Role Purpose:

Save the Children has agreed an ambitious new strategy for 2022-24, which requires us to work in some of the world’s toughest and most complex operating environments. Safeguarding is a cornerstone of our work, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that we do no harm to the marginalized children and communities that we serve. This responsibility lies with all of SCI’s 17,000 employees, our volunteers, and our 1000+ partnership organisations.

We are looking for our next Global Safeguarding Director – a strategic and operational leader specializing in safeguarding awareness, prevention, reporting and response. The ideal candidate will be accountable for implementing the 2022-24 Safeguarding Strategy and formulating a robust onward strategy to prevent and mitigate safeguarding risk within SCI and its programmes (direct and indirect implementation).

The Global Safeguarding Director will be responsible for cultivating a robust safeguarding culture and establishing effective prevention and response protocols to address safeguarding across SCI, and indirectly across the Save the Children movement. The role holder will provide vital support to Save the Children International’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Trustees, and Member organizations.

The role will ensure high quality delivery and efficient operation of the Global Safeguarding team, through strong leadership and management of nine staff (five Regional Safeguarding Directors plus four technical experts in HQ Safeguarding roles); in addition to providing strategic, technical, and pastoral support to a wider network of Regional Safeguarding Specialists and in-country safeguarding staff.

The role holder will also work closely cross-functionally to activate and embed safeguarding across the whole organisation and align and collaborate across incident reporting functions including counter-fraud and safety and security.

The role holder will require expert stakeholder engagement skills, including elements of high-level advocacy and influencing. The position will also require agile and inspirational leadership, especially amidst complexity and crisis, in order to manage day to day safeguarding risk, maintain compliance and accountability to communities and key stakeholders, and continue to grow the safeguarding capacity within SCI and its partners.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Significant experience in safeguarding or related field, demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of safeguarding prevention, awareness, reporting, response
• Proven track record of implementing safeguarding measures, techniques and strategies
• Deep understanding of safeguarding in international development and humanitarian response, particularly in the countries and regions where SCI works
• Familiarity with international safeguarding standards, and legal and regulatory obligations applicable to charities registered in the UK
• Ability to operate at a senior executive level and transition seamlessly between strategic safeguarding risk management and day-to-day operational safeguarding response.
• Proven track record of working in a matrix management environment, delivering objectives in a complex landscape, with a demanding timetable and competing demands
• Excellent communicator, facilitator and leader, able to clearly and confidently articulate and communicate on and deliver the organisation’s safeguarding strategy
• Strong negotiating skills to engage and influence all levels of staff
• Strong analytical skills to assess and act on trends
• Demonstrable ability to take a pragmatic approach to safeguarding in operating environments with low skills capacity, high insecurity, limitations to funding and limited technology, and political instability
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Demonstrable commitment to Human Rights and Save the Children’s values
• Self-sufficient, proactive self-motivating work style
• Ability to provide long distance support and establish supportive relationships/networks
• Awareness of own strengths and weaknesses and evidence of commitment to self-managed personal development

Desirable

• French, Arabic or Spanish speaking skills
• Substantial experience of successfully leading global initiatives on Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, Child Safeguarding, PSEA, Human Rights or similar at a senior level
• Significant experience of complex case management
• Significant experience of delivering safeguarding or protection programming in development or humanitarian context
• Experience of safeguarding at-risk adults (e.g. people with disabilities)
• Extensive experience of planning and undertaking training programmes/workshops in child protection/safeguarding at a range of levels (e.g. field workers, mangers, senior managers and decision makers)