Humanitarian Access Officer at Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent, humanitarian, non-profit, non-governmental organisation. We provide assistance, protection and durable solutions to refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide. What is NRC? NRC promotes and protects the rights of refugees and people who have been displaced within their own country.

• Experience 1 – 3 years
• Location Abuja

• We are looking for people who are passionate about helping refugees and people forced to flee. 
• If you are those people, the Norwegian Refugee Council in Nigeria is looking for an enthusiastic and passionate Humanitarian Access Officer to join our team in Abuja, Federal Capital. 
• The purpose of the Access Officer position is to promote efforts of humanitarian access and coordination, and support day-to-day implementation of the NRC Project by negotiating impediments. The main tasks will be delivered through training of staff of day to day access negotiation, humanitarian principles and contribute to evidence base advocacy.

Responsibilities

Humanitarian Access Strategy and initiative Implementation

• Support the Country Director, HoP, AMs and the HSS Manager in monitoring, reporting access related constraints across the NRC Area Offices in Nigeria.
• Support the Country Office in reviewing and updating the Country Access strategy by consolidating contextual information from the various NRC Area Offices.
• Assign, brief and train Access Focal Persons in each CC in order to be able to monitor and report of related constraints.
• Work closely with NRC Programs Core Competencies and Field staff to come up with access initiatives in order to overcome various constraints.
• Collate and compile monthly access report in consultation with all CCs, Area Managers, Program Coordinators and submit to HSSM, AMs, HOP and CD.
• Maintain and update area specific actors and stakeholder mapping, and access constraints tracker for all NRC locations using the available templates.
• Continuously and proactively monitor and evaluate the political, economic, social, and humanitarian  situation for developments affecting humanitarian access, to inform NRC’s response.
• Collaborate with the Area Managers and Advocacy team to respond to monthly access-advocacy global surveys.
• Using available NRC resources, generate access constraints maps and share with program team and supervisor. Support the HSS team to track and map security incidents which impede access to program locations.

Access Coordination Support

• Participate and represent NRC in all Access Working Group meetings, Civil – Military Co meetings and ad hoc meetings as may be directed from time to time by the supervisor. Share coordination/ AWG updates with the AM, HSSM, HoP and CD.
• Participate as required in Area Office coordination meetings.
• Regularly travel to NRC field location and program sites to conduct actor service mapping, and monitor specific access situation in those location. Support the field office and program staff to establish and maintain contact with key interlocutors or community gate keepers.
• Conduct regular visit in all NRC field locations including those with potential for interventions and work closely with NRC RRM and other CCs to conduct needs assessment.
• Advocate and support field staff and newly recruited staff to undertake online Access trainings on NRC platform.

Qualifications

Professional competencies for this position:

• Significant experience in humanitarian operations with a programming or monitoring background. 
• Strong interpersonal skills, including capacities to negotiate with non-government stakeholders
• Strong Report-writing ability and negotiation skills
• TOT on humanitarian Negotiation and Mediation or its equivalent with experience of training frontline staff on Negotiation OR Basic training on humanitarian access and negotiation
• 1 to 3 years of experience within a similar function with INGOs, the UN, government or private sector.
• Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts, particularly in the North East Nigeria
• University degree in Social Studies, Public Administration, Conflict Resolution and peacebuilding, Security  Management, Humanitarian and Refugee Affairs, and Disaster Risk Management.

Context related skills, knowledge and experience

• Understanding and respect for humanitarian work, particularly relating to refugee and displacement issues.
• Demonstrated ability in both written and spoken English. Ability to fluently speak Hausa/Kanuri or local language skills is highly desired.
• Ability to work under stress and in high-risk contexts
• The ability to travel regularly to the field independently is essential and on short notices.
• Flexibility to work outside standard working hours.
• Excellent computer skills (Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, etc)
• Knowledge and skills on using map applications like ArcGIS, GPS, or other mapping tools is required

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