Global Safeguarding Advisor Flexible: US-based; or country where Helen Keller has a presence, contingent on availability of work authorization

Helen Keller

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Global Safeguarding Advisor

Flexible: US-based; or country where Helen Keller has a presence, contingent on availability of work authorization

Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

Helen Keller is seeking a Global Safeguarding Advisor to spearhead efforts to continually enhance program designs that include and protect diverse populations, and to guide and monitor implementation of safeguarding measures. The Advisor will contribute to the iteration of tools within our sector and build awareness and capacity among Helen Keller staff, subrecipients and partners, so that together, we can ensure that the people our programs serve are safe and protected from harm.

The ideal candidate will share our view that how we work with and treat one another, and how we interact with our donors, and partners are essential to both a healthy workplace culture and to positive program outcomes.

Functional Relationships

Reporting to the Director, Global Operations, the Global Safeguarding Advisor will be a key member of Helen Keller’s Operations team, which is responsible for quality program implementation, and will collaborate closely with program staff who guide the technical quality of our programs. This position will partner closely with Program Directors, Technical Advisors, Business Development, Regional Directors, Country Directors, People & Culture staff, and global colleagues from other departments to ensure alignment and appropriate adaptation of inclusion and safeguarding efforts.

This position does not supervise staff but will serve as a subject matter expert for program staff across the global organization. S/he will lead an internal Community of Practice and will liaise with the INGO community to share resources as we seek to continuously reflect upon and improve our approaches.

Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.

Key Responsibilities

The Advisor will serve as a global focal point and catalyst to continually enhance inclusion and safeguarding in Helen Keller’s programs.

Overarching

• As a member of the Global Operations team, and a bridge to the Programs department, participate in planning and direction setting for your department and our programs, lending your unique perspective and expertise to the process.
  • Collaborate with both teams to define and continually refine meaningful metrics and goals in regards to safeguarding and inclusion and report progress.
• Model collaboration for your matrixed team: effectively consult and inform colleagues to maximize efficiency and knowledge sharing and integrate guidance and direction from subject matter experts in your department and elsewhere in the global organization to maximize performance.
• Work with staff to achieve goals and ensure accountability to beneficiaries, partners, colleagues, and donors by providing ongoing feedback in a context of mutual respect.
• Participate in international work groups as assigned to develop global policies and/or optimize systems and procedures.
• May be assigned as a point person and liaison for external experts hired to conduct investigations of reported complaints of Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment and/or to support the process of internal investigations with the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality.

Program Design & Implementation

• Coordinate a functionally and geographically diverse working group to lead the assessment, development, and continuous improvement of safeguarding and inclusion approaches in our programs that can be adapted and operationalized by program teams.
  • Foster a cohesive and collaborative approach to inclusion and safeguarding.
  • Map existing efforts to include and protect populations across different program types.
  • Identify gaps and lead discussions to prioritize plans to address those gaps.
• Provide technical assistance to country offices and proposal teams on safeguarding and inclusion throughout the project life cycle from design through implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning, including clear documentation of all processes and procedures.
• Support and build capacity of safeguarding focal points across the organization. Consult with colleagues to identify and address resource needs, training, and awareness gaps.
  • Develop and continuously improve guidance and tools to support the development and implementation of safeguarding systems, compliance with safeguarding standards and to build awareness and culture around safeguarding, adapting as necessary to the various contexts we work.
  • Identify and/or develop training and resources for staff and partners about their responsibilities to safeguard children and vulnerable adults
  • Engage with teams working on related areas to ensure that efforts are harmonized.
  • Conduct trainings, as appropriate.
• Represent Helen Keller in relevant external safeguarding and/or inclusion networks.
  • Stay abreast of and contribute to the sector’s ongoing iteration of best practices and procedures for preventing misconduct and addressing allegations of misconduct in a way that protects victims from further harm and share learnings and trends with Helen Keller colleagues.
• Recommend updates to Helen Keller’s policies and procedures, as needed, to incorporate beneficiary safeguarding best practices, and comply with UN, host, and federal government requirements.

Required Qualifications/Competencies

• Master’s degree in relevant technical area, such as gender, women’s studies, or international development, or similar social sciences field required; plus
• At least 7 years of relevant program and/or safeguarding experience with a humanitarian or development organization, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Successful track record developing safeguarding resource materials, including guidance, tools, trainings and best practices.
• Experience in international development and public health programs as well as an understanding of the unique safeguarding challenges faced by development organizations who work through others to implement programs
• Contextual understanding of safeguarding in Africa and Asia is required. Lived experience in one of these regions is strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of latest international protection frameworks and mechanisms on safeguarding. Understanding of donor regulations related to Safeguarding (UN, DFAT, USAID, EU).
• Proven experience responding to and managing sensitive safeguarding matters in a confidential manner.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. French language skills a strong plus.
• Experience in a training, facilitation or support role delivering content to diverse audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including active listening skills, the ability to communicate effectively across cultures, to negotiate effectively with internal and external colleagues.
• Ability to comprehend, interpret and apply the appropriate sections of applicable laws, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, and policies.
• Collaborative, flexible and solution-oriented.
• Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.
• Commitment to Helen Keller Intl’s work and mission.
• Ability and willingness to flex work hours to accommodate multiple time zones.
• Willingness and ability to travel around 20%, in the countries where Helen Keller works.
• Helen Keller Intl requires all US-based staff, and all staff who travel internationally to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, whether or not they have had COVID.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is from a minimum of $88,000 to a maximum of $159,000. Actual base salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, and business sector.