Officer, Safeguarding

Organizational Overview

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, comprising 191 member National Societies. Operating under the framework of response, resilience, and respect, IFRC pursues its Strategy 2030 goals by delivering timely, coordinated, and locally driven humanitarian actions. It supports community resilience in climate and environment, health and wellbeing, and migration sectors while upholding principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC’s core functions include strategic and operational coordination, humanitarian diplomacy, development of National Societies, and accountability. Headquartered in Geneva and coordinated through five regional offices worldwide, IFRC maintains representation offices, service centres, and delegations globally.

A zero-tolerance policy governs IFRC’s stance against any conduct that undermines the organization’s mission, including sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, or any form of integrity violations. Child safeguarding is also a strict priority.

Context of the Role

An outbreak of Ebola, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, was declared in mid-May 2026 affecting provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with risks of cross-border spread to neighboring countries. With no approved vaccine or specific treatment available for this strain, the situation is critical. IFRC supports the national society-led efforts focusing on community engagement, surveillance, infection control, and humanitarian volunteer mobilization to raise awareness and contain the outbreak.

Purpose of the Position

The Safeguarding Officer will provide support to the DRC Red Cross and IFRC’s Ebola response by developing and reinforcing safeguarding mechanisms, ensuring the institutionalization of a zero-tolerance stance against inappropriate sexual behavior across the response's multiple sectors. This position reports to the Operations Manager and involves frequent field visits to operational areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Set up and empower Safeguarding Field Focal Points within branches and health zones via training, tools, and awareness programs.
• Ensure widespread recognition and contact availability of Safeguarding focal points among communities affected by Ebola.
• Collaborate with relevant teams to inform communities about their right to assistance free of any sexual favors, expected ethical conduct of IFRC staff, and complaint-reporting options.
• Map existing complaint and feedback mechanisms, identify reporting capacity gaps, and strengthen confidentiality and referral procedures for sexual misconduct cases.
• Serve as a confidential contact point for safeguarding concerns without acting as investigator or case handler.
• Maintain and update a directory of local services for sexual exploitation, abuse, and other misconduct, working with local networks to address identified service gaps.
• Develop referral pathway guides for staff on directing victims to appropriate medical, psychosocial, legal, and livelihood support.
• Enhance complaint entry points based on mapping and community feedback.
• Conduct staff training on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), child safeguarding, whistleblowing, and complaint handling procedures.
• Implement safeguarding risk analyses and regularly update mitigation plans.
• Organize safeguarding-related training sessions for staff and partners to reinforce code of conduct and awareness of complaint processes.
• Guide senior leadership on safeguarding tools and resources adapted to the local context.
• Facilitate interagency trainings to harmonize complaint intake and referral processes related to sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Support senior leadership in conducting safeguarding risk assessments and integrate risk mitigation into programming and organizational practices.
• Promote safeguarding principles throughout planning and program implementation across departments and technical sectors.
• Collaborate with Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI) delegates to establish safeguarding assessments and action plans.
• Strengthen internal protection structures, including updating safeguarding policies, reporting channels, and complaint mechanisms accessible to affected populations.
• Ensure robust HR screening to avoid hiring individuals with misconduct histories and embed safeguarding in hiring and induction processes.
• Coordinate with Movement partners and interagency groups to optimize safeguarding strategies and capacity building throughout the operation.
• Assess safeguarding-related risk patterns and capacity gaps to develop targeted responses and training.
• Monitor safeguarding developments and report regularly to senior leadership to sustain engagement and address challenges.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in relevant fields such as gender studies, community facilitation, social work, child protection, or international humanitarian aid.
• Preferably formal training in safeguarding or protection disciplines.
• Minimum four years’ experience working with vulnerable adults and children.
• At least three years’ experience in gender or protection mainstreaming or dedicated humanitarian programming, with proven leadership delivering tools and technical advice.
• Three or more years in related humanitarian roles involving protection, gender and diversity, psychosocial support, violence prevention, or trafficking prevention.
• Experience in case management and referral systems for vulnerable individuals affected by protection issues.
• Proven experience in conducting context-sensitive trainings and interventions.
• Background working closely with communities in field settings.
• Experience creating and implementing strategic frameworks and monitoring systems on complex safeguarding issues.
• Previous work within the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement or international NGOs preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Current in best practices on safeguarding, sexual exploitation and abuse, protection, accountability, and gender inclusion.
• Strong partnership-building skills, able to engage diverse stakeholders to ensure inclusive and accountable practices.
• Competent in conducting training workshops on technical safeguarding matters.
• Excellent communication skills including active listening, empathy, influencing, and organizing abilities.
• Analytical mindset with problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities effectively under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Fluency in spoken and written French; good command of English.
• Preferably knowledge of local languages.