Context and challenges of the position: The countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Chad, and Togo present a wide diversity of contexts, ranging from institutional stability to protracted crises. The region faces intersecting challenges: insecurity, forced displacement, persistent poverty, fragile health and education systems, food insecurity, and the marked effects of climate change. These factors exacerbate the vulnerabilities of populations, particularly people with disabilities and marginalized groups.
In this context, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) implements humanitarian and development actions aimed at improving access to essential services, strengthening community resilience, and promoting inclusion. HI’s interventions are structured around several key areas: rehabilitation, mental health, inclusive education, protection, food security and livelihoods, risk reduction, conflict transformation, and advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities. HI’s approach is based on community participation, the principle of “do no harm,” and the pursuit of a lasting impact in service of human dignity.
In a spirit of continuous improvement, HI has undertaken a process of regionalizing and decentralizing its operational governance, aiming to bring decision-making closer to local realities. This evolution is accompanied by increased pooling of resources, harmonization of practices, and a greater pursuit of programmatic coherence within its various intervention frameworks.
In this context, HI is recruiting a Regional Safeguarding Specialist to implement its safeguarding policies and ensure a safe working environment.
Type of contract: Fixed-term contract under local law according to the country of assignment of the selected candidate.
Contract duration: 12 months (renewable)
Mission: The Regional Safeguarding Specialist contributes to the implementation of Humanity & Inclusion’s mandate and strategy within the Sahel West Africa (SAO) Programme. They are responsible for the technical implementation of the HI Safeguarding framework (Protection against employee abuse) across their entire area of activity. They provide technical expertise and ensure the optimization of the quality and impact of actions implemented within the SAO regional programme, through cross-cutting approaches and appropriate control mechanisms. They share with all other HI managers the responsibility for sound management and the smooth functioning of the overall organization.
The Regional Safeguarding Specialist contributes to the prevention and management of risks related to issues of moral, sexual and discriminatory abuse within the organization. He/she will support the Deputy Regional Director in coordinating the development and implementation of the Safeguarding package.
Responsibility 1: Standards and expertise
- Is responsible for deploying the organization’s Safeguarding technical standards including the Code of Conduct, policies for the Protection of Beneficiaries against Abuse, Exploitation and Sexual Harassment and Child Protection, with these made available to all individuals collaborating with HI;
- Is responsible for the implementation of this package by adapting it to the framework of the different entities of the organization and by setting up the associated guidelines, procedures and tools. Contributes to updating to international standards when necessary in coordination with the Safeguarding unit at headquarters;
- Supports field teams in implementing Safeguarding technical standards in their procedures and associated activities;
- Specifically supports the deputy regional director in the implementation of Safeguarding technical standards in projects;
- Develops a learning system based on acquired experiences and lessons learned for the organization.
Responsibility 2: Is responsible for deploying the Safeguarding components within their area of intervention in close collaboration with Management
- Coordinates the development and updating of the action plan and macro risk analyses with the relevant stakeholders;
- Ensures that the protection policies and code of conduct, as well as the appropriate toolkit items, are made available to all individuals collaborating with HI;
- Supports the support services teams in their compliance with Safeguarding frameworks and in particular the HR team in implementing the safe recruitment process for the organization;
- Supports operational teams at the country level in the implementation of contextualized Safeguarding standards in the;
- Develops in-depth training and awareness packages tailored to the contexts and challenges of the area for all staff, management, and partners;
- Develop and conduct information and awareness campaigns for countries in its area on PEAHS, Child Protection and the code of conduct;
- Develop internal communication and dissemination plans within the different departments of the program.
Responsibility 3: Contributes to the organization’s internal and external compliance and accountability in the area
- Supports field offices associated with the Institutional Financing Directorate on donor compliance frameworks and the technical responses to be provided for its area.
- Implements, under the guidance and close supervision of the Safeguarding unit at headquarters and the deputy regional director, the procedure for reporting incidents to landlords. Ensures technical control and is the mandatory point of contact for all technical exchanges on a case with a landlord;
- Ensures monitoring of implementation progress with the production of annual data;
Responsibility 4: Contributes to the quality of the feedback and complaint management systems for beneficiaries regarding Type 3b and 3c complaints
- Contributes to the Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) of the feedback and complaint management mechanisms developed by the MEAL units for the Safeguarding part;
- Checks the technical compliance of the SoPs of the feedback & complaint management mechanisms developed by the MEAL teams for the Safeguarding part in the field;
- Communiqué on the professional alert mechanism for HI employees;
- Supports field MEAL teams in setting up feedback and complaints mechanisms within communities to ensure they are inclusive and functional;
Responsibility 5: Provides technical support to Safeguarding Officers and manages the network of Focal Points (FP);
- Contributes to the recruitment and establishment of field Safeguarding positions for the Programme and Projects; provides technical coaching;
- Ensures the mapping and training of Focal Points, HR managers & MEALs/compliance managers with a focus on handling complaints & promoting a Safeguarding culture internally;
- Implements a system for monitoring and managing Safeguarding resources;
- Specifically supports the “projects” focal points known as EAHS & APP in their work to raise awareness among the population about protection policies and the code of conduct, as well as the functioning of return and complaint management mechanisms;
Responsibility 6: In charge of managing PEAHS, harassment and discrimination alerts;
- Is a secondary recipient of reports of violations of protection policies and code of conduct reported in the EthicsPoint platform;
- Ensures the security and management of complaint receipts in coordination with the managers/PF concerned with particular attention to the implementation of protection for the victim and the whistleblower;
- Conducts initial case assessments, contributes to the selection of investigators in conjunction with the Safeguarding Unit Headquarters or by appointment – leads the investigation team;
- Contributes to the development of Terms of Reference in conjunction with the Safeguarding Unit Headquarters and selection of external service providers for certain investigations;
- Technically reviews and validates investigation reports in coordination with the Safeguarding unit at headquarters.
Responsibility 7: Contributes to the cross-cutting culture of Protection within the program (Protection Mainstreaming)
- Participates in hubs, clusters and other PEAHS meetings at the regional level and in the various working groups;
- Collaborates with technical specialists in Protection, MH-PSS and Inclusion to promote cross-cutting protection in programs: sharing tools and good practices in the prevention and management of violence and abuse.
Candidate profile;
- Master’s degree (Bac+5) in social/political sciences, humanitarian affairs, international law or a similar field. Certification/training in safeguarding/protection preferred;
- Minimum 5 years of experience in Safeguarding / PSEA-H / GBV / Protection / Inclusion / Accountability topics;
- At least 03 years of experience in multi-country technical supervision/coordination;
- Experience in designing/deploying training and/or tools related to safeguarding;
- Experience in systems strengthening and/or development of ethical culture;
- Experience in developing and implementing safeguarding policies;
- Experience in conducting or supervising internal investigations.Special conditions
- Excellent communication and writing skills (notes, reports, summaries);
- Ability to manage sensitive situations with diplomacy, confidentiality and discernment;
- Good analytical and decision-making skills on complex subjects (triage/orientation, risk analysis, appropriate measures);
- Good command of risk management and safeguarding, including sexual abuse and exploitation;
- Proficiency in computer tools, particularly Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Fluent spoken/written French; English: an asset.
Salary conditions:
Depending on HI’s salary scale in the country of the selected person.
Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for tests and job interviews. Please note that the selection process may begin as applications are received, without waiting for the deadline . All submitted CVs may be added to HI’s talent pool, unless the candidate requests otherwise.
Note : Humanity & Inclusion | Handicap International is committed to promoting equal opportunities and combating all forms of discrimination in hiring. Recruitment is based on skills and experience. HI values the diversity of backgrounds and profiles. Applications from women and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged, even if all the criteria are not met.
Reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process and the position itself can be considered, depending on the individual needs of candidates with disabilities and within the limits of HI’s capabilities. We sincerely encourage candidates with disabilities to express their specific needs in their cover letter.
Humanity & Inclusion (HI) has a Zero Tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and intimidation, as well as fraud and corruption. HI has a reporting and complaints management mechanism that ensures rigorous, transparent and inclusive handling. All reports can be submitted confidentially and securely to: complaint@Country_Name.hi.org;
The successful candidate agrees to adhere to and respect HI’s Code of Conduct and Ethical Policies, available at this link: https://hi.org/fr/politiques-institutionnelles. All job offers will be subject to satisfactory references and background checks as required. HI will contact previous employers for any information regarding alleged or ongoing incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, fraud, and corruption at the time of departure.
- ^ Type 3b: Violations of HR policies, psychological harassment and intimidation
- ^ Type 3c: Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment, Child Abuse
How to apply
Send a detailed Curriculum Vitae limited to three (03) pages maximum and a cover letter of one page maximum to the following address: recrutement.sao@hi.org with the subject line: Application “ Regional Safeguarding Specialist ” no later than 15/06/2026 00:00 UTC.