related stakeholders: local authorities, NGO and UN Safety staff.
Contribute in development of humanitarian access strategies, approaches and tools tailored and responsive to local contexts in field sites throughout DRC areas of operations, with overarching community engagement components.
Map and keep an updated register of key stakeholders.
2-Safety and Access in Field Operations:
Conduct safety inspections of field sites to establish and implement corrective measures.
Maintain a high level of preparedness vis-a-vis predicted contextual fluctuations operationally and programmatically.
Follow up with the Supply Chain on weekly movement plan for staff and provide safety clearance accordingly.
Track safety related incidents and developments and provide trend/pattern analysis to facilitate programme access.
Contribute to the development of operational and programmatic contingency plans that respond to different emergency scenarios.
Lead in conjunction with the Country Safety and Access unit and Area Manager the implementation of the Critical Incident Management Plan by office/location and assist in safety incidents and crises, provide timely and accurate incident reporting reports and analysis, and support organizational lessons learned.
Ensure all vehicles are equipped as per required standards and SOPs.
Focal point for the procurement of safety-related equipment, facilities, and other resources and ensure required safety equipment and communications equipment are identified, acquired, and maintained in good working condition.
Conduct regular safety checks, including comms systems, safety inventory checks, and hibernation kits.
Assess safety training needs; plan, organize and document relevant safety trainings.
Create and conduct safety briefings and training for all personnel and visitors; design and run regular safety drills.
Regularly update (new and exciting staff) area level movement and safety tracking groups
Conduct headcounts and disseminate reports as needed
Support the area office in securing technical agreements, travel permits in a timely manner
Any other tasks as delegated by AM/OIC, Country Safety and Access unit and SMT.
Experience and Competencies
Strong capacity in influencing, negotiating, and engaging a range of stakeholders; with proven representational skills and the ability to advocate in line with humanitarian principles
Demonstrate ability in thinking creatively and practically to improve the quality of programming and achieve greater impact
Strong capacity building, facilitation, and presentation skills
Ability to work flexibly in a diverse team, with proven leadership skills
Previous experience working with and negotiating with communities, local leaders, authorities, and safety and security stakeholders
Commitment to integrate gender, protection, conflict sensitivity and accountability in the safety unit
3-5years’ experience working in a similar capacity for international humanitarian organizations in complex and unpredictable settings.
Ability to work under pressure and be flexible in working hours.
Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
