SOS Children’s Villages International is a global organization established in 1949 to meet the basic needs and protect the interests and rights of orphaned and vulnerable children. SOS Children’s Villages International works through member associations in over 136 countries worldwide.
Established in Chad since 2005, SOS Children’s Village Chad supports children’s development through its alternative care, family strengthening and community development units, a primary school, a medical center and emergency programs.
As part of the establishment of the National Ombudsman’s Office, we are seeking to recruit a committed person to fill the position below:
Position 1: A National Mediator for Chad
Supervision by: The SOS Children’s Villages Ombudsman Office
Location: Position based in N’Djamena with travel to the organization’s various offices
Fixed-term contract: One (01) year renewable
Job Summary
The SOS Children’s Villages Ombudsman Office is an independent office that supports children and young people in situations that have not been successfully resolved by SOS Children’s Villages’ safeguarding processes.
An ombudsman is a trusted person who can listen to, support, and guide children and young people. There are national, regional, and global ombudsmen.
Each mediator follows four principles: Confidentiality, Impartiality, Independence, and Informality. They work independently of SOS Children’s Villages, acting as a safeguarding check and balance, with the aim of finding a solution to the issue raised.
Based in N’Djamena, he/she will be required to travel to the organization’s various offices.
Most frequent professional relationships/Main partners
- Regional Mediator;
- National Director;
- The Heads of the Departments and Services of the National Assembly.
Duties, Responsibilities/Areas of Performance
In order to continue its mission, SOS Children’s Villages has decided to set up a mediation office.
The National Ombudsman – Country, as a designated neutral professional, will raise awareness, encourage prevention, promote child participation and enable children and young people to be safe in all SOS CV programs and services.
This is a trusted person who has the skills and interest to examine their concerns and find a local solution:
- Respect the principles of confidentiality, independence, informality and impartiality;
- Guide a fair process by listening and supporting;
- Use conflict resolution skills;
- To be an element of control and balance;
- Identify trends and make recommendations to SOS Children’s Villages – Chad and the General Secretariat (SGC).
The national mediator will operate independently of SOS Children’s Villages – Chad and report to the regional mediator.
Child Protection and Safeguarding
- Comply with the child protection and sexual harassment policy during the performance of their contract with SOS Children’s Villages Chad;
- Ensure compliance with the child protection policy in the unit or department under their responsibility;
- Actively contribute to the implementation of child protection activities within SOS Children’s Villages Chad;
- Contribute to developing strategies for the implementation of the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy within his/her department.
Profile and Skills
- At least five years of proven experience in one of the following areas: mediator, mediation, child safeguarding, child protection or children’s rights;
- Bachelor’s or higher degree in a relevant field such as children’s rights or child protection, child and youth studies, mediation, social work, child psychology, safeguarding or psychosocial well-being, law, or equivalent;
- Good knowledge of children’s rights or child protection/prevention and related issues – child safeguarding, child development and health, law, policies, regulations and international standards relating to child care;
- Minimum 3 years experience working with children and young people;
- Experience working in communities;
- Very good listening skills and good sense of observation;
- Strong communication skills;
- Strong facilitation and training skills – Ability to develop and deliver engaging training and ongoing support workshops for staff and children’s representatives;
- Proven ability to build relationships with children and young people, identify marginalized children and young people, build rapport and trust;
- Problem solver, counselor and mediator able to resolve youth and adult problems effectively and quickly;
- Understanding of the local context, including laws, policies, practices, language and social norms;
- Take into account gender equality and diversity and be representative;
- Have perfect mastery (oral and written) of French;
- Fluency in English (oral and written) is an asset;
- Understand the foundations of the Mediator’s work;
- Be of Chadian nationality;
- Experience working within an NGO or international organization would be an asset.
Child Protection and Safeguarding
Actively contribute to the implementation of child protection activities within SOS Children’s Villages Chad;
- Comply with the child protection policy during the execution of their contract with SOS Children’s Villages Chad;
- Ensure child protection in the implementation of activities with children and young people.
We offer :
- Training and development;
- Support from the regional mediator;
- Satisfying and challenging work;
- Remote and in-person working arrangements;
- The opportunity to work for an NGO that is a member of a recognized international network
What we stand for: **
SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a caring and protective environment that promotes its core values ​​and prevents and addresses child abuse and exploitation. We strongly condemn all forms of child abuse and exploitation, whether within or outside our organization, and always respond to any actual, suspected, or attempted abuse within our sphere of influence according to its nature. Efforts are made to put mechanisms in place to raise awareness, assist with prevention, encourage reporting, and facilitate response. These range from human resource development actions such as training and counseling to measures such as suspension, dismissal, and legal action.
SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a safe working environment for our staff, the children and young people, and the communities we serve. The organization prohibits harassment, exploitation, and abuse by or towards any employee, supervisor, manager, child, young person, community, partner, applicant, or other individual or entity with whom SOS Children’s Villages employees come into contact in the course of their work. All employees are required to carry out their duties in accordance with our policy on the prevention and protection against sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse.
Furthermore, SOS Children’s Villages has a zero-tolerance policy regarding fraud. The organization does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process.
How to apply
Applications should be sent by email to the following address: hr@ombuds-sos-cv.org and/or lienk Careers – SOS Children’s Villages
Along with the position for which candidates are expressing interest, the files must contain:
- A cover letter addressed to the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages International in Chad.
- A detailed CV including three (03) contact details of reference persons (name, position, email, telephone number) of which two (02) must be recent supervisors.
- Application form:Â Application form FR
BN:
To protect the independence of the Ombudsman’s office, this position is not open to employees of SOS Children’s Villages or to those who have been employed by SOS Children’s Villages within the last two years, nor to those who have relatives working for SOS Children’s Villages.
Only successful candidates will be contacted.
Female applicants are strongly encouraged.
The deadline for submitting application files is July 13, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.