Senior Manager - Security Manager/Conflict Expert

We are seeking a senior technical manager with 7+ years expertise in conflict, security, and risk management to shape the next phase of Agulhas.

About the position
You will have responsibility for Duty of Care (DoC) and Security Management for Agulhas operations, and for growing our workstreams in conflict-related thematic areas. You will sit under the line management of an Associate Director and also have line management responsibilities for one junior member of staff. You will help the Senior Management Team set the direction of the company over the next 5 years and, if successful, you will in due course join the Senior Management Team.

The role sits within the £50-70K salary band, depending on experience. The main place of work will be our London office (N1, alongside Regent's Canal), with a 40% in-office hybrid working policy. Agulhas is a family-friendly organisation committed to staff wellbeing and a positive, inclusive working culture. We offer flexible working arrangements, enhanced parental benefits, health-related subsidies and employee-ownership benefits. More information can be found here. We are an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of background.

To apply for this role: please submit a CV and Cover Letter to . You must have the right to work in the UK.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial interview, and may be invited to a second interview before being offered the position. If you have any accessibility requirements during the recruitment process, please let us know so we can make required adjustments. Our London office is equipped with an accessible lift for those with mobility issues.

Personal qualities
To succeed in this role, you will have a proven track record in the field of international development and the relationship between conflict, humanitarian crisis and development processes. You should possess in-depth knowledge of UK aid, the multilateral system and how these respond to crises around the world. You will be an experienced senior evaluator with 7+ years' experience delivery experience, and currently working at least at an 'expert' or 'deputy team leader' level (or equivalent). Experience at a 'team leader' level is a plus. You will have the vision, ability and talent to help grow the company, both technically and through winning new work. You will be entrepreneurial, dynamic, energetic and work collaboratively across teams. In combination with strategic insight and management skills, you will bring a close attention to detail and a proven ability to deliver at a high work rate. You will have a strong, team-oriented work ethic with skills in managing and developing junior staff.

Your responsibilities will cover the following areas:

1. Duty of Care and Security Management - 40% LoE
   Leading duty of care implementation for all travel conducted by Agulhas staff and consultants, managing overseas deployments for field visits, including in high-risk contexts, at times involving multiple visits across several regions/time zones. Risk assessment of all overseas project-related travel and associated research work, leading on context/security intelligence gathering (e.g. for pre-deployment briefings), implementing policies and safeguards to control risks effectively. Supporting any critical incident response. Monitoring of security, political and epidemiological developments in regions of interest and travel. Contributing to country briefing packs to clients and any back to office reporting required. Managing and updating list of third-party security and specialist training (HEAT/SAFE) providers, managing relationships, including for travel to high-risk locations requiring external journey management support, with providers. Maintaining database of staff's trainings and ensuring compliance with training requirements depending on risk level of location to be visited, as well as requirements of clients. Leading on any required improvements of Duty of Care and Security Management policies and procedures when necessary, in collaboration with the Operations team. Willingness and availability for out-of-hours engagement for security management purposes, with an emphasis on ensuring the physical and psychological wellbeing of staff during deployments.
2. Business Development - 25% LoE across the year
   Support and develop existing service lines by: Inputting on BD and Crisis Hub strategic direction. Identifying new partners and clients to expand our work. Cultivating existing relationships and increase commissioned work. Provide management and coordination of project bid process. Provide initial reviews of ITT and/or calls for proposals from potential clients. Travel as necessary for BD purposes. Provide technical support on proposals: Support the writing of technical methodologies. Assess all possible risks for project implementation and formulate risk matrices and management plans for project proposals. Lead Crisis / Conflict Team meetings where required and work in close collaboration with all other teams across the organisation to deliver growth. Lead on Solution Design workshops and other BD meetings where required. Identifying, securing and mobilising partners and teams. Contribute to thought leadership for the company, for example by representing the company on panels, at events and generating blogs / thought pieces.
3. Delivery - 30% LoE across the year
   Projects - Deliver Agulhas projects in a senior position such as Expert and / or Deputy Team Lead, including: Leading project assignments and providing technical support across the implementation team. Managing diverse project teams, and supporting them to deliver outputs on time, to high quality. Leading client engagement on projects and managing relationships. Undertaking research and analysis on conflict, humanitarian, migration and / or peace building in countries of interest. Formulating and updating risk-management approaches, including developing appropriate mitigations and monitoring all risks throughout the course of project implementation.
4. Staff Management and Agulhas Life - 5% LoE across the year
   Provide management and mentorship support both through direct management lines and one-to-one staff relationships, especially to junior positions. Support the Leadership Team on HR issues. Support recruitment processes, and due diligence processes for high-risk contexts. Contribute to steering the company by active participation in company life, including the Employee Co-Owners Forum (COF) and associated working groups. Lead / Support on elements of the Strategic Plan as delegated by the Leadership Team and CEO. Advise and respond to requests from Leadership Team. Provide technical guidance, knowledge, etc. to other staff (e.g., on evaluation design and methods).

Agulhas Principles and behaviours we value - The following behavioural standards are expected in this senior role. You will:
Be Ethical: Model Agulhas's values of commitment, integrity, equity, respect, effectiveness and openness. Display the highest standards of public conduct. Adhere to Agulhas policies, including the Agulhas Code of Conduct and the Protection against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH) policy. Identify, disclose and manage conflicts of interest when they become apparent to yourself and others. Treat others justly and fairly.

Be Professional: Maintain high standards of skill, care and diligence in professional activities. Invest time in learning and personal development. Take responsibility for your own performance and behaviour. Act as an advocate for Agulhas, both internally and externally. Be goal orientated, prioritising activities accordingly under guidance from Senior Management. Set challenging but achievable goals and standards of performance for yourself and others. Learn from successes and mistakes and encourage the culture of learning in the organisation.

Be independent: Be willing to disagree and take an independent stance in the face of dissenting views. Encourage rigorous discussion and diverse views in order to prevent and dispel 'groupthink'. Adopt an inquisitive approach and actively question assumptions and test propositions. Be willing to challenge the status quo and historical ways of doing things.

Be self-aware: Demonstrate social and cultural awareness and an ability to relate well to a diverse range of people. Support colleagues and the company. Display empathy and respond appropriately and sensitively to the emotions of others. Demonstrate efforts to explore, understand and limit your own biases and preconceptions as well as those of others.