Gender and Safeguarding Officer (Addis Ababa/Jigjiga/ Jimma)

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children’s and young people. 

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government and community-based organizations across eight program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

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Our Commitment to Safeguarding  

At SOS Children's Villages, safeguarding isn't just a policy, it's a foundational value embedded in everything we do. We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting the children, young people, adults, and communities we serve, as well as our workforce and resources.

We cultivate an environment of trust and accountability where every voice is heard and respected. All successful candidates will be expected to champion our holistic safeguarding principles, actively upholding our Child & Youth Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and regulations against sexual misconduct, fraud, and corruption.

By joining our team, you commit to integrating these vital standards into your work, ensuring the highest levels of safety, ethics, and integrity in every action and partnership.

Together, we create a world where everyone feels safe, respected, and protected

Join Our Mission:

We are looking for a Gender and Safeguarding Officer who will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and monitoring of the program's Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, and Safeguarding activities at a project level. This role involves providing direct support and technical guidance to youth participating in the programme, host institutions, and field staff to ensure the program is inclusive, safe, and responsive to the needs of young women and other vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities. The Officer will play a critical role in safeguarding risk identification and mitigation, building local capacity, and managing the reporting and response to safeguarding concerns in their assigned project. 

Moreover, the holder is responsible for mapping available services for youth at risk  and survivours. He/She works closely with other other relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations at the project area.  

The incumbent is also responsible for ensuring the implementation of SOS Children’s Villages Safeguarding policies and regulations, the Code of Conduct, the values-based competency frame “Living our Values” and any further international and local regulation influencing safeguarding at SOS Children’s Villages.   

Key Responsibilities 

Implementation of Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI), and Safeguarding 

• Lead the rollout of GESI and safeguarding training, induction, and sensitization activities for all program participants (young women, persons with disabilities, IDPs), staff, partners, and host organizations within the project. 
•  Facilitate youth-led action planning, particularly ensuring the meaningful participation of young women and persons with disabilities in the program's activities and decision-making. 
•  Support the establishment and operationalization of Youth Advisory Groups (YAGs) at the project level, ensuring they are diverse and representative. 
• Conduct community sensitization workshops in collaboration with local stakeholders to challenge discriminatory norms and encourage families and communities to support young women's participation in the workforce. 
• Assist in the mapping and capacity assessment of OSS centers and TVET institutions, identifying and addressing GESI-related gaps to improve accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. 

Safeguarding Risk Management and Reporting 

• Act as the primary focal point for all safeguarding concerns and reports within the project. 
• Support host organizations (private enterprises, government offices, CSOs) to implement their safeguarding obligations as per the program's SOPs and contracts. 
• Conduct regular safeguarding risk assessments at the cluster level to identify vulnerabilities, develop mitigation plans, and implement preventive measures. 
• Follow up on all safeguarding incidents, ensuring a survivor-centered approach is applied. This includes documenting incidents, providing initial support, and facilitating access to necessary services (psychological, medical, legal). 
• Ensure that all reported safeguarding incidents are escalated and reported to the National Incident Management Team within the required timeframe ( 24 hours). 
• Maintain a confidential and secure filing system for all safeguarding concerns reported via reporting boxes. Conduct spot checks, unannounced visits, and phone calls to verify intern attendance and well-being at host organizations, paying specific attention to potential safeguarding risks. 

Inclusion and Reasonable Accommodation 

• Support the program in meeting its target of 5% participation of people with disabilities and 5% IDPs. 
• Identify the specific needs of participants with disabilities (e.g., mobility, visual, hearing) and facilitate the provision of reasonable accommodation and assistive devices to ensure their meaningful participation in training and internships. 
• Provide technical guidance to host institutions on creating disability-friendly workplaces, including physical accessibility and communication adjustments. 
• Ensure training delivery methods are inclusive and accessible, using adapted materials where necessary. 
• Support the implementation of the "Uptalking the reputation of young women in workplaces" strategy by working closely with host institutions to foster an environment where young women are recognized as valuable contributors.

Monitoring, Reporting and Coordination

• Contribute to the regular monitoring and reporting of GESI and safeguarding indicators. 
• Prepare detailed and timely reports on safeguarding incidents and GESI activities for the Gender and Safeguarding Manager and the Project Coordinator. 
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with community leaders, local government offices, One Stop Service centers, and other key stakeholders to foster a protective and supportive environment for the program's participants. 
• Support the project MEL in conducting quarterly surveys and assessments related to participant well-being and perceptions of safety and inclusion. 
• Facilitate the feedback loop with participants and host institutions to ensure continuous improvement in the program's GESI and safeguarding approaches. 

 Reporting & Documentation 

• Ensure that reports reflect disaggregated data (e.g., by age, gender, disability) and highlight trends in protection risks and needs.  
• Document and share case studies, success stories, and lessons learned to inform program adaptation, learning, and advocacy efforts.  
• Support the development of donor reports by contributing technical and contextual content specific to Gender and Safeguarding components.  
• Maintain organized and secure documentation of incident reports, session logs, and referral records in accordance with data protection and confidentiality protocols.  
• Ensure documentation of trainings, awareness-raising events, risk assessments, mitigation actions, youth hearing sessions and outcomes.  
• Contribute to the preparation of inputs for internal learning reviews, evaluations, and knowledge-sharing materials.   

Safeguarding 

• Ensure adherence to SOS CVE’s policies such as the Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Standards and others as well as the Safeguarding Policy of Mastercard Foundation 
• Ensure that all support is provided in the best interest of the programme participants.  
• Responsible for taking part in awareness-raising sessions and capacity building training in relation to Safeguarding and Code of Conduct and to protect young people from all forms of abuse, abandonment, exploitation, violence and discrimination  
• Support young people to make them understand the Safeguarding risks and protection mechanisms    
• Ensure proper safeguarding procedures and policies are in place to protect programme participant young people  
• Responsible for reporting any safeguarding suspicion, concern, allegation, or incident immediately, following the safeguarding reporting procedures.   
• Responsible for ensuring behaviours and all relationships are based on safeguarding and in line with the Code of Conduct and adhering to it in every situation  
• Be vigilant about any possible form of abuse/harm, neglect, harassment, or exploitation against youth and adults  personal and professional lives;   
• Report any Incident Management Team or concern within 24 hours to the Incident Management Team, focal person or concerned party through the defined channels for reporting the allegation.