Social Impact and Safeguarding Officer

The Global Evergreening Alliance is seeking a highly motivated and dedicated Social Impact and Safeguarding Officer to support the Alliance's Africa Program Coordination Unit (PCU) and Africa Implementation Portfolio Manager.

The core purpose of this role is to ensure that community engagement, safeguarding, and social development aspects of Global Evergreening Alliance projects within the Africa portfolio are implemented in an appropriate and timely manner, strictly adhering to the requirements of the selected Impact Standard.

This position is crucial for supporting and strengthening the social development and safeguard aspects of the "Restore Africa" portfolio of projects, which are vital for achieving the Impact Standard certification of projects. This objective is met through fostering collaborative relationships with in-country partners and other Global Evergreening Alliance teams, focusing on compliance, quality improvement, and relationship strengthening. The incumbent will also be responsible for ensuring that grievance mechanism guidelines are developed or refined to support Implementing Partners in maintaining appropriate grievance mechanisms. The role includes preparing reports concerning the projects’ contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with required standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure that community engagement requirements meet best practices and established standards.
• Develop or refine guidelines for grievance mechanisms to support Implementing Partners in maintaining appropriate mechanisms.
• Prepare reports detailing projects’ contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring alignment with Impact Standard requirements.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with in-country partners and internal teams to ensure compliance, improve quality, and strengthen project relationships.

Key Selection Criteria and Requirements

Experience and Education:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in social safeguards management, ideally within development projects, emergency assistance, and/or social development contexts.
• An advanced degree (MBA/MSc/MA) in Social Sciences, Social Work, or Development Studies from a recognised university/institution.

Required Skills and Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of environmental safeguards, best practices, gender equality, and women's rights issues.
• Working knowledge and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Impact Standards.
• Knowledge of social risk management and broader safeguard issues.
• Demonstrated experience in producing high-quality reports.
• Strong critical and analytical thinking skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including demonstrated stakeholder management, networking, negotiating, and influencing skills.
• Strong communication skills (written and oral).
• Capacity building and facilitation skills.
• Knowledge of and experience with data protection and privacy.
• Excellent time management skills, including the ability to prioritise and manage heavy workloads.
• Advanced problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of an effective team.