Project Officer-Partner Safeguarding

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For nearly 60 years, CRS has taken the lead in responding to natural and man-made disasters affecting Ethiopia’s most vulnerable communities. Moving beyond emergency response, CRS’ disaster mitigation and recovery projects in drought and flood-prone areas have rebuilt individual and community assets through non-food aid in the form of agriculture, livestock, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation assistance. CRS’s humanitarian work in Ethiopia also provides livelihoods support to farmers and entrepreneurs, promotes equality and inclusion, and mitigates the impact of COVID-19.

As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following position.

Job Title:                           Project Officer-Partner Safeguarding

Band:                                 VII

Required number:           Two

Employment Term:          Indefinite Term

Reports To:                        Safeguarding and Protection Program Manager

Department:                     Safeguarding and Protection

Job Summary:

The CP Partner Safeguarding Sr. Officer/FP is a new or current CRS staff member who will oversee and coordinate the roll-out of the forthcoming partner safeguarding procedures and minimum standards to implementing partners at the CP level.

Job Responsibilities:

•  Conduct mapping of implementing partners and develop country level partner safeguarding annual workplan in collaboration with other relevant staff.
• Participate in a series of ToT (Training of Trainers) events on CRS partner safeguarding procedure/framework and minimum standards.
• Organize orientation sessions for partner staff on the minimum standards and assessment process and tools.
• Conduct partner safeguarding assessments for all partners according to CRS partner safeguarding minimum standards.
• Develop action plans together with partners to ensure partner safeguarding minimum standards are met.
• Provide the necessary support for partners on partner safeguarding capacity strengthening activities. This includes:
• Provide partners with relevant templates and tools.
• Organize and conduct online or face-to-face training to partners and technical accompaniment on relevant minimum standards (as per training materials and guidance provided by the Ethics Unit).
• Conduct partners follow up visits
• Ensure that documentation from the assessments, re-assessments and follow-up visits are safely stored in the office and relevant documents are uploaded onto Gateway.
• Serve as contact person for partner safeguarding procedures and provide partners with appropriate information and technical resources.
• Write regular (e.g. monthly/quarterly) progress reports on the roll-out of the partner safeguarding procedures and share with supervisor, SMT, partnership staff and regional partner safeguarding advisor.
• Organize regular meetings with key program, risk& compliance, operations, partnership staff and any other relevant CP staff to provide update on the status, progress, and challenges of rolling out partner safeguarding procedures at the CP level.
• Participate in relevant learning events and a regional partner safeguarding community of practice and share experiences and lessons learnt with other country level staff.
• Any other tasks/duties as assigned by the supervisor

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

• BA/ MA degree in Social Work, Protection, Gender, Development, Project Management, Organizational Development, Psychology, Business or Public Administration.
• Minimum of five years of experience in the humanitarian or development sector.
• Minimum of three years of experience in designing and conducting trainings and/or implementing partnership capacity strengthening initiatives.
• Experience of having worked directly with senior staff of implementing partners.
• Previous experience in the field of protection or safeguarding.
• Experience in conducting assessments (preferred).

 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Promotes the integration of a survivor-centered approach in all areas of their work.
• Contributes to safeguarding risk assessment and mitigation strategies in relation to areas of their work.
• Promotes widespread awareness and where applicable, use of safeguarding reporting channels throughout their work.
• Knowledge of industry safeguarding/sexual exploitation and abuse principles and standards.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, representation, and networking skills.

 Required Language: English and Amharic

Travel Required:  50%

 Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory:  Safeguarding and Protection Program manager

Internal: Safeguarding and Protection program team members, Partnership and Capacity Strengthening team, Deputy Country Representative, Human Resource

External: CRS partner organizationsAgency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)  

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship