Security Manager - Pakistan
(Fixed-Term Consultant Role)

Nature of position: This is a fixed-term consultant role, for an expected period of 12 months. 

Under the oversight of: Head of Pakistan  

Dotted line Management: Global Operations & Security Manager 

Location: Islamabad, with travel to Pakistan country offices  

JOB CONTEXT & PURPOSE 

Adam Smith International is a global advisory firm working to strengthen economies, stabilise societies, and improve government effectiveness. For nearly three decades, ASI has partnered with governments, the private sector, and civil society across almost 100 countries. In Pakistan, ASI has maintained a permanent presence since 2009 and is now one of the largest implementation partners in the country, managing a diverse portfolio of donor-funded programmes focused on economic reform, governance, education, infrastructure, and climate. 

ASI’s work in Pakistan is delivered on behalf of international development partners, including the UK and German governments, in close collaboration with federal and provincial institutions. The Pakistan country strategy reflects a long-term commitment to contributing to the country’s socio-economic development by combining technical expertise, operational capability, and strong local knowledge to deliver sustainable results. This work is underpinned by ASI’s core values of impact, through excellence and innovation, and integrity, through accountability, transparency, and respect. 

This role is engaged under an independent consultancy agreement, with the Adviser operatingwith a high degree of autonomy in delivering agreed outcomes. Within this context, the Pakistan Duty of Care and Security Manager is responsible for leading operational, security, and risk management functions to support programme delivery. The role ensures the effective implementation of corporate policies and security procedures, enabling teams to operate safely and efficiently in a complex and often volatile environment. 

Operating in Pakistan requires responsiveness to evolving security dynamics, regulatory uncertainty, and a broad range of duty of care challenges. The primary purpose of this role is to ensure that all projects can achieve their objectives safely and securely, while maintainingcompliance with ASI standards. Given the nature of the operating environment, there is a high expectation that personnel remain fully capable, alert, and able to perform their responsibilities at all times, exercising sound judgment to ensure safety and operational effectiveness. 

KEY RELATIONSHIPS 

Internal 

• Pakistan Platform Operations, HR and Finance staff  

• Global Operations and Security Manager 

• ASI Head of Pakistan 

• Pakistan Project Managers and Project Directors 

• ASI Project Managers and Directors during emerging new country projects 

• UK and Pakistan Finance, HR, Legal and Compliance 

External 

• Operations and security staff of peer companies operating in Pakistan 

• Client security and duty of care personnel 

• Government Agencies 

• Relevant suppliers and subcontractors in Pakistan 

• Relevant suppliers and subcontractors in new emerging ASI countries projects  

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES 

• Ensure the safety and security of all ASI personnel in Pakistan through the effective design, implementation, and continuous improvement of security and duty of care frameworks. This includes proactive and timelyrisk management, incident response, and emergency preparedness to enable safe and uninterrupted programme delivery in a complex and high-risk operating environment.   

• Lead the development, review, and continuous adaptation of security and duty of care policies, procedures, and systems, ensuring they remain responsive to emerging risks, operational gaps, and changes in the external environment. This should also include a particular focus on women and women’s safety also given that the platform is at least 50% female.  

• Establish and maintain a compliant, efficient, and value-for-money operational platform in Pakistan that meets all local legal and regulatory requirements, supports programme delivery, and enables business continuity under varying operating conditions.  

• Drive the development and refinement of security operational policies and procedures across functions, ensuring they are practical, scalable, and responsive to evolving programme needs and contextual challenges.  

• Build and sustain effective, trusted relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including staff, clients, partners, service providers, and relevant authorities, to support safe and effective operations.  

• Ensure full compliance with national legislation and ASI corporate policies on health and safety and security.  

• Oversee the procurement, performance, and accountability of contracted security providers, ensuring high quality service delivery, appropriate standards, and strong value for money.  

• Optimise operational support services to ensure they are efficient, reliable, and cost effective, directly enabling programme teams to deliver against objectives.   

KEY TASKS  

• Develop, implement, and regularly update country specific Security and Risk Management Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure operational and security activities run effectively and in compliance with corporate policies and local regulations and support all team members. 

• Cascade and implement corporate policies onSecurity and Duty of Care, ensuring alignment with both global standards and local context. 

• Ensure full compliance with corporate policies, SOPs, and applicable laws, and enforce adherence to security and duty of care policiesacross the country team, taking immediate action on non-compliance and escalating issues to the Head of Pakistan and Global Operations and Security Management as required. 

• Lead the identification, assessment, and management of operational and security risks, maintaining risk registers and ensuring mitigation measures, contingency plans, and response protocols are in place, tested, and regularly updated. 

• Oversee travel risk management processes, including journey management planning, travel approvals, and pre-deployment and in-country security briefings for staff and consultants. 

• Coordinate and, where required, lead incident and crisis response, ensuring timely reporting, effective communication, and the conduct of post-incident reviews to support continuous improvement. 

• Ensure all security documentation, including Security Risk Management Plans, Emergency Response Plans, Crisis Management Plans, and Security SOPs, are current, fit for purpose, and understood by all staff and consultants. 

• Maintain continuous situational awareness of the operating environment, analyse threats, and provide timely, practical advice to teams on risk mitigation measures. 

• Gather, assess, and disseminate security and operational information and intelligence in line with agreed protocols, including producing regular security updates and risk assessments. 

• Oversee the preparation and dissemination of accurate and timely security incident reports, situation reports, and weekly/monthly security summaries. 

• Support and coordinate emergency and medical evacuations where required, ensuring readiness of systems, providers, and procedures. 

• Work closely with Project Managers to ensure duty of care responsibilities are fully understood and effectively implemented across all projects, including staff welfare and wellbeing considerations. 

• Design and deliver security briefings, onboarding sessions, and relevant training to staff and consultants, including crisis preparedness and simulation exercises where appropriate. 

• Oversee accommodation planning, movement tracking, and journey monitoring systems to ensure staff safety and accountability at all times. 

• Manage the procurement, contracting, and performance oversight of third-party security providers, including due diligence and quality assurance,  

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including clients, partners, service providers, and relevant local authorities, to support safe and effective operations. 

• Contribute to technical and commercial proposals by providing inputs on security risksand security compliance costings  

• Ensure business continuity planning is in place, including preparedness for disruption scenarios and the ability to maintain or rapidly resume operations. 

•  Support the implementation of appropriate information security practices in operational contexts, particularly in higher-risk or low-infrastructure environments. 

• Promote a strong duty of care culture across all operations, ensuring staff remain capable, informed, and supported to operate safely in a complex and dynamic environment. 

• Ensue the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) framework policy is implemented and meets both local regulatory requirements and UK international standards. 

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS  

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as security management, international relations, political science, business administration, or a related discipline.  

• Recognised professional certification in health, safety, and risk management (e.g. NEBOSH International General Certificate or equivalent).  

• Formal training or certification in security risk management, crisis management, or duty of care frameworks.  

• Certification or demonstrated training in business continuity planning and emergency response.  

• Knowledge of and training in international security standards and frameworks (e.g. ISO 31000 Risk Management, ISO 22301 Business Continuity, or similar).  

Understanding of legal and regulatory compliance requirements relevant to operations in Pakistan, including health and safety, employment, and security-related obligations.  

• Professional fluency in English; working knowledge of Urdu (and/or other local languages) preferred 

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: 

• At least 8–10 years of relevant professional experience in security, duty of care, operations, risk management, or a closely related function.  

• Significant experience working in complex, high-risk, fragile, or security-sensitive environments, preferably including Pakistan or comparable contexts.  

• Demonstrated experience managing security and duty of care functions for international organisations, donor funded programmes, NGOs, consulting firms, or similar operating platforms.  

• Proven track record in developing and implementing security risk management systems, including SOPs, risk assessments, risk registers, mitigation plans, incident reporting systems, and emergency response procedures.  

•  Experience leading or coordinating incident response, crisis management, emergency preparedness, and medical or security evacuations, including post-incident reviews.  

•  Strong operational management experience, including oversight of logistics, facilities, accommodation, travel, movement tracking, asset management, procurement, and support services.  

•  Experience managing third-party vendors and contracted security providers, including procurement, due diligence, performance monitoring, quality assurance, and value for money analysis.  

•  Experience engaging with government authorities, clients, donors, service providers, and local stakeholders on operational, compliance, and security matters.  

•  Demonstrated ability to analyse threats, monitor the operating environment, and provide clear, practical security advice to senior management, project teams, staff, and consultants.  

•  Experience delivering security briefings, onboarding, training, and capacity building, including travel briefings, crisis preparedness, and staff awareness sessions.  

•  Strong understanding of duty of care, health and safety, business continuity, compliance, and corporate policy implementation.  

•  Experience working with donor-funded or international development programmes, including an understanding of programme delivery pressures, compliance requirements, and client expectations. 

   

  SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES: 

• Strong security risk management and analytical skills, with the ability to assess threats, manage complexity, and develop practical mitigation measures.  

•  Cultural awareness and adaptability, with the ability to operate effectively in diverse and challenging environments.  

•  Well developed interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with internal teams, clients, partners, and external stakeholders. 

•  Proven decision making and problem solving under pressure, including the ability to operateeffectively in high-risk and fast-changing environments.  

•  Excellent planning and organisational skills, with a focus on delivering results, managing competing priorities, and maintaining high standards of quality and accountability.  

•  Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, including reporting, briefing, and effective knowledge management.  

• Effective leadership and collaboration skills, able to influence, support, and work through others in a matrixed or non-line management environment.  

•  Good financial and commercial awareness, including budgeting, financial forecasting, and an understanding of procurement, logistics, and value for money.  

•  High level of integrity, professionalism, and discretion, particularly in handling sensitive operational and security matters.  

•  Strong situational awareness and attention to detail, with the ability to anticipate risks and respond proactively.  

•  Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy and accountability, while aligning with organisational policies and standards.  

•  Professional fluency in English. 

  ATTITUDE & BEHAVIOURS 

• Calm, resilient, and composed, able to operate effectively under pressure and maintain focus in high-risk and uncertain environments.  

•  Positive and professional, with the ability to motivate and support others through challenges and setbacks.  

•  Proactive and solution-oriented, demonstrating initiative, ownership, and a focus on practical outcomes.  

•  Adaptable and open-minded, with a flexible approach to problem solving in dynamic and evolving contexts, including working with diverse teams and people from diverse backgrounds 

•  Collaborative and empathetic, able to build trust, work constructively with others, and foster consensus across diverse stakeholders.  

•  Resourceful and self-driven, capable of working independently while remaining aligned with organisational priorities.  

•  Trustworthy, discreet, and accountable, with high standards of integrity, professionalism, and judgement.  

•  Committed to maintaining appropriate personal conduct and fitness for duty at all times, in line with the operational and security-sensitive nature of the role 

ASI is committed to continually improving the diversity of our workforce through the attraction, retention and development of a diverse range of talented people. We want people to be comfortable bringing their whole self to work and recognise that inclusion brings further opportunities for innovation and creativity.