Safeguarding Coordinator at Mercy Corps Nigeria

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in morethan 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and buildstronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing itsinterventions on humanitarian assistance, economic development, and conflict mitigation.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Safeguarding Coordinator

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-time
Reports Directly To: The Country Director
Works Directly With: Director of Programs, Country Director, HR Director, Procurement, CARM, PAQ, Security, Protection, Regional Safeguarding Advisor and other key stakeholders.
Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data.
Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.
Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.

The position

• The Safeguarding Coordinator will support country safeguarding prevention efforts by ensuring the global Mercy Corps Safeguarding Core Standards are understood across functions and ownership increases across the board.
• Embedding these standards will require concerted effort and the Coordinator will play a key role in coordinating between departments, increasing accountability efforts and safeguarding mainstreaming in key areas.
• The Safeguarding Coordinator supports key departments within the country office towards ensuring a Safe, Diverse and Inclusive environment both internally within Mercy Corps and externally toward the communities we support.
• Working closely with relevant stakeholders, the Coordinator is primarily responsible for coordinating activities that contribute towards the realization of organizational commitments as identified in the strategy and the global Safeguarding Core Standards.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Training and Awareness Raising:

• Deliver safeguarding workshops as needed to enable teams to meet their responsibilities to mainstream safeguarding
• Review and strengthen all training material for teams, implementing partners and external stakeholders
• Drive safeguarding mainstreaming across field offices and work closely with Safeguarding Focal Points and various departments.
• Build the capacity of Safeguarding Focal Points and Champions in field offices and ensure learning is shared across different teams.
• Support and monitor team member’s, partner’s and community members’ awareness of safeguarding and child safeguarding through collaboration with HR, PAQ and program teams
• Increase staff awareness and capacity on safeguarding standards and expectations involving the relevant program team
• Ensure the hiring and onboarding of short-term workers includes safeguarding; collaborate with relevant teams to ensure accountability
• In coordination with CARM and program teams work to ensure communities and participants understand their rights and reporting options and build trust around response systems and survivor support
• Support teams to proactively identify program risks and implement realistic and practical mitigations
• Provide ad hoc briefings to senior management on progress and ensure Heads of functions are aware of key implementation challenges related to the Safeguarding Core Standards

Systems and Processes:

• Coordinate and implement safeguarding audits in collaboration with key teams, Safeguarding Focal Points and Safeguarding Champions; requesting support from Regional Safeguarding Advisor throughout
• Conduct internal advocacy to promote a safeguarding culture free of sexual exploitation, abuse harassment; ensure senior management is aware of Core Standard 4
• Review and strengthen safeguarding systems within partner agencies when needed
• Support teams to promote an organizational culture that is committed to protecting program participants and communities we work with from sexual exploitation, abuse, harm and human trafficking
• Mentor Safeguarding Focal Points and Safeguarding Champions and share best practices
• Coordinate regular meetings with Safeguarding Focal Points and Safeguarding Champions to ensure consistency and quality in approach, providing support or training when needed
• Work with CARM teams and program teams to ensure safeguarding is integrated in CARM communications
• Support internal investigations when requested and ensure confidentiality throughout
• Support lessons learned process when requested by the Regional Safeguarding Advisor

Program Support;

• Support the Regional Safeguarding Advisor with proposal and safeguarding technical input; understand and follow guidance from Core Standard 5
• Support the delivery and commitment to mitigations in the proposal
• Work closely with the Regional Safeguarding Advisor when integrating safeguarding risks as part of a program or protection risk assessment, or a standalone safeguarding risk assessment
• Ensure risks have realistic mitigations in place with clear persons responsible in line with Core Standard 5 guidance

Survivor Response and Support:

• Act as a reporting avenue for safeguarding related issues, concerns or experiences and ensure next steps occur in accordance with organizational policies and procedures
• Act as a resource to survivors and help ensure their safety, security and well-being and support a survivor-centered approach
• In coordination with local PSEA networks and other agencies identify, map and annually update the survivor service map
• Ensure safeguarding allegations are immediately reported to the Global Ethics Team and provide support for investigations as requested by the Ethics Team.

Engagement;

• Participate in and represent Mercy Corps at relevant sector coordination mechanisms, including Clusters and PSEA networks
• Provide technical support regarding donor requirements on project proposals and design
• Collaborate closely with Regional Safeguarding Advisors. 

Success Factors

• The successful candidate is an adaptable, opinionated, fast thinking, experienced coordinator.
• They have a thorough understanding of what it takes to deliver high-quality projects in challenging environments, and how to conduct quality management of these workstreams.
• They are excellent communicators who can inspire broad and diverse teams towards achieving a shared goal and drive a fast-paced and adaptive program.
• They can create a stimulating working environment encouraging innovation and accountability.
• They should be able to facilitate complex team dynamics and achieve aims, have excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, good organizational skills and the ability to work independently, with a strong commitment to learning.
• They should have strong relationship-building skills and commitment to working collaboratively.
• They have a strong ability to design, implement and manage projects that respond to evolving safeguarding needs.

Minimum qualification & Transferable Skills

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling Mercy Corps values
• Bachelor degree in Social Work, Communications, Law, Education or relevant professional qualification.
• 2-4 years relevant work experience.
• Knowledgeable about protection, safeguarding, child safeguarding or similar areas such as PSEAH or sexual misconduct or protection mainstreaming
• Fluency in written and spoken English, good knowledge of hausa and other local languages is an added advantage.
• Good data management, data analysis, computer literacy and excellent documentation and report writing skills
• Experienced in working with senior managers across different departments and functions
• Willingness to travel to and work in hard-to-reach areas
• Diplomatic in their communication and able to speak confidently and sensitively to those who disagree with them
• Experienced in facilitation and coordination of training and workshop; developing and implementing capacity building plans
• Experienced in conducting assessments and report writing; able to deliver results against timelines and priorities

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work.
• We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Organizational Learning

• Ongoing learning in support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together.
• Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges.
• We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
• We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Application Closing Date
3rd May, 2026.