Overview
Serves as the principal focal point for Hostage Incident Management Unit (HIMU) preparedness and response across the United Nations Security Management System organizations. Leads the development of global HIMU strategies and oversees their planning, execution, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
Key Responsibilities
- Serves as principal UNDSS focal point for HIMU preparedness and response.
- Identifies members of the Hostage Incident Management Team.
- Chairs the HIMU team, providing strategic guidance during HIMU-related incidents.
- Leads the development of global UNSMS HIMU strategies.
- Oversees the planning, execution, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of HIMU strategies.
- Leads the preparation, development, review, and implementation of the HIMU strategic framework, Action Plan, policy, guidelines, SOPs, and response protocols.
- Participates in meetings, committees, and task forces; prepares papers and detailed reports; delivers briefings and presentations.
- Advises on the inclusion of security in all stages of United Nations activities and programmes.
- Provides operational and strategic advice and support to line managers responsible for security.
- Enables the delivery of mandates and programmes through direct operational assistance.
- Oversees complex HIMU cases, prioritizing work to meet deadlines.
- Monitors and leads activities related to the implementation and evaluation of performance indicators.
- Drives the development of lessons-learned activities.
- Ensures effective communication and trust through active collaboration with UN system organizations and other stakeholders.
- Collaborates closely with peers, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, Host Government representatives, and external experts.
- Strengthens awareness and capacity of personnel by designing and implementing HM training programmes and simulation exercises.
- Ensures the conduct of HIMU surveys and assessments.
- Facilitates debriefs and after-action reviews following hostage incidents.
- Ensures implementation and maintenance of a functioning HIMU System.
- Ensures conduct of budget, finance, and logistical planning for the security office.
- Supports resource mobilization.
- Leads and manages the HIMU team.
- Develops strategic goals, objectives, and plans for the delivery of the substantive activities of the unit or section.
- Implements corresponding outputs.
- Anticipates human resources needs through workforce planning.
- Assesses performance and supports the development of security personnel.
- Ensures implementation of departmental approaches to mainstreaming gender, diversity, and inclusion.
- Ensures the implementation of people-centred security risk management approaches.
- Leads team members’ efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns.
- Performs other functions as directed.
Required Experience
- A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in international relations, disarmament affairs, conflict resolution, crime or terrorism prevention, security, risk or disaster or emergency management and preparedness in the public or private sector areas responsible for responding to emergency situations that directly impact security is required.
- Experience in planning, design, implementation, or review of risk mitigation measures related to operations impacted by insecurity is required.
- At least two (2) years of Experience in hostage incident management is required.
- At least three (3) years of international experience in field security operations is required.
- At least three (3) years of experience managing security personnel or teams is required.
- Experience in developing and facilitating training programmes, including scenario-based simulations, in the security area is required.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, political/social science, psychology, criminal justice, law, international relations, security management or a related field is required.
- A relevant first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- A first-level university degree may be substituted with a diploma from a police or military education institution, college or academy obtained over a minimum of a three-year period.
- Specialized training in hostage management is required.
