Senior Safeguarding Officer - 2 Positions

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Major Responsibilities:

• Delivers safeguarding and PSEA training to partner leadership, management teams, staff, and volunteers across assigned IRC operational regions, ensuring consistent content and quality standards.
• Supports partners to integrate safeguarding into program design, proposal development, and day-to-day implementation across sectors.
• Monitors partner progress on safeguarding system strengthening including CFRM functionality, focal point performance, and policy adoption against agreed action plans.
• Conduct periodic monitoring and follow-up visits to assess the integration of safeguarding into partner programming, document findings, and agree time-bound recommendations with partner leadership
• Conducts regular field-level follow-up visits to assigned partners, verifying application of training and resolving implementation challenges on site.
• Mentors partner safeguarding focal points and management teams to build independent, sustained safeguarding capacity beyond the life of the project.
• Map referral pathways (health, psychosocial, legal, and law enforcement) for each partner's operating area, and establish safe, confidential systems for partners to report safeguarding concerns to IRC
• Lead the end-of-project safeguarding capacity re-assessment against the project baseline, and contribute safeguarding data and learning to donor reporting
• Documents training delivery, monitoring findings, and partner progress, and reports consolidated updates.
• Identifies emerging safeguarding risks or gaps at partner level and recommends corrective action.
• Represents IRC in partner-facing safeguarding engagements within assigned regions, maintaining consistency with IRC and donor standards.
• Undertake other responsibilities or projects as requested.
• Safeguarding Responsibilities: -
• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion in IRC [team/officer.
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue, and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.

Educational Requirements:

• BA/MA in Gender Studies, Social Work, Law, Human Rights, International Development, or a related social science field. Postgraduate degree is un advantage. 

Preferred experience & skills:

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience for first degree or 5 years for diploma holders, and 1 yesr of experience for post graduate degree

• NGO experience is a plus specifically in safeguarding, PSEAH, protection, or GBV programming;

• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering safeguarding/PSEA training, and supporting organizational capacity strengthening with local partners or CSOs;

• Strong understanding of PSEA principles, survivor-centered approaches, and relevant international standards (e.g. IASC, Core Humanitarian Standard, donor safeguarding requirements);

• Experience establishing or strengthening complaints and feedback mechanisms (CFRM) and safeguarding referral pathways;

• Excellent facilitation, coaching, and training skills, with the ability to adapt technical content for diverse partner capacities;

• Strong relationship-management and diplomacy skills, with demonstrated ability to build trust and secure commitment from partner leadership;

• Good computer skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with data collection or case management tools is an asset;

• Self-motivated, with strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills, and the ability to manage multiple partners and competing priorities;

• Demonstrated commitment to confidentiality, discretion, and survivor-centered, ethical handling of sensitive information;

• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to field and partner locations across IRC's operational regions (up to 50–60%).

• Values diversity and sees it as a source of organizational strength;

• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills;

• Proven ability to work independently and manage a multi-partner portfolio across diverse geographic and operational contexts;

• Experience working with women-led or women's rights organizations is a strong advantage;

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and respectfully with stakeholders at all levels, including community members, partner leadership, clusters, and donors

Language Skills: 

Strong oral and written communication skills in English and Amharic; knowledge of other local languages is an advantage.

Disclaimer: - Please note that IRC will never request applicants or candidates to make any form of payment at any stage of the recruitment process.

IRC is an equal employment opportunity employer.  IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Professional Standards:All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined inIRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies onSafeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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