WANTED: Bomb disposal workers (no experience necessary)
Diana’s charity seeks daring staff to clear landmines in Middle East
IT is definitely not a job for the faint-hearted.
But the Scottish charity famously backed by Princess Diana is recruiting staff to help clear landmines.
The Halo Trust is looking for brave ‘international operations’ workers for missions in war zones around the world.
Surprisingly, no previous experience is required.
The charity, based in Dumfriesshire, was a favoured cause of the late Princess of Wales.
Prince Harry is currently a patron of the charity and Hollywood star Angelina Jolie was previously a trustee.
The latest job advert reads: ‘You will learn field skills including mine clearance, ordnance disposal, minefield survey and mapping and other skills such as logistics, security, and quality management.
‘Your training will prepare you to manage operations within one of our programmes, where you could be leading 250 to 1,000 local employees.’
Requirements include ‘the ability to cope with physically demanding conditions – climbing mountain tracks and working under tropical sun for hours on end’.
New recruits can expect to start at the end of the summer. At around the same time, the charity is planning a hugely symbolic landmine clearance at the site where Jesus is said to have been baptised, on the River Jordan, a no-go zone since mines were laid during the third Israeli-Arab war in 1967. Potential recruits will be invited to selection days at the Duke of Buccleuch’s Drumlanrig castle, near Halo’s HQ at Carronfoot. Around eight people will be recruited after interviews and two days of training exercises. The salary has not been revealed and a representative of the charity said only that applicants should be motivated by the charity’s ideals. Halo’s HR director, Claire Wheatley, said: ‘We are looking for a wide variety of people. We provide a full training package, which lasts about six to eight months, so there’s no experience required in landmine clearance or ordnance disposal.’
The selection event will examine leadership ability and teamwork and Miss Wheatley said: ‘One task is a ‘cas-evac’, where they come across a casualty and abandoned vehicle and they must work as a group to decide how to manage the situation and get the casualty to safety.’
Asked if any previous candidates had been killed on the job, she said: ‘I don’t have all of the details, but there will be casualties. People need to appreciate that they are possibly going out to more dangerous environments than working in the UK.
‘We work in countries like Afghanistan and Somalia where there is a more restrictive security environment.
‘In some areas there could possibly be curfews and staff will possibly work and live in compounds. Some of the compounds could be guarded. There’s in-depth security training as part of the package.’
Those interested can apply via Halo’s website by June 23.
‘There will be casualties’