Locations: Vienna, Faridabad, Dakar, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Deadline: Apr 25, 2023
Job Description
SOS Children’s Villages, founded in 1949, is the world’s largest non-governmental organization focused on supporting children and young people without parental care, or at risk of losing it.
Child neglect, abuse and abandonment is everywhere. Families are at risk of separation. Locally led, we work in more than 130 countries and territories to strengthen families who are under pressure so they can stay together. When this is not in a child or young person’s best interests, we provide quality care according to their unique needs.
Together with partners, donors, communities, children, young people and families, we enable children to grow up with the bonds they need to develop and become their strongest selves. We speak up for each child’s rights and advocate for change so all children can grow up in a supportive environment.
Location: Innsbruck, Vienna (Austria), Faridabad (India), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya, only home office from official home address in Kenya)
Duration: Full time, unlimited
Mission
SOS Children’s Villages strives to create and ensure a safe environment for everyone who engages with us internally or externally. An environment that does not expose children, young people and adults to harm, sexual exploitation and abuse. It also strives to manage its financial and other assets free from fraud and corruption.
All aspects of the work of the Investigations Team must be in line with the SOS Safeguarding approach and be victim/survivor and whistle blower centred. Individuals raising allegations must be protected, including their identities, and always in control of the sharing of all information relating to themselves. Therefore, the Investigations Team and investigators need to ensure that individuals know and can access the relevant victim support pathways.
The main high-level purposes of the Investigations Team area are:
a) To develop and roll out high quality investigations across the Federation.
b) To identify, build capacity and deploy from a pool of staff for the investigation of safeguarding or fraud allegations.
c) To ensure that a single incident management register and a secure document management system are in place and used.
d) To work with the Safeguarding Team and Internal Audit Team to ensure that each investigation in the overall incident management process is conducted according to agreed Terms of Reference and produces reports and clear recommended management actions.
e) To liaise with the Safeguarding Team and relevant managers on victim support pathways.
d) To gather and share learning from investigations to support a safe environment for children, youth and adults, counter fraud and corruption.
e) To liaise with the Ombuds persons across the Federation where complaints about the investigation process have bene raised and to learn from Ombuds assessments.
f) To participate in, share with and learn from external networks to improve internal practice and to influence sector wide thinking and initiatives related to investigations.
The Head of Investigations plays a key global role in helping to ensure that the organisation conducts high quality investigations into incidents relating to child and adult safeguarding allegations, fraud, corruption and other criminal activity.
In all aspects of the Investigation Units work is always led by objectivity to increase protection of victim / survivor and subject of complaints.
The incumbent is responsible for continuously ensuring the independence of the Investigations Unit. In this context, the position reports to the Director of Audit and Investigations and through them to the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.
The Head of Investigations is responsible for developing and managing the Investigations function within SOS Children´s Villages International and to provide investigation support to other parts of SOS Children’s Villages not managed by the General Secretariat (e.g. independent member associations).
Where very complex, multi-incident cases occur the Head of Investigation will conduct the investigation.
Tasks & Responsibilities
Management of the Investigations Function in line with key principles and behaviours:
- The incumbent manages, champions, enables and supports mainstreaming of high-quality investigations across the organisation’s functions, geographies and its programmes.
- Ensures all aspects of the Investigation Units work are always led by a victim / survivor centred approach.
- Champions and models the organisational values, behaviours and Code of Conduct.
- Maintains independence of the Investigations Team.
Ensures high quality investigation processes:
- Defines and updates investigation processes with the input of Child and Adult Safeguarding, Asset Protection and Anti-Corruption and Internal Audit.
- Applies globally recognised professional principles as outlined in investigation regulations for the conduct of investigations.
- Develops a consistent process across different incident types, for high quality investigations.
- In accordance with misconduct and investigation regulation works with Child and Adult Safeguarding and Asset Protection and Anti-Corruption teams to agree Terms of Reference for each investigation and that reports, outcomes and recommendations are actionable.
- Checks the compliance by investigators and management with agreed investigation standards and processes, with the assistance of Internal audit.
Creates and directs the global pool of investigators:
- Leads the global pool of investigators.
- Defines and updates parameters for a global pool of investigators including numbers, diversity, specialisms and geographic spread (with input from Safeguarding, Asset Protection and Anti-Corruption and Internal Audit).
- Runs process to populate the pool of investigators. (Note: investigators are not fulltime roles but individuals conducting periodic investigations alongside a main role).
- Puts training, support and individual reviews in place to ensure that investigators conduct investigations to high standards using Federation agreed processes.
- Ensures that there is a Terms of Reference and cost estimate for each investigation (investigations are funded by Member Associations / individual department budgets).
Conducts investigations:
- Conducts investigations personally – which will usually be the most complex cases or where allegations relate to senior staff.
Incident management register:
- Ensures timely input about investigations into the new SOS Children’s Villages Incident Management System.
- Manages the single incident management register and secure document management system.
- Ensures that these are the recognised single system for use by Safeguarding, Asset Protection and Anti-Corruption and Internal Audit teams across the Federation.
Involvement in use of investigation outcomes by the Federation:
- Works with Safeguarding, Asset Protection and Anti-Corruption and Internal Audit units to ensure that the investigations element of incident management process is consistent, comprehensive and aligned across all types of investigations.
- Conducts spot checks to ascertain whether management are implementing action plans arising from investigations.
- Liaises with the Ombuds to seek feedback on systemic or individual weaknesses in investigations and use of outcomes.
- Produces the annual published report on numbers of investigations and types of outcomes.
Use of learning:
- Ensures learning from overall conduct of investigations (not content) is gathered and shared.
- Uses learning to continuously improve the federation’s investigations processes.
- Participates in external networks to share and learn from best practice across the sector and similar organisations.
Management of team and resources:
- Manages, strengthens and lead a diverse and collaborative team at the International Office (IO) based in different locations and virtually connected.
- Manages the General Secretariat Investigations Budget but also seeks additional project or permanent funding from Promoting or Supporting Associations or external donors.
Requirements
- Bachelors degree in forensic science, criminal law, criminology or relevant field (e.g. Public Administration) with sound/extensive relevant experience
- A minimum of 10 years of experience in conducting investigations with at least 5 years in a lead or management position
- Accreditation or membership of a recognized professional body for investigations
- Experience of working in an international and multicultural setting
- Deep expertise and experience in developing and managing often complex investigation processes across a range of thematic areas
- familiarity with all relevant evidence types (e.g. circumstantial, direct, trace, hearsay etc) and the rules governing their admissibility. Thorough understanding of the investigation process and the unique circumstances of each case
- Very good understanding of core principles and approaches for a victim / survivor centered safeguarding approach
- Expert knowledge of state of the art and professional framework, principles and quality standards for investigations, of criminal law, rules and legislation
- Excellent Stakeholder management mainly with senior staff or Board members in various countries. Communication with numerous, mostly high-profile stakeholders on highly sensitive and challenging outcomes inside the SOS Children’s Villages Federation.
- Strong Leadership and Management skills for a diverse and geographically distributed team / pool, sound and proven experience in leading a multicultural team/network including building internal capacity
- Strong analytical skills along with good interviewing and interrogation skills
- Ability to work in and support a diverse, equal and inclusive organisation
- Strong and highly effective communication skills
- Honest and ethical with high levels of integrity and confidentiality
- Ability to take difficult decisions about complex issues using judgment and experience
- Ability to demonstrate and model organisational values and behaviors aligned with those of SOS Children’s Villages
- Good ability to handle emotionally highly challenging work especially with victims / survivors during investigations and direct involvement in protection of victims / survivors
- Ability and willingness to succeed in periods of intense working during high level complex investigations, complex highly timebound work on communications or in other organisational crises
- Willingness to travel to Children Villages around the globe (12-18 trips a year)
- Excellent Business English language skills (oral and written), French, Spanish or Arabic would be an asset
- Valid work permit for the country you are applying for. Willingness to relocate to the chosen location, if necessary
We offer
- A diverse range of interesting tasks in a leading INGO multicultural working environment
- As a responsible employer we provide a range of training schemes and encourage educational enhancement
- A salary that will be commensurate with experience and qualifications
If you are interested in this position, please submit your detailed application in English by the 19th of April, 2023 at https://careers-sos-kd.icims.com
Successful candidates will have to submit a criminal record certificate, current within the last three years. In accordance with the organisation’s child protection policy, these positions will be subject to criminal record checks.
Due to the high level of responses, SOS Children Villages can only respond to shortlisted candidates.