Safeguarding Officer

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Safeguarding Officer

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Category: Programs
Contract Duration: 2 Years (with potential for renewal)

About the Role

• Nutrition International (NI) is committed to protecting the people it serves and works with — including staff, partners, children and adults in vulnerable situations — from harm, abuse, exploitation and neglect.
• The Child Survival Program in Nigeria works directly with children, caregivers and communities, and includes a dedicated, safeguarding position to embed NI’s Safeguarding Policy across program delivery.
• The Safeguarding Officer will support the practical implementation of NI’s safeguarding framework at program level, identifying and mitigating risks in program design and delivery, building the capacity of staff and partners, serving as a safe and confidential reporting channel, monitoring and documenting compliance, and supporting a survivor-centred response to any concern.
• The role promotes safe conduct, timely reporting, confidentiality and Do No Harm across all program operations, and is a member of NI’s Safeguarding Community of Practice.
• This position is conditional upon receipt of funding. While the organization is proceeding with recruitment in anticipation of project implementation, appointment to the role will only be confirmed once funding has been secured.
• The organization reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the recruitment process if funding is not finalized.

Key Responsibilities
Safe programming and risk management:

• Conduct and maintain safeguarding risk assessments across all program activities — including fieldwork, community engagement, research and data collection, partner delivery, travel and events — prioritizing activities involving direct contact with children, caregivers and communities.
• Develop, track and follow up safeguarding risk mitigation actions, maintaining risk registers, action plans and implementation checklists.
• Integrate safeguarding into program design, work plans, budgets, data collection and MEAL frameworks, applying Do No Harm, child safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) standards.
• Ensure safe and meaningful participation of children in program activities, including child participation risk assessments and informed consent processes for children and caregivers.
• Prioritize program activities and sites requiring closer safeguarding risk assessment within the program cycle and recommend risk-driven adjustments to program design or budgets for Country Director/Global Safeguarding Lead sign-off where risk is significant.

Partner capacity and compliance:

• Conduct collaborative safeguarding capacity assessments of implementing partners; agree, support and monitor improvement plans to close identified gaps.
• Ensure partners, consultants, vendors, volunteers and visitors understand and meet NI’s safeguarding requirements, including code of conduct acknowledgements and the seven-day partner reporting obligation.
• Work with People & Culture, program, operations, procurement and partnership teams to embed safeguarding expectations into onboarding, partner engagement, vendor management, fieldwork and routine monitoring.
• Incorporate decisions and recommendations on findings and improvement plans from partner safeguarding capacity assessments and routine vendor/consultant onboarding requirements, escalating remediation plans or access suspension Global Safeguarding Lead where non-compliance is material.

Reporting, response and survivor support:

• Serve as the primary safeguarding contact point for the program: promote and provide a safe, accessible and confidential channel for staff, partners and community members, ensuring they understand how and when to report concerns.
• Receive, document and refer concerns to the Global Safeguarding Lead within 24 hours, in line with NI’s reporting procedures and confidentiality requirements; escalate urgent concerns without delay.
• Map and maintain up-to-date local referral pathways (medical, psychosocial, legal, protection) and facilitate survivors’ access to support, applying NI’s survivor-centred approach.
• Support case management and investigations including risk assessments and safety planning.
• Decides independently on receiving, documenting, and triaging safeguarding concerns, including initial signposting to referral services; decision-making authority on case management, safety planning, and survivor referral actions

Training, awareness and documentation:

• Facilitate safeguarding inductions, awareness sessions, briefings and refresher training for program staff, partners, consultants, vendors, volunteers and visitors, drawing on NI’s trainer network.
• Ensure communities, children and families are aware of NI’s safeguarding commitments, their rights and how to report concerns, using accessible, culturally appropriate formats and local languages.
• Maintain accurate and confidential safeguarding records, training trackers, meeting notes and implementation evidence, in compliance with NI’s data protection requirements.
• Prepare periodic safeguarding updates, training completion summaries, risk follow-up notes and implementation reports for the Global Safeguarding Lead and program management; contribute program-level data to NI’s safeguarding KPIs and semi-annual reporting and share lessons through the Safeguarding Community of Practice.
• Takes lead on scheduling, content, and delivery format of routine safeguarding inductions, briefings, and refresher training, within NI's approved standards and materials.

External Representation and Networking:

• Represent NI in relevant government child protection and social welfare coordination structures at state/local level in Nigeria, including Ministry of Women Affairs/Social Welfare departments where program activities intersect with statutory child protection systems.
• Participate in inter-agency safeguarding and PSEAH working groups and coordination forums in Nigeria, sharing lessons learned and staying current on sector-wide referral pathways, standards, and emerging risks.
• Liaise with local child protection and social welfare actors, health, psychosocial, and legal service providers to maintain and strengthen referral pathway relationships on behalf of the program.
• Represent the Child Survival Program's safeguarding commitments and practices to implementing partners, community leaders, and other external stakeholders as needed, in coordination with the Country Director Nigeria.
• Feed insights and good practice from external networking back into NI's Safeguarding Community of Practice, ensuring Nigeria-specific learning informs organizational safeguarding approaches.

Requirements
Educational Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Sociology, Social Work, Community Development, Gender and Development Studies, Law or a related field.

Experience:

• At least four (4) years’ relevant experience in safeguarding, PSEAH, child protection, protection, gender-based violence programming or safe programming, preferably within an international NGO operating in Nigeria.

Technical Skills:

• Good understanding of safeguarding principles, including Do No Harm, survivor-centred response, confidentiality, non-retaliation, informed consent and safe reporting.
• Demonstrated experience conducting safeguarding or protection risk assessments and building the capacity of staff and local partners; training design and facilitation skills.
• Working knowledge of survivor-centred case handling and safe referral practice; familiarity with the Nigerian child protection and social welfare systems
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, documentation and coordination skills; sound judgement, discretion, cultural sensitivity and demonstrated integrity in handling sensitive and confidential matters;

Language Skills:

• Superior communication skills (verbal and written).
• Fluent written and spoken English essential. Knowledge of Hausa and the local language is an added advantage.

Core Competencies:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Knowledge of Hausa or other Nigerian languages an asset.
• Excellent self-awareness and understanding of the need for self-care
• Confidence and assertiveness to challenge more experienced and senior colleagues when necessary
• Analytical and data-informed reporting skills
• Adaptability and cultural agility across diverse stakeholders
• Neutrality and the capacity to build trust within vulnerable communities
• Networking and external coordination skills
• Proactive approach to problem-solving and the ability to implement continuous improvement initiatives

Travel Requirements:

• Travel to program implementation sites will be required

Benefits

• A competitive market pay, health benefits, pension plan, flexible work hours, vacation, support for learning and development opportunities and health and wellness.
• We offer a collaborative and engaging work environment.

Application Closing Date
24th August, 2026.

Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Important Information and Notice

• Nutrition International upholds a zero-tolerance policy on safeguarding concerns and sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH).
• Following the principles of the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, reference checks will include safeguarding verifications with previous employers.
• By applying to this position, candidates acknowledge and consent to these reference checks being conducted with previous employers.
• Please note that all our offers are conditional subject to appropriate screening checks and satisfactory reference checks.
• This position is open to Nigerian nationals only
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.