Global Safeguarding Adviser

Global Safeguarding Adviser

Contract type: Full time, Permanent.

Location: WaterAid is a global and equal opportunities employer. The role will be based in one of the following countries where WaterAid works, subject to right-to-work eligibility in the respective countries: Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cambodia, Australia, Burkina Faso, Canada, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sweden, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
Salary and Benefits: Salaries and benefits for different countries will vary in line with the location of the successful candidate and depending on experience. Band F. See further details below:  All per annum

• South Africa: 827, 550 ZAR with excellent benefits
• Nepal: 2,683,878 NPR with excellent benefits
• Kenya: 5,080,002 KES with excellent benefits
• Uganda: 123,026,016 UGX with excellent benefits

About WaterAid

Want to use your skills in safeguarding to play a vital role in making clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene for everyone everywhere?

We need passionate, creative and dedicated people. In return, you will be encouraged and empowered to be yourself at your very best. Together, we will make a bigger difference.

Join WaterAid as Global Safeguarding Adviser to change normal for millions of people so they can unlock their potential, break free from poverty and change their lives for good.

About the Team

The WaterAid Global Safeguarding Team sits within the Global People Team, and is a team made up of diverse safeguarding professionals based across a number of WaterAid locations. The Global Safeguarding Team are responsible for ensuring that throughout WaterAid’s work, wherever in the world that maybe, we uphold our ‘Do no harm’ principle and prioritise keeping people safe. The Global Safeguarding Team provide critical safeguarding advice and guidance to all 7 members and 27 countries of the WaterAid federation, to ensure we protect everyone we encounter through our work - including staff, partners, volunteers, contractors and the people in the communities we work - from experiencing any form of harm. This includes setting federation wide safeguarding policies and procedures, providing safeguarding training, case management, management of the Safeguarding Focal Point Network, and sector safeguarding engagement.

We are a remote global team, and the successful candidate must be willing to work independently either from home or a country/member office, and to travel when required occasionally at short notice.

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Global Safeguarding Team as our Global Safeguarding Adviser reporting to the Global Safeguarding Director. In this role you will play a key part in managing safeguarding cases and investigations, as well as providing proactive support and guidance to Members and Country Programmes on a range of safeguarding topics. Alongside the Senior Global Safeguarding Specialist, you will design, deliver, and facilitate training to a range of audiences, and help support the management and development of WaterAid’s Safeguarding Focal Point Network. The team is supported by a Global Safeguarding Co-Ordinator, and a Community Safeguarding Engagement Adviser.

In this role you’ll also: 

• Co-lead safeguarding support country programme / member visits.
• Contribute to maintaining and updating key global policies as and when required.
• Actively engage with external safeguarding networks to ensure WaterAid continues to contribute to improve sector safeguarding standards and engages in relevant sector initiatives.
• Monitor compliance with global safeguarding standards in relation to core performance indicators.
• Plan and develop alongside the rest of the Global Safeguarding Team, training resources such as webinars, videos, and guidance documents for multiple audiences.
• Be available on call throughout the year and during events as designated to ensure safeguarding advice and support can be accessed across the Global Safeguarding Team 24/7

To be successful, you’ll need: 

• A proven track record of working in an international safeguarding environment with significant case management experience.
• Significant experience in conducting safeguarding investigations and risk-based interviewing.
• Excellent facilitation and training design skills, with an ability to adapt these to different contexts and audiences.
• Evidenced experience of working in difficult, fast paced, and complex environments.
• Ability and confidence to influence key safeguarding stakeholders.
• The ability to work collaboratively and practically across multi-cultural teams
• Willingness to work as part of a globally dispersed team, requiring high levels of flexibility and travel.
• To be able to confidentiality communicate in English both written and spoken.
• Commitment to WaterAid’s values of respect, accountability, courage, collaboration, integrity and innovation and a working style that reflects these.
• Willingness to take ownership and to be accountable

You must be available to travel internationally for an event between 04- 11 October 2025.

Although not essential, we also prefer you to have:

• Spoken and written French, Spanish, or Portuguese.
• Gender and inclusion experience within the international sector
• Qualified sexual exploitation and abuse investigator for example ITQS level 3.
• Appreciation or experience of some of the country contexts in which WaterAid works

View full job description here

Closing Date: Applications will close 12:00pm UK Time on 06 May 2025. Availability for interview is required week commencing 12 May 2025. Please note all interviews will be virtual.

How to Apply: Click ‘Apply’ to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV.

*Please indicate in the summary the relevant skills and experience you bring that makes you an ideal candidate for this role. 

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application? At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.

Pre-employment screening:

To apply for this post, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to the applicable laws in the respective countries to comply with our Safer Recruitment policy.

As an organisation WaterAid is committed to creating an environment where you can thrive and be yourself at your very best. So, in addition to our inspiring global mission and engaging work environment, we have a generous benefit package to help you take care of your health, happiness and wellbeing. Further benefits information is available from the country of application.

Our Commitment:

Our People Promise:

We will work with passion and focus to ensure safe and sustainable water, toilets and hygiene are available to everyone, everywhere. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have.  We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to put the wellbeing of our people first, to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.    

Equal opportunities:

We are an equal opportunity, disability-confident employer and are dedicated to achieving the highest standards of diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions and ways of life. This includes, but is not limited to, race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, national or social origin, health status, and economic or social situation.

Safeguarding:

We are also committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously.