Global Security Director

Job Description

PRIMARY FUNCTION/PURPOSE:

IFES is recruiting for a Global Security Director to engage with teams across IFES, and with contracted security providers, to oversee and manage the inherent risk in the environments in which IFES operates. As of December 2024, IFES has 91 live projects and 39 country offices across Africa (AF), Asia-Pacific (A-P), Europe/Eurasia (E&E), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Director will report to the Vice President of Programs and be responsible for refining and overseeing IFES’ global security policies and procedures, including as it pertains to security analysis, planning, orientation, training, and responding to crisis situations. This position will also help oversee any country-specific and global security contractors engaged by IFES. The Director is part of the Senior Leadership Team at IFES, and will work with senior leadership to support holistic global security operations that protect IFES’ personnel, assets, and reputation. The director will also be called upon to engage with relevant actors, including donors, the private sector, and security forums, to share information, guidance and advice. The director will be responsive to country-level security needs both in terms of coordinating and managing security planning and response, and also will travel to country offices as needed.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Maintain a holistic organizational security management system, along with associated policies, procedures, and training, and support a safety and security culture across IFES.  
• Facilitate and oversee in-house security management and planning, to include risk identification and assessment; plans and procedures for mitigation and response; and orientation and training programs. In coordination with security contrators, provide advice, guidance, and support on safety and security issues to IFES leadership, teams, and events. 
• Maintain and update the organization’s approach to crisis management and response, based on lessons from high-risk country contexts. Coordinate the crisis response team, including any relevant security/medical emergency response contractors. 
• Lead cross-departmental process to evaluate and secure risk-appropriate security-related insurance; coordinate with insurance brokers and carriers to secure best terms, conditions, and pricing to meet IFES’ insurance needs based on best practice, donor requirements, and risk tolerance. 
• Maintain awareness of best practices in risk and security management across the development sector. 
• Monitor global security environment to assess the impact on IFES offices, programs, and travelers; coordinate provision of security-related information to senior management, US-based program teams, and country offices. 
• Communicate security issues to the executive team and board, upon request.
• Coordinate institutional response to the full spectrum events including security incidents and situations, medical emergencies and evacuations, natural disasters, pandemics, etc. 
• Maintain and develop contacts and relationships with appropriate international agencies, Embassies, government agencies as well as NGO security managements and appropriate external working groups (Interaction, OSAC) to share information and best practices. 
• Coordinate assistance and manage relationships with external resources including security and medical assistance providers, crisis response consultants, and security companies. 
  

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in international studies, global security management, risk management, business, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

EXPERIENCE: Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience in risk management, security, and operations. Experience working with security providers and contractors is required. Experience working in or with an international non-governmental organization, especially in an overseas post as a security professional, is highly desirable. Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with established non-governmental security coordinating bodies.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Professional-level fluency in English is required. Other language capabilities are a plus.

TRAVEL EXPECTATION: Travel may be required up to 15% of the time.

About the Organization

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is the world’s premiere election assistance organization, providing countries with technical advice and tools to run democratic elections. IFES is an international, nonpartisan democracy development organization that works to give people a voice in the way they are governed. Every IFES project is staffed by local personnel and partnered with local organizations. With this homegrown approach, IFES ensures the expertise it offers fits the needs of the country or client and the benefit of assistance outlasts the life of the project. Since its founding in 1987, IFES has worked in more than 100 countries - from developing democracies such as Liberia, to mature democracies such as the United States. IFES currently operates in new and developing democracies in over 20 countries. Our staff is truly global, with 150 professionals from 25 countries leading technical assistance projects for international and bilateral donor organizations such as USAID, the UN, DFID, the OSCE and others. IFES international professionals ensure that democracy solutions are home grown. Every IFES project team partners with local organizations, and every project is staffed by local personnel. Whether establishing a civic education project in Bishkek or a new independent election authority in Iraq, IFES professionals work closely with local networks to deliver expertise that fits the needs of the country or client, thus ensuring that the benefit of assistance lasts far beyond the life of the project. From Haiti to Liberia to Afghanistan, IFES professionals provide technical assistance across many areas of democracy development. We have developed service lines and regional representation around the world that allow our professionals to deliver democracy solutions rapidly?with the innovation, experience and results that only an organization with almost 20 years of dedicated democracy work can do.