Description & Requirements
Organisation: ACAPS
Location: Kenya or Netherlands (hybrid)
Contract: Full time
Application deadline: 25 October 2025
Start date: Early January
Degree level: Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferred
About the role
ACAPS is recruiting a Global Security Manager to lead and strengthen its approach to safety, security and staff wellbeing as it transitions into an independent organisation. This is a key position responsible for developing and implementing ACAPS’ global security framework, ensuring a strong culture of safety and risk management across its operations.
Key responsibilities
- Provide leadership and oversight of ACAPS’ global safety and security
- Develop and implement security risk management strategies and systems
- Advise staff across locations on emerging security issues
- Foster a culture of awareness, planning and good practice
- Support capacity building and training across teams
- Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and senior leadership
This is a strategic and hands-on role suited to an experienced professional who can design systems while engaging directly with teams working in complex and high-risk environments.
Who they are looking for
- At least five years’ experience leading global security functions for an international organisation
- Background in humanitarian security and operational risk management
- Experience establishing or improving security systems during organisational transition
- Proven ability to assess risk and advise on practical mitigation measures
- Strong communication skills, sound judgement and emotional intelligence
- Willingness to travel, including to insecure environments
- Fluency in English; other languages an advantage
Context
ACAPS provides independent analysis to strengthen humanitarian decision-making. As it becomes a standalone entity based in The Hague, ACAPS is building new systems and structures to support its mission. The Global Security Manager will play a central role in ensuring that safety, security and staff wellbeing are fully integrated into this next phase of development.
More details and application
Full information and application are available on ACAPS’ website:
Apply via ACAPS Careers Portal
Commentary
What stands out about this role is its timing. ACAPS is at a significant stage in its development, moving from a hosted project to a fully independent organisation. For a Global Security Manager, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity — to help shape security systems and culture as part of that wider organisational transition.
The post combines strategic and practical dimensions. It requires someone who can guide senior management on policy and planning while also supporting teams directly with advice and implementation. That balance between strategy and operational relevance is what often defines strong performance in roles of this kind.
ACAPS occupies a distinctive place in the humanitarian sector. Its independent, data-driven analysis supports decision-makers in crisis contexts and helps ensure that humanitarian action is based on evidence. Building and maintaining strong internal safety and security systems will be important to supporting that mission as the organisation continues to evolve.
At Willowflow, we support organisations with recruitment, consultancy and technical delivery, and we represent specialists through our talent pool and cohort. Cohort members received this opportunity early as one of the benefits of membership.
