Field Security Manager

Job Description

Your New Role…

Working in partnership with the Newsgathering teams, you will be responsible for the planning and coordination of our newsgathering efforts, including our field operations teams. You will utilize your on-the-ground knowledge and experience to provide bespoke planning advice to the business and executives on safety and security risk and mitigation for field deployments, particularly in hostile environments. This includes other WBD business units that require detailed planning in hostile or expeditionary environments.

You will have regional and as required global responsibility. This includes directing and coordinating logistics and review of Risk Assessments authored by security advisors in the field, and often with limited notice, particularly in hostile and/or remote environments.

This position will manage emergency security communications while on duty, ensuring all requests for support have been met/dealt with in line with the CNN Security Team SOPs, Policing the Smart Apps allocations, deactivations and tracking platform and monitoring of intelligence products is also a critical function of this role. The FSM must also support and make recommendations to the DoS with project implementation, including inventory, equipment procurement and improvements to the training program within CNN.

This role will also be required to deploy to complex, austere and challenging environments, to support the business during all deployments and will act as an incident commander during crisis. In addition, whilst London-based, this role will require you to deploy worldwide to support hands-on as required.

The Field Security Manager (FSM) will assume responsibilities for the Director of Security (DoS) when not present. Dynamic decision making is required. The role will require oversight of SRS functions, adherence to SOPs, and be a team SME on security deployments across the region. The FSM must liaise directly with the CNN Newsgathering leadership team, Director of Coverage and other key stakeholders for all tasks with an emphasis on High Risk tasks, when on duty.

This role reports directly to the DoS EMEA and will be under the guidance of the Global Senior Director of Security and CNN's EMEA Leadership team .

Your Role Accountabilities…
• Oversee in-field assigned SRSs and CNN newsgathering teams as needed to ensure operations in the field are aligned with CNN management and executive editorial and safety goals.
• Collaborate with the Planning futures team, Directors of Coverage on planning assignments including authoring risk assessments and risk mitigation plans before and during deployment.
• Oversight of movements while teams are deployed, ensuring the execution of the plan or making adjustments as necessary in real-time, with consideration of editorial needs as well as conditions on the ground.
• Oversee in-field assigned SRSs and CNN newsgathering teams as needed to ensure operations in the field are aligned with CNN management and executive editorial and safety goals.
• Collaborate with the Planning futures team, Directors of Coverage on planning assignments including authoring risk assessments and risk mitigation plans before and during deployment.
• Oversight of movements while teams are deployed, ensuring the execution of the plan or making adjustments as necessary in real-time, with consideration of editorial needs as well as conditions on the ground.
• Ensure non-technical equipment (including kit, ''go-bags,'' PPE, safety gear, troops supplies, etc.) are up to date and work, with responsibility for keeping track of inventory, advising and communicating the correct use of safety equipment.
• Be part of the ''follow the sun'' approach between our CNN International Bureaus, this will include being the primary point of contact in an emergency, while on duty, for any incident within the region or globally, while on duty.
• Respond to and advise with respect to emergencies including, but not limited to, med-evac, terror attack, war zone incidents, kidnap, ransom, civil unrest, etc.
• Liaise as appropriate with corporate Risk Management, Travel, and WBD Corporate security functions, in consultation with or independent of the DoS.
• The FSM must ensure that the 24/7 Emergency Rota is updated at all times, in consultation with the DoS.
• Conduct internal audits and up-to-date risk mitigations and assessments.
• Support the Futures Team on management of SRS team visas, travel, hotels and other support, as required.
• Management and updating of CNN records, ensuring we are compliant with the CNN Security team SOP's and remain market leading throughout all our trainings delivered to staff, freelancers and contributors.
• Seek training opportunities that contribute to the organization and may be outside typical security remits.
• Prepare and deliver training across the WBD organization, develop maintain close/productive relations with EVPs and above.

Qualifications & Experience...
• Proven experience working with editorial teams planning field assignments
• Expertise in the regions in which teams might be deployed
• Delivery of Internal Training
• HEFAT
• Emergency briefings – For breaking news deployments
• Bespoke Solutions for unusual assignments
• Internal workshop and awareness sessions
• Strong project management, communication, and organizational skills
• Technically savvy with the ability to manage Microsoft Office 365
• A strong network across the media security industry, governments, NGOs and known as a leading figure and acknowledged as a font of knowledge and experience on high risk security matters.
• Significant operational management experience, with a proven track record in assisting in the shaping and driving of the delivery of the security functions with media industry or one within similar scale of complexity
• Relevant specialist in areas of training and delivery of forward security planning, within complex enviroments
• In-depth knowledge and experience of relevant legislation, codes of practice, guidance and operating procedures across own discipline within media security
• Thorough knowledge and ability to advise on specialist SRS subject, management of risks and mitigations.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

The Legal Bits…

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.

If you're a qualified candidate with a disability and you need a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for this position, please contact us at recruitadmin@wbd.com.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-robk96-18-226-88-145-42 in your application.