DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance is dedicated to improving the security of states and their people within a framework of democratic governance, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and gender equality. Since its founding in 2000, DCAF has contributed to making peace and development more sustainable by assisting partner states, and international actors supporting these states, to improve the governance of their security sector through inclusive and participatory reforms. It creates innovative knowledge products, promotes norms and good practices, provides legal and policy advice, and supports capacity‐building of both state and non‐state security sector stakeholders.

DCAF’s Foundation Council members represent over 50 countries and the Canton of Geneva. Active in over 70 countries, DCAF is internationally recognized as one of the world's leading centres of excellence for security sector governance (SSG) and security sector reform (SSR). DCAF is guided by the principles of neutrality, impartiality, local ownership, inclusive participation, and gender equality. For more information visit www.dcaf.ch and follow us on Twitter @DCAF_Geneva.

DCAF’s International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT) supports the sixteen donor countries and seven multilateral organisations that make up its International Partners Group (IPG) by reinforcing and improving the way in which they individually and collectively support security and justice development.

Through Advisory Field Support services, ISSAT informs better decision-making on Security and Justice (S&J) programming, through offering its IPG members (IPGM) tailor-made, targeted, and usually project/programme-specific support at both headquarters and field-level. Thematic, contextual and stakeholder analyses - adopting institutional, sectoral, problem-based, or change management approaches as fit – are usually complemented with provision of technical expertise and imparting of good practice, lessons identified and comparative experience. Another key strand of work relates to strengthening the development and enabling implementation of IPGM strategic approaches for supporting S&J.

Overview:

This is a demanding and high-profile implementation and representational role, requiring overseas travel and wide-ranging high-level departmental contacts within international organisations, governments, development agencies and their staff overseas. It is therefore, a senior position geared to providing multidisciplinary professional advisory to ISSAT’s IPGM.

The Senior SSR advisor will work on ISSAT’s mandates, projects, and activities across all of the service lines (advisory field support (AFS), professional development and training (PDT), and outreach & and knowledge (OAK), according to specific allocation of tasks.

For our strategic and operational advisory support, we are looking for a dynamic individual to be our next:

Senior Security Sector Governance/Reform Advisor 100%

• Location: Geneva
• Starting date: 1^st July 2023 or upon mutual agreement
• Duration: 12-month contract, with possibility of extension

Key areas of operation

Reporting to the Head of Advisory Field Support the Senior Advisor will play a key role in leading AFS project teams delivering programming support and strategic advisory to IPGMs on their international Justice and Security Sector Governance/Reform policies, strategies and programming. ISSAT operates through a matrix configuration, given that requests for support can come from any of its 23 IPGM, for any geographical context, and across all security and justice sector areas. Hence the incumbent will also contribute to knowledge, outreach and advocacy, and training activities. The successful applicant should bring to this position relevant operational experience, thematic knowledge on security sector governance and reform, high level of political and cross-cultural sensitivity, as well as the ability to engage in collaborative team management to advance a culture of accountability, ownership, and learning.

1. Advisory Field Support (approx 70%)

• Lead or contribute to individual Justice and Security Sector Governance/Reform support mandates/projects comprising strategic analysis development, assessments, programme design, monitoring, evaluation and lesson identification.
• Provide strategic advisory and technical assistance to ISSAT IPGM in policy and strategy development for SSG/R international support, including through strengthening whole of government and international coordination approaches.
• Develop solid analysis, strongly anchored in context specificity, stakeholder analysis, conflict sensitivity and risk management, in addition to relevant thematic or sectoral analyses.
• Present analysis, findings and recommendations from mandates/projects feeding into decision-making by IPGMs at regular ISSAT IPGM meetings, and other internal and external events as required.
• Contribute to engagements with ISSAT IPGM to identify opportunities and assist in shaping advisory field support.
• Provide content to ISSAT’s annual activity reports and other such periodic reports that may be required by the head of Advisory Field Support.
• Contribute to shaping and development of AFS’s framework documents and guidelines.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and learning from AFS mandates/projects across the ISSAT team, in the context of regularly run AFS meeting series, and to cross-DCAF learning initiatives
• Adapt and/or contribute to develop specific methodologies and approaches for improved advisory field support on SSG/R.

2. Outreach, Advocacy and Knowledge (approx. 15%)

• Contribute, and lead as required, OAK mandates/projects such as donor SSG/R portfolio mappings focusing thematically or geographically.
• Contribute to the development of key ISSAT Advisory Notes contributing to the knowledge base and supplying recommendations to ISSAT’s IPGMs on strategic linkages between SSG/R and emerging policy agendas.
• Contribute to identification of SSG/R good practice, feeding into ISSAT’s strategic objective of building the business case for SSG/R, also considering SSG/R contribution to stabilisation, conflict prevention and development.
• Contribute to the development of emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in the area of SSG/R.
• Contribute to further development of ISSAT’s methodology and guidance products on project cycle management and main SSG/R thematic areas, leading on designated products.
• Contribute to in-house brainstorming sessions to determine latest trends, challenges and opportunities in the area of security sector reform and its related themes.
• Contribute blog posts, forum responses and other inputs to the ISSAT SSG/R Community of Practice.

3. Professional Development and Training (approx. 15%)

• Contribute to the design and delivery of standardised or tailored training programmes, courses and conferences to meet donor, partner and ISSAT needs.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of professional and learning development pathways and curriculum for SSG/R practitioners, which may include training modules as well as other learning, coaching and mentoring opportunities, ensuring that such pathways are designed in line with international best practices, and ISSAT’s strategic and development objectives.
• Contribute to the production of policies, methodological tools and guidelines to ensure effective and efficient training procedures, as well as their dissemination to IPGMs and other partners.
• Contribute to the provision of assistance to ISSAT’s IPGMs in developing their policies for SSG/R training and professional development.

General tasks

• Input to the ISSAT management team in their periodic strategic planning and reporting.
• Support the implementation of ISSAT’s Operational Strategy and Annual Workplans, by contributing to implementation, monitoring and reporting on relevant mandates/projects, and continuously feeding into ISSAT’s central monitoring system.
• Contribute to the overall management of the ISSAT team and its operations and support further development of team members through constructive coaching and mentoring.
• Contribute to maintaining effective and lasting liaison with ISSAT IPGMs, partners working on areas linked to S&J, and the wider SSG/R community.
• Contribute to productive relationships with other DCAF Departments and engage in cross-DCAF knowledge and information sharing in the area of competence.
• Contribute innovation to ISSAT’s development and evolution through commitment to ongoing personal and professional training and development.
• Provide ‘out of hours’ roster coverage as required when other team members are deployed overseas to provide a first point of contact for dealing with unforeseen eventualities and emergencies.
• Other tasks that may be assigned, from time to time, by the Head of ISSAT or Head of Advisory Support.

Your experience:

• Masters degree in conflict studies, peacebuilding, development, international relations, political science, law, or a related field.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in SSG/R and/or related international development work; field experience is mandatory.
• Strong professional background on Eastern Europe or Africa is desirable.

• Effective project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects/activities simultaneously.

• Excellent verbal communication and presentational skills.
• Excellent writing skills including of assessment, evaluation and other types of advisory reports intended for donor audiences and supported by evidence and concise expert analysis on a range of SSG/R relevant thematic areas.

• Strong sense of prioritisation and successful delivery under pressure and tight deadlines.

• Proactiveness and demonstrated ability to engage and lead teamwork as part of a multi-cultural, and multi-disciplinary team.

• Effective conflict and stress management.
• Demonstrable experience of being a strong team player.
• Experience of working in a matrix configuration is highly desirable.

• • Ability to network and liaise effectively with a wide range of potential stakeholders at all levels both within governments and non-governmental and multinational organisations.
  • Ability to analyse situations quickly and effectively, adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and produce workable solutions to meet IPGM requirements – SSG/R is a fast-developing field,and it will be necessary to retain currency in the latest thinking and developments.
• Robust experience in governance, peacebuilding and SSG/R is fundamental, experience in non-state justice and security provision, gender and security, human rights, public sector reforms, public financial management, humanitarian-development-peace nexus, prevention of violent extremism, migration and border management, and emerging security challenges is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required and proficiency in French highly desirable. An Eastern European language (Russian or Ukrainian) is desirable.

We offer:

• a rewarding, dynamic and challenging work experience;
• the chance to be part of a multicultural team of supportive, hardworking and values-driven people; and,
• the chance to contribute to a securer world.

If you think you are a good match for DCAF and the position advertised, If you think you are a good match for DCAF and the position advertised, , please apply online at  https://dcaf-flexperso.ch by 15th April 2023 (midnight CET), enclosing:

• a one-page motivational statement in English describing your relevant experience and what you can bring to DCAF
• a concise CV (maximum two pages)
• a copy of your diplomas and work certificates

DCAF is committed to equality of opportunity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates regardless of sex, age, disability, gender identity, neurodiversity, religion, or ethnicity.

Individuals who seek to serve with DCAF in any individual capacity will be required, if short-listed, to complete a self-attestation stating that they have not committed or been convicted of any criminal offence and have not been involved, by act or omission, in the commission of any violation of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.