Safeguarding Officer – WCA & ESA

About the role

The Safeguarding Officer will support CARE’s efforts to protect program participants from sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse and other forms of harm across the West and Central Africa (WCA) and East and Southern Africa (ESA) regions. Reporting to the Global Safeguarding Advisor, the role provides day‑to‑day advice, training and risk‑management support to country offices and partners.

Key responsibilities

• Raise awareness of CARE’s Safeguarding Policy with staff, partners and communities, and deliver onboarding and ongoing training.
• Assist country offices in implementing safer recruitment practices and monitoring completion of the Safer Programming course.
• Conduct and review safeguarding risk assessments, audits and partner due‑diligence, and support the development of mitigation action plans.
• Provide guidance on integrating safeguarding considerations into project proposals, budgets and program designs.
• Collaborate with Emergency Coordination, Gender, MEAL and Protection teams to ensure coordinated prevention and response.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of experience embedding safeguarding practices in humanitarian or development programmes.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding risks and mitigation strategies.
• Commitment to CARE’s values, including gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.