Safety, Security and Safeguarding Coordinator

Role Overview

This position involves collaborating closely with the Regional Security Director to conduct safety and security evaluations, offering recommendations and supporting their implementation within the Country Office. The role ensures adherence to Save the Children’s Safety and Security Policy and Standards and contributes to enhancing safety and security management quality across country programs. A key focus is on child safeguarding compliance and systemic improvement.

Child Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Acts as the primary child safeguarding advocate for Rwanda and Burundi offices.
• Collaborates with program development and operations teams to identify risks to children during project activities and events, devising mitigation strategies and assigning responsible staff.
• Leads national-level advocacy aligned with safeguarding policies.
• Provides reliable support and guidance to emergency and humanitarian response teams.
• Establishes safeguarding networks and updates local service provider mappings alongside Child Protection colleagues.
• Mentors field focal points to enhance safeguarding practices.

Promotion of Safe Programming and Practices

• Partners with program teams to embed safeguarding perspectives in all project designs, implementations, and monitoring, ensuring adequate budgeting for safeguarding measures.
• Supports proactive risk identification and mitigation among staff in all programming activities.
• Ensures managers have access to necessary tools and knowledge for safeguarding support.
• Exemplifies high professional safeguarding standards and adheres to codes of conduct.

Training and Capacity Building

• Delivers mandatory core training sessions for staff with safeguarding duties and provides ongoing refresher courses and inductions.
• Reviews and enhances safeguarding systems within the country office, planning and facilitating appropriate training.
• Develops plans to address safeguarding concerns in operational areas through collaboration with partners.
• Implements resources from Keeping Children Safe to uphold safeguarding standards.
• Creates capacity-building programs and offers continuous mentoring for staff and partners.
• Leads field office safeguarding focal points in training delivery, investigation management, and report handling.
• Works with the safety and security regional office to design training modules addressing security knowledge gaps.
• Identifies and addresses security management shortcomings in the field.

Application of Safeguarding Standards

• Coordinates with senior leadership to monitor safeguarding policy implementation and compliance plans.
• Maintains safeguarding mechanisms with regular checks and corrective follow-ups for compliance.
• Integrates safeguarding approaches across organizational work.
• Ensures timely and accurate reporting and documentation of safeguarding concerns, supporting organizational learning and improvements.
• May personally conduct safeguarding investigations under challenging conditions.
• Collaborates with internal teams to mainstream safeguarding across systems.

Safety and Security Responsibilities

• Evaluates threats, risks, and vulnerabilities, advising management on reducing staff exposure.
• Performs safety and security assessments of current and prospective program areas and recommends improvements.
• Reviews safety and security procedures and assists in preparing, maintaining, and updating safety and security management plans.
• Facilitates safety and security training and orientations for staff and visitors, including creating briefing materials.
• Makes sure staff comply with incident reporting protocols and follows up where necessary.
• Oversees effective communication channels for safety and security updates.
• Liaises with administration and logistics regarding vehicle and facility security adherence.
• Manages security budgets and aligns activities with organizational key performance indicators.
• Supports leadership in preparing for major incidents and executes security awareness training in coordination with regional teams.
• Regularly assesses staff premises for security and advises on enhancements.

Emergency Procedures and Crisis Management

• Establishes multiple communication methods to guarantee redundancy between base and field offices.
• Maintains an updated staff communication tree for emergencies.
• Advises and supports senior management during crises and emergency situations.
• Coordinates information flow during serious security incidents and assists in evacuation procedures alongside the Regional Security Director.
• Investigates and reports security incidents promptly following established protocols.

Organizational Commitment and Ethics

The organization enforces a zero-tolerance stance towards fraud, corruption, and unethical practices. The coordinator is required to uphold the highest levels of integrity, adhere to internal policies, and report suspected misconduct appropriately. The recruitment process is free of any charges, and candidates should report any fee requests immediately.

Reporting Lines

The role reports directly to the Operations Director, has a dotted reporting line to the Director of HR, Admin and IT, and manages the Field Focal Point Persons without direct staff supervision.

Competencies and Behaviors

• Leads and inspires others with clear communication of vision and recognition of contributions.
• Encourages innovation and adapts flexibly while upholding organizational values.
• Applies professional expertise confidently, sharing knowledge to foster team development.
• Communicates complex matters effectively, promoting dialogue through active listening.