Armed forces, Police and Weapon contamination - working with us

CURRENT VACANCIES

Maintaining a dialogue with the armed forces is an integral part of ICRC's operations around the world. The aim is to ensure that all levels of the armed forces know and apply IHL and Human Rights law in their operations and facilitate humanitarian action for the victims of conflict. This applies to contacts with regular armed forces, the police, irregular forces and non-State groups.

When a conflict ends, mines and 'explosive remnants of war' like unexploded bombs, shells and cluster-munition bomblets continue to kill and maim. The curse has a name: weapon contamination. It deprives people of water, firewood, farmland, health care and education and it impedes relief work. Owing to its wide acceptance in the field, its neutrality and its independence – the ICRC can access areas that are off-limits to other organizations and can therefore undertake clearance activities – helping to make safe areas that other organizations cannot reach.

Armed forces and non-state armed groups delegate

Your tasks
The ICRC delegate to armed forces and non-state armed groups is responsible for contributing to the analysis, dialogue and operational effects of the delegation(s) he/she is tasked to cover, with the aims being to:
- Enhances understanding of the ICRC's role and how it operates, among military forces and non-state armed groups (NSAGs), in order to further the ICRC's acceptance, security and access.
- Protects and assists the victims of armed conflict through the bespoke design and delivery of Law of Armed Conflict/International Humanitarian Law and customary law approaches or programs, fully adapted to their operational context, audience and through the support of the protection dialogue of the delegation with the parties to the conflict.
- Facilitates the organization's understanding of the military and non-state armed groups as well as its networking with key individuals at different levels.
- Supports the efforts of armed forces to disseminate IHL or IHRL, to integrate these norms into their operational documentation, methods and to adopt disciplinary and penal sanctions in the event of violations.

Your profile
- Strongly motivated by humanitarian work.
- Capacity and willingness to work with all arms carriers in the operating environment
- Proven analytical skills spanning complex, contemporary tactical environments to strategic level.
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of the nature of both contemporary and future conflict, and the implications for humanitarian actions.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven capacity to integrate within a team and adapt to new settings.
- Charismatic speaker and confident instructor, sound capacity to network and negotiate.
- Able to work calmly and inspire confidence among colleagues when under pressure and in potentially dangerous situations.

Selection requirements
- Military career : Senior officer (minimum rank of Major) with a minimum of 5 years' accumulated operational experience within the career
- Very good command of English and fluency in another ICRC working language used in the field such as French, Spanish, Arabic or Russian
- Knowledge and practical experience of the integration of Law of Armed Conflict/International Humanitarian Law into the planning and conduct of military operations.
- Knowledge of International Human Rights Law as applicable to law enforcement operations is an asset.
- First-hand experience with the ICRC/Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement in the field.
- Fully conversant with common IT tools
- Commitment to the ICRC's humanitarian mandate

Our operational & field constraints
- In line with the principle of neutrality, the ICRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals 
- Candidates must be in good health and will have to do a medical check-up prior to departure in the field (web link)
- Driving licence (for manual transmission vehicles)
- Ready to travel and prepared to accept unaccompanied postings if required (i.e. no spouse, partner, children or dependents).

Delegate in charge of relations with police and security forces

Your tasks
ICRC delegates to the police and security forces work as part of one or several delegation(s) depending on the number of countries they are tasked to cover. He/she is responsible for contributing to the dialogue of the delegations with the police or security forces with a dual aim: to enhance understanding of the ICRC's role and its operational procedures among these forces; and support national efforts for the dissemination or integration of human rights law and humanitarian principles. Main tasks are:
- Dialogue with the authorities to facilitate acceptance of the ICRC.
- Sensitize authorities on compliance with international norms.
- Deliver trainings on international rules for police conduct and use of force.
- Assess police results, failures and structures and evaluate the need for change and reform.
- Contribute to the evolutions of structures, procedures and mindsets in the security forces for a better compliance to international norms.
- Contribute to the delegation's security assessments and contribute to its access to areas with humanitarian concerns.
- Commitment to the ICRC's humanitarian mandate

Your profile
- Strongly motivated by humanitarian work.
- Proven capacity to adapt to new environments and integrate within multidisciplinary teams
- Charismatic speaker, proven instructor, sound capacity to network and negotiate
- Excellent ability to work in a team and under pressure in a potentially dangerous environment

Selection requirements
- Very good command of English and French. Knowledge of another ICRC working language used in the field (Spanish, Arabic or Russian) is a strong advantage
- Master degree or equivalent police/military academy diploma
- Police career: Senior Police Commissioned Officer (Major/Superintendent/ Commissaire)
- Minimum of 10 years professional experience in police-related positions (or equivalent such as gendarmerie or another policing/law enforcement agency) - including at least 5 years of operational experience in the following fields: training, crowd control, judicial/criminal investigation or special tactics and leadership.
- Minimum of 1 year of international deployment abroad in a relevant position for policing.
- Good knowledge of the international principles for the use of force and firearms.
- Knowledge of international humanitarian law and the red cross/red crescent movement is an asset. •Confident using IT Office tools

Our operational & field constraints
- In line with the principle of neutrality, the ICRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals 
- Candidates must be in good health and will have to do a medical check-up prior to departure in the field (web link) 
- Driving licence (for manual transmission vehicles) 
- Candidates must be prepared to accept unaccompanied postings (i.e. no spouse, partner, children or dependents) for at least the first two years

Weapon contamination delegate

The ICRC is regularly faced with challenges related to weapon contamination. Such contamination can be of a conventional or a non-conventional type and include unexploded or abandoned ordnance, landmines, weaponised or industrial toxic agents.

The ICRC undertakes a range of activities to minimize the impact of weapon contamination on affected populations and to ensure a rapid and effective response. Such response could be one or more of the following activities:
- Information gathering and analyses of weapon contamination
- Risk awareness and risk education on conventional and non-conventional (CBRN) weapons hazards, including in urban armed violence contexts
- Risk based training to increase resilience for civilians in armed conflict
- Non-technical and technical survey activities
- Clearance of conventional and non-conventional (CBRN) weapon hazards and
- Capacity building of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies and authorities

The ICRC WeC services are focused on the following four strategic areas:
- Assist in managing risks posed by weapon related hazards to own staff and partners as a part of the organisations 'duty of care' processes
- Assist in maintaining the integrity of the organisation by securing continuation of key operations in situations where weapons or weapons systems pose a risk
- Assist in protecting the vulnerable in situations of armed conflict (e.g. risk education, risk management or contribute to a more robust Conduct of Hostilities reporting) and
- Support the development of the National Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in their implementation of WeC activities

Your profile
- Education : advanced university degree (master degree or equivalent) with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience with demonstrated capabilities in management, planning and implementation of training/capacity building; or a first level university degree (bachelor degree or equivalent) with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or military experience (or relevant police experience) at the senior NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) or officer level (or equivalent) with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience
- Instructor qualification (from an internationally recognised institution)
- Experienced and successful manager
- Very good command of English. French, Russian and Arabi c, an asset
- Manual transmission driving license with driving experiences mandatory
- A demonstrated ability to establish effective working relationships at all levels both internally and externally with strong representation, communication and negotiation skills
- Strong representation, communication and negotiation skillsExcellent organisational skills and the ability to coordinate multiple activities
- Ability to meet deadlines and work calmly under pressure
- Excellent diplomatic skills, including proven experience and capacity to work constructively in teams under considerable pressure
- Commitment to the ICRC's humanitarian mandate