Safeguarding Officer

Role Overview

This position leads the organisation's day-to-day safeguarding agenda, making sure that children, young people, and vulnerable adults who come into contact with our programmes are protected from harm, exploitation, and abuse. The post holder translates policy into practice — assessing risk across activities and partners, training staff and stakeholders, and responding promptly and sensitively when concerns are raised. Because our work sits within the education and development space, the role is central to maintaining the trust of the communities, schools, and funders we serve.

Key Responsibilities

• Review, update, and operationalise safeguarding policies, procedures, and codes of conduct in line with Kenyan child protection legislation and recognised international standards.
• Carry out safeguarding risk assessments for programmes, activities, venues, and implementing partners, and recommend practical mitigation measures to management.
• Design and deliver safeguarding induction and refresher training for staff, volunteers, partner organisations, and community stakeholders, adapting content to different audiences and literacy levels.
• Receive, record, and escalate safeguarding concerns and disclosures, supporting referrals to appropriate authorities and ensuring survivors are handled with confidentiality and dignity.
• Support or participate in internal investigations and case reviews, maintaining accurate case files and tracking follow-up actions to closure.
• Embed safeguarding requirements into partner selection, grant agreements, and monitoring visits, including vetting and compliance checks.
• Compile regular safeguarding reports, dashboards, and trend analyses for management, boards, and donors, highlighting progress, gaps, and lessons learned.
• Represent the organisation in safeguarding working groups, networks, and coordination forums, and act as a point of contact for external queries on protection matters.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Gender and Development Studies, Anthropology, Social Work, Psychology, or a closely related discipline; a master's degree is an added advantage.
• At least five years of professional experience in safeguarding, child protection, or a comparable role, ideally gained within the education or development sector.
• Valid Certificate of Good Conduct issued within the last six months.
• Demonstrated command of safeguarding standards and good practice, covering child protection, gender-based violence, and the protection of vulnerable adults.
• Working knowledge of Kenya's national child protection laws, policies, and frameworks, alongside international safeguarding standards.
• Proven ability to identify and assess safeguarding risks and to develop sound, workable solutions.
• Experience designing and facilitating training for varied audiences, with strong presentation, facilitation, and public representation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the confidence to engage constructively with everyone from community members to senior leadership.
• Strong organisational, analytical, and report-writing abilities, including programmatic reporting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook — and in working with databases.
• Well-developed planning, prioritisation, and execution skills, with a track record of taking accountability for delivering agreed results.