Safeguarding Officer 

Job Description

Job Announcement  

Safeguarding Officer 

Job Type: Full time 

Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone 

Start Date: 15th March, 2024 

End Date: 14th March, 2025; Annual contract (renewable) 

Reports to: Program Director/Country Director, dotted line to Global Safeguarding Advisor Open to Expatriates: No 

Grade: I 

Introduction 

Helen Keller International is a global health organization dedicated to eliminating preventable vision  loss, malnutrition, and diseases of poverty. Helen Keller Intl partners with communities that are striving  to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty and is devoted to scaling up evidence-based, cost effective solutions to improve care practices and ensure that basic health interventions reach  vulnerable people, with a focus on women, youth, and children.  

Helen Keller Intl has been operating in Sierra Leone for nearly 20 years in support of the Nutrition and  Neglected Tropical Disease (NTDs) components of the National Health Development Plan of the  Ministry of Health and Sanitation, as well as food security component of the ministry of Agriculture.  

Helen Keller has a strong commitment towards creating safe workplace and programming along with  a safe enabling environment for reporting. We are committed to protecting our clients and staff from  safeguarding violations. The Safeguarding Officer will be responsible or supporting the Sierra Leone  Country Office (CO) to protect clients and staff from exploitation and abuse. 

Scope of Work 

The Safeguarding Officer work under the direct supervision of the Program Director/Country Director  with technical support from the Global Safeguarding Advisor. The post will work in close collaboration  with the Country Management Team, program leads, HR and partners. S/he will be responsible for  advising and coordinating effective implementation of the organization’s and where applicable donor  safeguarding policies and activities for the CO.  

Key Responsibilities 

Accountability & Compliance 

• Support the effective implementation of Helen Keller’s safeguarding framework in the country office and  across all country programs  
• Monitor and ensure compliance with safeguarding standards and arrangements outlined in contractual  agreements with donors, consortia, etc. 
• Advise on and support the contextualisation of global safeguarding policies where necessary to ensure  compliance with local laws and regulations 
• Ensure accurate compilation and timely submissions of country safeguarding reports to the global  safeguarding team 
• Identify crucial in-country safeguarding networks and events and ensure Helen Keller’s representation
• Support the country office and programmes to adequately plan and budget for safeguarding resources  and activities 
• Collaborate with the global safeguarding team to promote best practice, prevention and awareness in  CO. 

Safer Programming 

• Support program staff to understand and undertake safeguarding risk assessments as needed in the  program design cycle 
• Support program staff to understand and conduct partner safeguarding assessments, and address  identified gaps 
• Provide technical support to design mitigation plan for the risks identified and develop an annual country  safeguarding action plan 
• Provide technical support for incorporating safeguarding principles/protocols/behaviours in SoPs,  program design and implementation 
• Lead/co-lead on developing program related safeguarding guidance, SoPs, etc. 
• Support the development and implementation of a monitoring system that assures safeguarding  compliance across programmes in-country 
• Support the timely use and delivery of appropriately contextualised safeguarding communication  materials, surveys and awareness-raising activities to project communities and clients. 

Incident Reporting and Response Management  

• Implement, maintain and monitor Helen Keller’s safeguarding incident management framework and  SoPs for the CO in close collaboration with the Global Safeguarding Advisor 
• Ensure a survivor-centred approach to receiving concerns/complaints at all times; effectively  communicate with survivors, reporters, witnesses and subjects of complaints 
• Escalate all reported incidents to the global safeguarding advisor within 24-hours • Facilitate the development and set-up of community-based reporting systems for project locations [by  working closely] with program teams and partner organisations, as applicable 
• Maintain confidentiality and compliance with relevant data protection and information management  legislation in the collection, sharing and storage of safeguarding reports 
• Identify, assess and map locally available survivor-support services that are appropriate for safe and  confidential referrals when responding to a safeguarding incident. 

Training and capacity building 

• Lead /co-lead safeguarding trainings/learning events for staff/clients in accordance with organizational  policies 
• Support partners in conducting their safeguarding trainings, as needed/requested. • Provide ongoing advice, technical support and guidance to all staff in the CO ensuring staff understand  best practice and implement these. 
• Attend any workshops, meetings, technical working groups on safeguarding on behalf of Helen Keller  International  
• Participate in various community of practice platforms and contribute to learning, innovation and  capacity-building in safeguarding.
• Deliver other tasks delegated by supervisor. 

Qualification and Experience 

• Advanced degree in a relevant field – education, social protection, etc., or equivalent
•  At least 3 years of proven safeguarding experience 
• Knowledge and Experience of protection from abuse and exploitation and sexual harassment,  child safeguarding, or sexual gender-based violence  
• Experience in conducting trainings for diverse teams. 
• Experience in providing technical support and advise across multiple teams.
•  Proven ability to analyse and synthesise large amounts of complex data 
• Demonstrable experience of providing confidential and sensitive support in a pastoral role
•  Ability to effectively facilitate and present at high level meetings. 
• Ability to work with minimal guidance. 
• Must be able to work in a dynamic and complex environment. 
• Excellent written and verbal English language skills 

Desirable 

• Experience working with national government stakeholders to enact policy change and build  in safeguarding considerations in their work 
• Experience working in an NGO or humanitarian context, including working in a challenging field  location 
• Counselling skill 
• Safeguarding investigation experience and/or training. 

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to SierraLeone.Recruitment@hki.org

• Please mark your application as per the post above (referencing the SUBJECT heading)
•  Closing date for the receipt of applications for the above vacancy is January 30th, 2024, at 17:00hrs. 

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

“Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.