Director of Safeguarding at Pathfinder International

Summary of Role:  

The Director, Safeguarding is responsible for building a culture that prevents beneficiaries, staff, and others from sexual exploitation, trafficking in persons and abuse, and sexual harassment.  In addition to preventing safeguarding violations in our workplace and in our programs across all countries where we work, the Director, Safeguarding will work to create a safe environment for reporting while ensuring and promoting respect for fundamental human rights, social justice, human dignity, and the rights of all people to exist free from fear and stigma, especially but is not limited to:

• Children (people under the age of 18)
• Young people, women, and girls
• Vulnerable adults such as those living with disability
• Those who are members of a marginalized group in their society.

The Director, Safeguarding will lead the continual refinement of the following Pathfinder policies: Safeguarding Policy, Combatting Trafficking in Persons (TIP), Family Planning Policy (FP and compliance) across its programming and work environments. The Director ensures that Pathfinder’ Safeguarding Program (includes two main policies – Safeguarding and FP compliance) is effectively implemented and operationalized in all Pathfinder programs and that safeguarding matters are responded to in a timely, sensitive, and effective manner. The Director, Safeguarding may serve as the Investigation Manager when appropriate to respond to suspected violations.

The Director develops detailed guidance and provides ongoing technical safeguarding training and support to country office teams and partners to strengthen best practices, tools, and implementation of strategies for safeguarding. The Director abides by the applicable rules, regulations, and donor requirements concerning protection and safeguarding in the unique operating environments in which Pathfinder implements programs.  In addition, the Director will provide technical support for strengthening the monitoring mechanism of FP compliance with USG Abortion and FP Requirements across Pathfinder programs and will steward the Anti-Trafficking at Pathfinder funds The Director will ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal environmental regulations.

Key Responsibilities:

Safeguarding and Culture Leadership: 

• Promote a culture of prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment through the development of appropriate policies, procedures, trainings, and communications.
• Cultivate a strong network of Focal Points across Pathfinder offices to support consistent and effective Safeguarding learning and training.
• Coordinate and provide support to the various Pathfinder country offices in conducting investigations into reported violations, including working with global HRBPs (Human Resources Business Partners) in appointing Investigation Managers or independent (external) investigators for each case, or serve as the Investigation Manager for cases where appropriate/necessary.
• To provide complex safeguarding advice to the GSO (Global Services Organization), CEO office and country specific leadership as required

Safeguarding Framework Design & Management:

• Implement Pathfinder’ Safeguarding policy and procedures containing prevention and response, in close coordination with the Global and Regional HRBP – this will include the following policies currently in place: Safeguarding, TIP and FP compliance.
• Conduct benchmarking with similar organizations and participate in industry roundtables on Safeguarding issues to ensure Pathfinder’ Safeguarding policies incorporate current and best practices for safeguarding.
• Conduct country reviews, assessments, and focus groups to identify key risk areas, including cultural and safety considerations; work with Country Directors and Local Human Resources and Safeguarding focal persons to identify country specific issues and methods to manage and mitigate risks.
• Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are kept up to date, incorporate safeguarding best practices, and comply with government and legislative requirements for each country office.
• Ensure that lessons learned and remediation following assessments, reviews and investigations are incorporated into enhancing the Safeguarding effectiveness.

Safeguarding Learning & Training:

• Lead global efforts to develop protection and safeguarding training materials and work with country teams to identify and address training and awareness gaps.
• Working with Africa and SA-MENA (South Asia and the Middle East) staff, facilitate safeguarding trainings and/or ToTs for country teams as needed to address gaps.
• Oversee the design and delivery of Annual Mandatory Training for all staff – Safeguarding, TIP and FP compliance.
• Collaborate with Human Resources to ensure the orientation of all newly hired staff are done.

Capacity Strengthening:

• Provide training, advice, and guidance to continually build internal investigation capacity for staff conducting investigations into alleged sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiaries and workplace sexual harassment.
• Provide technical assistance to strengthen safeguarding practices throughout project life cycles at program and country levels, including oversight and support to each country program’s safeguarding project risk assessment and risk mitigation plan
• Provide technical assistance to USG FP and Abortion compliance monitoring.
• Through short term technical assistance, provide in-person training, conduct FP compliance monitoring visits, and spot-check country team compliance activities and records.
• Support program coordinators and partners with safeguarding risk assessments, risk mitigation planning and measures.

Safeguarding Reporting & Compliance: 

• Work with compliance team to ensure appropriate beneficiary and staff reporting mechanisms are reviewed identified and implemented, and coordinate with appropriate teams regarding any recommended enhancements.
• Monitor and continually develop beneficiary and staff reporting mechanisms to ensure optimal adoption and effectiveness of mechanisms as well as donor reporting as required.
• Track completion of project Risk Assessments and mitigation plan for each program/ project and serve as subject matter expert for input in best practices and global standards.
• Maintain a confidential database of safeguarding reports, with status and outcome
• Work with the Country teams to develop a TIP compliance plans for USG/USAID funded projects. Monitor and conduct annual spot-checks against Pathfinder TIP policy.
• Support Compliance in conducting related internal investigations and serve as a subject matter expert

Proposal Development: 

• Provide technical assistance to Business Development (BD) and Partnership team to strengthen proposals and to ensure donor safeguarding requirements are being addressed effectively.

Internal Awareness Raising: 

• Ensure Pathfinder’s Safeguarding, Combatting Trafficking in Persons, Anti-discrimination and Anti-harassment and FP and environmental compliance and reporting and whistleblower protection policies are known, understood, and used appropriately across Pathfinder.
• In collaboration with other services, ensure   the above policies are reviewed as required and the procedures and implementation are updated.
• Education and awareness on human trafficking throughout the Pathfinder countries and program populations, assist in the development of educational programs to support Pathfinder programs and the governments where we work in identifying and responding to human trafficking.

Family planning compliance: 

• In collaboration with Technical Services, work to promote and enhance a culture that encourages FP compliance embedded in our commitment to volunteerism, informed choice, and method choice, reflecting Pathfinder’s rights-based values and supporting an individuals’ right to choose.
• Provide technical support for strengthening the monitoring mechanism of FP and environmental compliance with USG Abortion and FP Requirements across Pathfinder program in collaborations with the country office leadership.
• Maintain the FP and abortion tracker to record which country programs and projects require USG FP compliance activities, record and track training, and management of co-located USG programs and non-USG abortion activities to ensure proper firewalls and financial and resource management.
• Train FP Focal person on monitoring requirements, including Pathfinder’s internal FP compliance training, and completion of USAID required e-learning certificates
• Provide input and recommendations on FP compliance monitoring plans for annual workplan
• Liaison with Country team and Global Monitoring and Evaluation team to set up monitoring app for FP and Environmental compliance.

Resources and Guidance: 

• Maintain Pathfinder’s internal resource center that houses all guidance materials for training and monitoring in Safeguarding, TIP, and FP Compliance.
• Partnerships: 
• Support program and partnership to integrate safeguarding into partnership agreements, learning and relationship-building.
• Deliver direct support to partners where requested, to reinforce their own PSEA/safeguarding policies and practices.

Required Education and Work Experience:

• Masters’ degree in Social Work (MSW) or related field and a minimum of six to eight years professional experience in Safeguarding program design and implementation, with clear demonstration of rights-based approaches to development and the application of Safeguarding technical advice; or
• Degree in similar discipline with above qualifications.
• Proven experience responding to and managing sensitive safeguarding matters in a confidential manner.
• Experience developing safeguarding resource materials, including guidance, tools, and best practices.
• Investigations experience with sexual exploitation and abuse as well as workplace sexual harassment.
• Experience with beneficiary protection from abuse and exploitation and sexual harassment in development contexts in program-based settings, and knowledge of international protection frameworks and mechanisms.
• Experience working with vulnerable children and adults.
• Experience working in multi-cultural environments, often in very challenging circumstances.
• Experience in USG FP policies and procedures preferred

Preferred Competence and Work Experience:

• Strong organizational skills, exceptional sense of responsiveness and ability to follow-through
• Ability to work productively and effectively with virtual teams spread around the world.
• Project Planning and Management: Advanced skills in project planning, Influencing and Customer Service Skills: Proven ability to influence using diplomacy skills with key stakeholders. In-depth demonstrated customer service skills
• Organization, Planning and Multi-tasking: Advanced organizational and planning skills, project planning and management skills. Proven ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and multi-task with minimal supervision. Proven ability to coordinate activities
• Self-Management and Teamwork: Ability to work independently or as a member of the team, ability to be detailed-oriented and consistently accurate, ability to manage stress effectively in a fast-paced environment, and ability to quickly learn new systems, processes and procedures and adapt local practices to global standards
• Matrix Management: Ability to thrive. Influence and lead in a matrixed organization
• Confidentiality: Proven ability to maintain confidentiality on work-related issues
• Interpersonal skills enabling sensitive conversations with employees, partners, on a range of topics

Other Information: 

• Technology to be Used:
• Uses cellular and office phone, laptop, or desktop computer.

Travel Requirements:

• Less than 10%