Senior Safeguarding Specialist (Africa Country Cluster)

Netherlands - Amsterdam office

Full-time

Fixed-term

Your mission

War Child is looking for a:
Senior Safeguarding Specialist (Africa Country Cluster)
Who strengthens safeguarding systems and drives a culture of safety, accountability, and protection.

About the role

The Senior Safeguarding Specialist provides technical expertise to strengthen safeguarding practice across War Child Alliance, ensuring that safeguarding standards, policies, and approaches are consistently understood, applied, and continuously improved.

The role supports the organisation to identify and manage safeguarding risks, embed safeguarding into programmes and organisational processes, and strengthen systems, capacity, and culture. Working across teams, functions, and contexts, the Safeguarding Specialist contributes to safe, accountable, and ethical ways of working that protect children, communities, and staff..

What you will do

This role sits within the Integrity & Safeguarding function and works across country programmes, and global teams. It supports coordination between HR, safeguarding, investigations, and operational teams to ensure a consistent and effective approach to integrity, safeguarding, ethical behaviour, and misconduct management.

Provide technical safeguarding advice and guidance to managers and teams, supporting consistent interpretation and application of safeguarding standards, policies, and frameworks.
Contribute to the development, refinement, and contextualisation of safeguarding approaches, tools, and frameworks to ensure they remain practical, relevant, and aligned with organisational and sector standards.
Advise on the identification, assessment, and mitigation of safeguarding risks across activities, programmes, and partnerships, supporting informed and risk-aware decision-making.
Guide the strengthening of safeguarding systems and processes, including reporting mechanisms, community feedback channels, and risk management practices, ensuring consistency and effectiveness.
Support the integration of safeguarding principles into organisational processes, including programme design, partnerships, recruitment, and operational practices.
Provide technical input to capacity strengthening efforts, including advising on learning approaches, training content, and capability development for staff, focal points, and partners.
Contribute to monitoring, analysis, and interpretation of safeguarding data, trends, and risks, providing insight to inform organisational learning, improvement, and decision-making.
Work across functions (e.g. HR, programmes, MEAL, safeguarding, integrity) to promote alignment and coherence in safeguarding approaches, policies, and practices.

Your profile

Education	Relevant qualification or equivalent professional experience in safeguarding, social work, psychology, international development, humanitarian action, human rights, or a related field is desirable.
Experience	Minimum of 2 years’ experience working on protection, PSEA and/or safeguarding with civil society / I/NGOs Experience of delivering safeguarding activities in emergency response situations Worked on safeguarding, protection, or related risk areas in a complex organisational or programme environment Supported or advised on safeguarding concerns, incidents, or risk management processes Contributed to the development or application of safeguarding policies, frameworks, or standards Worked across teams, functions, or partners to support consistent approaches to safeguarding practice Supported integration of safeguarding into programmes, partnerships, or organisational processes Contributed to capacity strengthening, learning, or awareness initiatives related to safeguarding or protection Worked with sensitive information and situations requiring discretion, sound judgement, and ethical decision-making Worked in international, humanitarian, development, or values-led environments
Languages	Fluency in English is required for this role. Fluency in French is also desireable Additional languages may be useful for example Swahili, Arabic, Hausa
(Technical) Knowledge	Knowledge of safeguarding principles, protection standards, and risk management approaches Understanding of safeguarding in both organisational and programme contexts, including partnerships and community engagement Understanding of relevant international standards (e.g. CHS, PSEA, safeguarding frameworks) and their practical application Ability to provide clear, practical, and context-sensitive technical advice Ability to assess and interpret safeguarding risks and support appropriate mitigation measures Ability to work across functions and build effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders Ability to communicate clearly and support shared understanding on sensitive or complex issues Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with a proven ability to build trust, understand client needs, and deliver clear, tailored solutions in client-facing environments. Uses judgement to balance policy, context, and organisational values in decision-making Ability to support learning, reflection, and continuous improvement in safeguarding practice Supports inclusive, respectful, and values-led ways of working

What we offer

Location: Based in any of the War Child offices across the Africa Cluster.

Type of Contract : Local contract with salary and secondary labour conditions based on the in-country salary scale, local T&C's will apply.

Why You Should Apply

Meaningful Impact : Contribute directly to improving the lives of children and families affected by conflict through quality education and long-term, sustainable change.
Professional Growth: Join a dynamic organisation that values learning, innovation, and professional development, with opportunities for capacity building and growth through the role and War Child’s global network.
Global Reach : Play a key role in scaling a ground-breaking programme across multiple conflict-affected contexts worldwide.
Collaborative & Inclusive Culture : Work alongside passionate, mission-driven colleagues in a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace that prioritises safety, fairness and equal opportunity for all.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter in English through our career's website by August 12, 2026

Please note that CVs and applications sent by email will not be considered. Applications must be submitted through the official application channel only.

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By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.

Disclaimer

Only applications received via our website are processed.
If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.

About us

The War Child Alliance

The War Child Alliance Foundation is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) committed to supporting children affected by armed conflict. We work alongside partners, governments, educators, caregivers and communities to strengthen children’s wellbeing and learning, protect them from harm, and ensure that war does not define their futures.

Central to our approach are evidence-based methodologies, using research and learning from thirty years of experience to build evidence of what works and expand effective approaches across different contexts.

Our global teams work across different countries and regions, bringing together expertise and experience from diverse contexts. War Child currently operates in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine, and Yemen. We also have Member Alliance offices in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Children in Conflict in the US. https://www.warchild.net/

Safeguarding and Integrity
Our work with children and at-risk adults to keep them safe is the most important thing we do. We are committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in all areas of our work. We have zero tolerance for any behaviours and practices that puts children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse and/or harm. All (prospective) employees will be expected to be compliant with and sign up to our Child Safeguarding policy, our Code of Conduct and PSEA: Adults at Risk Policy. You can find the Child Safeguarding and Adults at Risk policy here: Integrity & Safeguarding - Home

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and Belonging (DEIB)
We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to ensuring that all our people and job applicants are treated fairly, irrespective of where, what or whom they were born, or of other characteristics. We want to offer a safe and inclusive workplace where all our people, especially those who are currently marginalised or underrepresented, can be themselves at work.