The Director of Safeguarding will lead the Safeguarding Team and ensure that GiveDirectly has the systems, policies and processes in place to proactively manage safeguarding risk and deliver cash safely to recipients. S/he is responsible for setting GiveDirectly’s vision for excellence in safeguarding and leading the team to successful delivery, managing a global team as well as providing robust oversight and support to country Safeguarding Managers. S/he will champion safeguarding across the organisation, advising senior leadership and coordinating with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure that safeguarding is prioritised and mainstreamed throughout all aspects of GiveDirectly.

Reports to: VP Risk, Internal Audit, Safeguarding and Compliance (RISC) 

Level: Director

Travel Requirement: 25% for supervisory visits, team events, etc.

What you’ll do:

Safeguarding Team Leadership

• Be the custodian of “Recipients First” value at GiveDirectly by ensuring that safeguarding is fully mainstreamed across all pillars in the organization. The Director of Safeguarding is ultimately accountable for actively preventing harm for recipients, communities, staff, and partners.
• Responsible for creating a strategic vision for the team and a clear roadmap on how this vision will be achieved. This includes coordination with senior leadership, country leadership, and other stakeholders to identify needs and propose solutions for how the Safeguarding team can add value to country programs, support the organisation’s growth, and ensure strong compliance with donors, governments, and local laws.
• Lead coordination and project management to implement the strategic vision.
• Own strategic planning, goal setting and budgeting for the Safeguarding team.
• Serve as a staff focal point for safeguarding concerns, being an independent resource for staff to disclose or discuss safeguarding concerns outside of management lines or People Division.
• Represent GiveDirectly in external safeguarding forums for sector compliance, best practice learning and partnership building

Safeguarding Strategy, Standards and Policy

• Establish and mainstream a strong organisational culture of safeguarding, including the prevention of SEAH, through the development of appropriate policies, procedures, training and communications.
• Oversee strong knowledge management and internal communications in order to make Safeguarding standards and guidance accessible throughout the organisation.
• Ensure safeguarding standards are mainstreamed in documents, project designs, processes, and procedures. Sign off on Project Stories from a safeguarding perspective.
• Develop and oversee implementation of safeguarding metrics to be used by stakeholders across the organisation. Collect regular data from country offices on progress against specific safeguarding indicators, and disseminate reports of these indicators to stakeholders with the aim of informing program improvements and protection strengthening.
• Own all safeguarding audit undertakings with internal and external partners/stakeholders.

Safeguarding Mainstreaming within Program Operations

• Accountable for developing, disseminating and upholding GiveDirectly’s safeguarding standards and best practice; represent safeguarding in cross-functional/leadership discussions.
• Champion safe programming design and implementation across the organisation, including advising country teams on proposals and delivery.
• Ensure Safeguarding Team provides high-quality support to the programs team to ensure safeguarding policies and practices are well coordinated across GiveDirectly programs, and to mitigate safeguarding related risks in program design and delivery.
• Conduct spot checks, country oversight visits and other audits as needed to assess GiveDirectly’s adherence to safeguarding standards.

Risk and Incident Reporting and Case Management 

• Develop and monitor safeguarding reporting mechanisms to ensure that all recipients and staff have an accessible reporting system. Audit and monitor these to ensure proper management.
• Receive and follow up on incident reports received via the Whistleblowing email inbox and Ethico independent reporting platform.
• Support country operations team in delivering survivor-centred responses for both staff and recipients who experience safeguarding violations.
• Work with the Risk Committee, Legal, or People Division where necessary to advise on case resolution.

What you’ll bring:

• Exceptional alignment with GiveDirectly Values and active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates who have personal or professional experience in the low-income and/or historically marginalized communities that we serve.
• Language Requirement: English.
• Language Preferences: French or Portuguese would be a plus
• 7+ years of relevant experience – e.g. in non-profit country management, safeguarding organizational leadership  – with a track record of demonstrated excellence and increasing responsibility
• Relevant technical expertise e.g. safeguarding investigations, program design, gender or protection
• Exceptional communications skills: written and verbal, including with senior audiences
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with demonstrated ability to deliver results and manage a complex portfolio.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and set strategic vision: enthusiasm for fast-paced, innovative environments with a focus on robust management and performance
• Problem solver: you look at problems with an analytical and iterative mindset, with a strong framework for prioritization. You have strong stakeholder management skills and ability to work across teams.
• Alignment with GiveDirectly Values, including the ambition to pursue industry-changing success
• Active demonstration of our core competencies: emotional intelligence, problem solving, project management, follow-through, and fostering inclusivity.