Regional Safeguarding Advisor- Central Africa at International Rescue Committee

Job Description

• IRC seeks to ensure that our clients and staff are free from all forms of exploitation, abuse or other harm from those who work for or are associated with IRC. The Regional Safeguarding Advisor for Central Africa supports IRC country teams across the region (Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania) in this goal. The Regional Safeguarding Advisor is responsible for robust approaches to learning, risk mitigation in programs and other efforts to prevent harm; coordination with Client Responsiveness and Protection teams to ensure tailored approaches to community engagement and survivor response; promoting and advocating for safe reporting and case follow up, working closely with investigation teams; and partnership with leadership and IRC staff to foster trust, and create space for ongoing dialogue and learning. Delivery in these areas requires collaboration with multiple teams and departments in IRC, including the Deputy Regional Director, regional and country-based counterparts in Protection; Client Responsiveness; Human Resources; Gender, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; Duty of Care; Safety & Security. 
• IRC’s Safeguarding Minimum Standards offer a roadmap for IRC offices and teams to operationalize our safeguarding commitments, the IRC code of conduct, and IRC safeguarding policies. Achieving these standards contributes to safe organizational culture and delivers on our values as an organization that prevents abuses of power and is accountable in responding to harm when it occurs. The Regional Safeguarding Advisor for Central Africa is a key convener around Safeguarding Minimum Standards and supports IRC country teams in their delivery toward them, as well as in identifying gaps and advocating for resources to facilitate their work.
• The Regional Safeguarding Advisor reports to the Safeguarding Lead in IRC’s Crisis, Response, Recovery & Development Department, and is managed in partnership with the Regional Vice President for Central Africa. 
• As the role supports IRC offices or supported programing in the six countries of IRC operation in the Central Africa Region up to 50% of the Regional Safeguarding Advisor’s time will require travel. 

Major Responsibilities

Safeguarding Minimum Standards

•  Convene stakeholders and facilitate progress toward IRC Safeguarding Minimum Standards for each country program in the Central Africa region. Where in-country, permanent safeguarding staff are present, support them in their role as conveners and facilitators of progress on the standards.
•  Ensure and track participation in dynamic, regular learning (onboarding, refreshers, etc.) and dialogue related to safeguarding for IRC staff across the region, covering IRC policies and procedures, behavioral expectations, reporting pathways, and other topics identified with staff and regional leadership.
•  Collaborate with the VPRU Senior Safeguarding Advisor and country-based VPRU and Health teams to ensure that site-level service mappings are complete for all Central Africa offices, and that contact details for Safeguarding Focal Points and site-level responders are accessible to all staff and appropriately socialized. 
•  Collaborate with country and regional Client Responsiveness teams to develop clear client communication and engagement strategies, feedback mechanisms, and client satisfaction surveys.
•  Support the development of country-level safeguarding SOPs, capturing client feedback mechanisms and clear pathways for survivor-centered response for staff and clients who experience safeguarding violations.
•  Guide country team efforts to analyze and mitigate safeguarding risks in program design and delivery.
•  Partner with operational and programmatic departments in the region to ensure that safeguarding commitments in the Minimum Standards are integrated into key work tools and processes (ex: HR, Supply Chain, Safety & Security, Partnerships, etc.)

Contributing to Safeguarding Culture

•  Convene quarterly, regional meetings dedicated to safeguarding with the Regional SMT and Country Directors, plus key ECU and Employee Relations counterparts; this space includes review of trends in reporting and safeguarding investigations, update on country progress toward Safeguarding Minimum Standards, and planning of preventative action based on analysis of trends and progress.
•  Support Country Directors and Senior Management Teams to build safeguarding messaging and learning into team meetings and communications to promote continuous learning. 
•  Pilot creative approaches to safeguarding learning in partnership with GEDI and other teams focused on building a safe, equitable and caring culture at the IRC. 
•  Promote cross-context learning on safeguarding, including with and across the network of IRC partners in Central Africa 
•  Liaise with the Central Africa Partnership Advisor to support country teams on partner engagement, support planning, and mutual learning related to safeguarding. 
•  Collaborate with and contribute actively to the work of regional GEDI and People & Culture leaders.

Other Safeguarding Responsibilities and Representation

•  Ensure excellence in knowledge management related to Central Africa teams’ learning, progress and innovation related to safeguarding.
•  Work collaboratively with peers in the Safeguarding team in CRRD and the global community of practice to update safeguarding policies, standards, tools and templates.
•  Partner with colleagues in Awards Management Unit and country-based Grants colleagues to ensure organizational compliance with donor requirements and to integrate safeguarding and ‘do no harm’ into proposal design and budgeting. 
•  Lead inter-agency representation on safeguarding for the region.
•  Active participation in regional coordination spaces such as regional SMT or other

Job requirements

•  Degree in relevant field relating to humanitarian action, protection, sexual violence, or training. Equivalent professional or lived experience will be equally regarded to educational background.
•  Contextual understanding of Central Africa is required. Lived experience in the region is strongly preferred. 
•  At least 5 years of relevant program and/or safeguarding experience with an international humanitarian organization
•  Experience with client protection from abuse and exploitation, sexual violence in development and humanitarian contexts in conflict/refugee settings, and knowledge of international protection frameworks and mechanisms on safeguarding
•  Experience working with Gender Based Violence or Child Protection related programs is an asset. 
•  Capable of applying skills and knowledge in a range of capacities, including implementation, advisory /technical function, training and the transfer of technical knowledge and management skills to others
•  Experience in conducting training, orientation and refresher sessions with diverse teams; experience conducting such sessions remotely will be a plus.
•  Excellent spoken and technical writing ability in French and English is a requirement. Additional language skills are an asset.
•  Proven track record in working with teams, excellent interpersonal skills, positive and professional attitude, and ability to lead and work well with diverse teams in a complex international environment and with multiple partners.
•  Ability to travel up to 50% of time.