With the supervision of the Team Leader of Child Safeguarding, the Child Safeguarding Coordinator supports the National Child Safeguarding Focal Persons in their efforts to ensure that children who are directly and indirectly cared for and supported through SOS Children’s Villages Programmes are safe and protected.

The Child Safeguarding Coordinator:

· Supports Member Associations (MAs) on the implementation of the Child Protection Policy and related Child Safeguarding Policy support documents.

· Monitors the implementation process and the organisation’s compliance to International Child Safeguarding Standards, in co-operation with national child safeguarding focal persons.

· Provides technical guidance and support to MAs’ and monitors their work in the area of child safeguarding based on the minimum requirements of the policy support documents.

· Conducts child-safeguarding audits in all MAs in the West and Central Africa (WCAF) Region.

· Ensures implementation of the policy support document “Working together to protect children. Roles and responsibilities of the GSC in the reporting and responding process”, supports and monitors the International Office Region’s work in the area of child safeguarding based on the minimum requirements of the policy support document.

· Maintains the regional child safeguarding incident register.

· Identifies promising practises as well as key challenges in relation to child safeguarding in the region.

· Facilitates MA-to-MA and external knowledge sharing on child safeguarding with a strong focus on prevention and capacity building.

· Ensures coordination of all child safeguarding activities through active participation in coordination meetings and working groups.

· Prepares the annual child safeguarding report.

· Develops global policy support documents on child safeguarding (including review of already existing documents).

Requirements

· Master or Bachelor degree in Social Work, Human Rights, Child Protection or relevant field.

· Extensive experience, progressively responsible, working in child protection programming, preferably in the Central and West Africa Region.

· Extensive experience in building strong child protection systems and in delivering services to children, including in emergencies.

· Proven representation and advocacy skills.

· Extensive experience in child and youth participation and training.

· Familiarity with key international standards for humanitarian work (e.g. Child Protection Minimum Standards, SPHERE, HAP Principles, etc.) and international documents related to children rights (e.g. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children).

· Ability to assess and analyse risks, children’s emotional, psychological and developmental need and family functioning.

· Competencies on monitoring and evaluation of Child safeguarding mechanisms implemented.

· Excellent written and oral communications skills in French and English.

· Ability to work under pressure and willingness to work flexible hours in the event of major emergencies.

· Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.

· Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.

· Commitment to SOS Children’s Villages values, including willingness to abide by and enforce the Child Protection policy.

· Ability to provide technical guidance, support and monitoring to national teams in the area of child safeguarding.

We offer:

· Diverse, creative and challenging opportunities in an international working environment.

· Possibility to make significant contribution towards the development of MAs in the Region.

· Competitive compensation package and excellent development opportunities.