Country Safeguarding Manager at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing its interventions on humanitarian assistance, economic development, and conflict mitigation. With the ongoing insurgency in Northeast Nigeria causing the displacement of millions of individuals, Mercy Corps started its humanitarian response in 2014 to address the rising humanitarian needs. As the crisis has persisted, Mercy Corps' strategy has also expanded to address the root causes of the conflict and seek to build the long-term resilience of communities with integrated programs focusing on governance, the recovery of markets and livelihoods, social cohesion, and social protection, youth empowerment, and local conflict management.
• The Nigeria country program has grown considerably over the last few years and is now the fifth largest Mercy Corps country program, with a mixed grant and programming portfolio.

General Position Summary

• The country Safeguarding Manager will be responsible for maintaining high standards of training raising awareness and information dissemination activities including the development, implementation and monitoring of the Capacity Buildings plans, solid preparation of sessions, and developing training materials on time based on program needs identified and existing best practices. She/he is expected to proactively plan and lead protection and safeguarding capacity-building initiatives and activities to deliver to Mercy Corps' partners, including local NGOs, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
• The country Safeguarding Manager will ensure that programmes, systems, and other departments understand and mainstream all stakeholder's safeguarding needs. The candidate must ensure that all team members abide by the Safeguarding principles and policies. The candidate will regularly provide inductions and mandatory training to new staff. S/he will coordinate closely with all departments and programme parties to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the safeguarding capacity-building plan.

Essential Responsibilities
Programming and systems support:

• Play a significant role in designing and implementing Mercy Corps Nigeria’s safeguarding-related initiatives at program and operational levels that recognize and enhance existing safeguarding systems and processes whilst building strong working relations with Mercy Corps’ Global Safeguarding Team and Mercy Corps Nigeria country leadership. This includes regular reviews and updates of the mainstreaming activity plans.
• Support effective teamwork, communication, and collaboration across teams and liaise with the Regional Safeguarding Advisor and HQ Safeguarding team for support.
• Work with the country leadership in all aspects of Mercy Corps' interventions from a safeguarding lens, promoting and making necessary recommendations to improve these interventions and make them safer for all staff, participants, and other stakeholders.
• Follow up on the implementation of the safeguarding annual action plan in close coordination with the country director and collaboration with other departments.
• Understand the different legal contexts and risks and implement safeguarding best practices which are legally compliant with the laws of Nigeria.
• Support the country management and program leads to mitigate safeguarding risks in program activities and ensure mitigation measures identified in country risk registers are addressed promptly and monitored periodically.
• Contribute to concept notes and proposals to ensure Mercy Corps’ commitment to safeguarding is integrated and reflected in line with the Safeguarding Core Standard 5 (Safeguarding Integration in Programs).
• Provide strategic planning support for teams implementing Core Standards by advising on best practice approaches for implementation; close follow-up and support to Heads of functions.

Training and Capacity Building:

• Provide orientation and on-the-job training to Mercy Corps staff on safeguarding across all field offices.
• Support contextual adaptation, design and roll-out of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials on safeguarding for the country program, including delivery of training on different aspects.
• Conduct safeguarding capacity-building assessments for Mercy Corps staff and other stakeholders to address their training needs.
• Develop a comprehensive capacity-building plan based on the capacity-building assessment outcomes considering the needs and gaps.
• Carefully plan and prepare training material, and assume full responsibility for planning and organizing delivery of the safeguarding core standards based on Mercy Corps' safeguarding policies.
• Manage the overall prevention component activities including information dissemination, awareness raising and capacity building activities in coordination with the Global Safeguarding Team and the relevant departments (Programs, Human Resources, Operations).
• Document information from the training and sensitization sessions completed to generate lessons learnt, good practice & success stories, challenges and recommendations useful for planning future training sessions and for continued reflection and adaptation.

Representation and Coordination:

• Participate and represent Mercy Corps at the PSEA Cluster and other relevant coordination platforms relating to safeguarding in the Humanitarian/Development Sector.
• Liaise with internal departments including but not limited to Programs, HR, Finance, Operations, Program Performance and
Quality team, field management as well as field staff to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the overall capacity building plan.
• Internal representation of safeguarding processes and workstreams at SMT meetings
• Represent safeguarding in relevant internal meetings such as the country strategy process.
• Support the preparation of internal and external reports on the status of safeguarding prevention workstreams as requested or needed
• Lead on gathering and analyzing data to assess the implementation of the Safeguarding Core Standards

Survivor Response and Support:

• Act as a reporting avenue for safeguarding related issues or concerns.
• Act as a resource to survivors and help ensure their safety, security and well-being and support a survivor-centred approach when requested.
• In coordination with local PSEA networks identify, map, and annually update the survivor service map to serve as a directory for support services available to survivors
• Ensure safeguarding allegations are reported immediately to the Global Ethics and Compliance Team via the Integrity Hotline.
• Provide support for investigations if requested by the Ethics Team.
• Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
• Accountability to Participants: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Accountability:

• Reports directly to the country Director, with matrix reporting to the Director of Programs
• Works Directly With SMT, Program Leadership, HR, Safety and Security, Finance, Operations, Safeguarding Focal Points, Champions and Co-Investigators, the Global Safeguarding Team (primarily the Regional Safeguarding Advisor and Investigator)

Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Social Sciences, Law, Psychology, Health, Social Work, Humanities or other related discipline.
• 5+ years of professional experience in the development/humanitarian sector
• Technical skills, experience, and knowledge in PSEAH, safeguarding, protection, GBV or gender highly desirable
• Experience with planning and project management
• Strong coordination and organizational skills and ability to keep on top of multiple workstreams
• Strong writing skills and mature communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cross-functionally
• Proficiency with MS Office software required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite)
• Demonstrated sensitivity and ability to maintain confidentiality
• Demonstrated appreciation for a survivor-focused safeguarding approach
• Experience designing and delivering training to diverse audiences
• Experience with Psychological First Aid and survivor-sensitive approach
• Excellent listening, interpersonal, communication and networking skills in both remote and in-person contexts

Success Factors:

• The successful candidate is well organized, a collaborator, and results-driven. She/he can manage a significant amount of information, and navigate and track multiple work streams for the timely completion of work plan deliverables. She/he is a clear communicator, a good writer and able to develop and utilize strong relationships with team members and across functional units in the organization to achieve project objectives. Flexibility and willingness to engage in a wide range of support activities, including basic administrative tasks when needed. A sense of humor and strong interpersonal skills to work independently and collaboratively across teams and with a myriad of stakeholders.
• Self-motivated, highly responsible, punctual, flexible, culturally sensitive. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps.
• S/he will take the initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate an ability to communicate, assume leadership, and make solid decisions. S/he will possess a demonstrated ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel both in a managerial as well as training capacity.
• Fluency in Hausa will be an enabling success factor for this role given the need to communicate and interact with community members within the implementation sites in Mercy Corps Nigeria.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together.
• Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges.
• We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

• Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all.
• We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics:

• Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy.
• We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.