Explosive Threat Mitigation (ETM) Officer

Peace and Security Centre

The UNOPS Peace and Security Centre (PSC) is a principal service provider in the field of mine action with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), UNDP, UNICEF, Governments of mine-affected countries and other mine action partners. The Centre is responsible to administer, provide support and oversight of the day-to-day management of the Project Field offices, both according to the client requirements and in line with UNOPS rules and regulations.
It is headed by the Centre Director who has the overall authority and accountability for the performance of the Peace and Security Centre on behalf of its clients.

One of the main objectives of the Peace and Security Centre is to rapidly deploy project personnel to the field. To accomplish this, it has established a Pool of Experts, from which it deploys and re-deploys personnel in order to fulfil personnel vacancies.  A Pool of Experts is a roster of specialists whose technical knowledge and personal suitability has been evaluated and approved in advance, allowing them to be deployed on short notice and in short order.   Pool members can be deployed on any of UNOPS contract modalities: FTA, TA, or I-ICA (International Individual Contractor Agreement). 

Recently, UNOPS PSC committed itself to the provision of services intended to mitigate the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices. In this connection, both traditional Mine Action activities, as well as IED Threat Mitigation activities, are included in the general term “Explosive Threat Mitigation (ETM)” Officer.

The ETM Officer will be responsible for the administration and management of the work in support of all projects related to Operations and Capacity Development. S/he will report to the Chief of Operations, or delegated authority). S/he is responsible for the provision and implementation of the following main duties:

• Oversee all aspects of mine action related activities carried out by staff under your supervision and control
• Implement and monitor technical and national safety standards
• Ensure close and effective interaction and coordination of the integral aspects of mine action, such as Mine Victim Support and Explosive Threat Risk Education
• When requested, act as the Investigating Officer for Detailed Independent Investigations or Boards of Inquiry for Mine/ERW/IED Accidents or incidents
• Debrief mine action (MA) organizations and other implementing partners on quality assurance (QA) achievements and QA assessments and ensure that all QA assessment data is captured through the appropriate QA documentation and QA tracker
• Provide guidance on any specific corrective actions to be taken by organizations, following an inspection, which finds a critical non-conformity
• Ensure proper maintenance of documentation for all inspected land
• Ensure proper storage of explosives in accordance with national and international guidelines an ensure control and security of explosives that are used by implementing mine action organisations within the area of responsibility
• Develop and conduct training, and manage the quality of training on Landmine clearance, ERW clearance and IED Threat Mitigation as required
• Implement QA management systems and ensure that the systems are being applied in a fair and equitable manner, and that accreditation, licensing and monitoring does not interrupt or delay MA projects
• Conduct routine on-site QA of MA organization operations (for monitoring and post clearance inspections) and as part of the accreditation process
• Stay abreast of  the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG’s); ensure that MA Organization Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) comply with IMAS and IATG standards and that they are conducting safe and effective Mine Action and PSSM Operations
• As directed by the Regional Area Coordinator (or equivalent) , coordinate, facilitate and prioritize all operational tasking for projects within the area of responsibility
• Oversee and coordinate the implementation, execution and completion of all  Explosive Threat Mitigation related operations for projects within the area of responsibility, with a special emphasis on operations conducted by the mission EOD/IEDD assets
• Conduct quality control on all Explosive Threat Mitigation training and mentorship carried out by contracted trainers and mentors to the benefit of project personnel, civilian and military
• Support the collection of data and the management of information
• Provide advice and input into the development of strategic and procedural documents related to EOD/IEDD matters in support to project
• Support programmatic, project and operation planning and activities through the provision of IED analysis.

Specific responsibilities for support to Capacity Development

• As directed by the Regional Area Coordinator (or equivalent), coordinate efforts in the area of ​​capacity building relations in mine action and against the risks posed by explosive threats (ERW, and IED) in accordance with the approved project work plan
• Ensure interaction and maintain close and effective coordination with relevant national military on the strengthening of capacities for mine action and against the risks posed by explosive hazards
• Provide advisory support and technical assistance for capacity assessment elements of relevant national military units
• Provide advisory support and technical assistance to relevant national military units in matters of information management (compilation and reporting of incidents / interventions)
• Conduct quality control on formal training carried out by International Forces, Internal national military or contracted training personnel, to selected  national military personnel
• Provide mentorship to selected national military personnel as part of formal training validation and on the job training

Other Duties

• Oversee the operational management of the client office in absence of the Regional Area Coordinator
• Depending on the role which this position will be assigned to within the project administration setup in a specific country/programme (i.e. office structure, DOAs, OneUNOPS functions, segregation of duties, etc.), the incumbent will have responsibilities determined by UNOPS rules and regulations embodied in its regulatory framework – Organizational Directives, Administrative Instructions and other documents as periodically issued and updated by UNOPS. Reporting lines with regards to compliance with UNOPS rules and regulations are ultimately to Director of UNOPS Mine Action Centre through the respective Portfolio Manager. In addition, division of responsibilities when it comes to administrative processes in support of the programme objectives will be as determined for each country office and confirmed in writing by UNOPS Director of Mine Action Centre
• Perform other tasks as directed by the Programme Manager and Chief of Operations.

• Master Degree or equivalent in business administration, project management, social science, or related field is required; 
• Bachelor Degree or equivalent with an additional two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;  
• High School/Secondary education in combination with an additional 6 years of Military or other relevant experience in the field of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and/or Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) (Military and/or civilian), may be considered in lieu of a university degree

• IEDD certification by an internationally recognized and accredited military or civilian institution is required
• Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Level 3 (or equivalent) is required

• 5 years of experience in operations management is required; this experience can be within the fields of either military mine action, commercial mine action, or humanitarian mine action, and must include experience with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) or Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD)
• 3 years of experience conducting  explosive threat mitigation activities is required
• 1 year of demonstrated experience in training is required
• Knowledge of the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) is required
• Experience in capacity-building is desired
• Experience with training foreign nationals in EOD/IEDD techniques is desired
• Counter-IED/IED threat mitigation operational field experience in the last 10 years, as part of  a military deployment or within a mine action programme, in a high threat IED environment is desired
• Experience with the QA and QC processes with regard to humanitarian mine action desired
• Knowledge of the UN system and UNOPS procedures is desired
• Computer literacy, in particular experience of using MS Office and IMSMA is desired

Teamwork - Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; Places team agenda before personal agenda; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings

Planning and Organizing - Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently

Judgment/Decision-making - Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; Gathers relevant information before making a decision; Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; Checks assumptions against facts; Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; Makes tough decisions when necessary

Communication - Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed

Commitment to Continuous Learning - Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession; Actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally; Contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates; Shows willingness to learn from others; Seeks feedback to learn and improve

Technological Awareness - Keeps abreast of available technology; Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology;

Accountability - Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable

• This roster announcement will remain open for several weeks and we will review applications and conduct assessments continuously. 
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Based on organizational needs at the time of recruitment, applicants accepted into this UNOPS roster pool may be considered for job at the advertised job level or its equivalent.
• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the job.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. 
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.