• Employer: SOS Children's Villages Ethiopia

• Job Time: Full-Time

• Job Type: Contract

• Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Addis Abeba - Ethiopia

• Deadline: December, 07/2024 (10 days left)

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of the SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, the northern part of the country, in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions with significant needs for intervention and believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children and young people.

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges confronting Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those who are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government, and community-based organizations across seven program locations, we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect, and security.

The Ombuds Office for SOS Children’s Villages is an independent office supporting children and young people in situations that have not been successfully resolved by SOS Children’s Villages safeguarding processes. An Ombuds is a trustworthy person who can listen, support, and guide children and young people. There are national, regional, and global Ombuds. The Ombuds follow the four principles: Confidentiality, Impartiality, Independence, and Informality. They work independently of SOS Children’s Villages as a check and balance to safeguarding to find a solution to the concern raised.

Why do we need you?

We are looking for a National Ombudsperson who is working independently from SOS Children’s Villages and contracted by the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia. The National Ombuds will be a designated neutral professional, who will build awareness, promote prevention, nurture child participation, and enable children and young people to be safe in all SOS Children’s Village programs and services. The position holder serves as a designated independent practitioner providing informal and confidential conflict resolution support to children, young people, care leavers, their families, and SOS country-level staff.

What do we provide?

An amazing work environment that promotes personal growth by providing professional space to grow and advance your career!

• Training and development

•  Support from the Regional Ombuds

• Satisfying and stimulating work

• Remote and in-person work arrangements

• The opportunity to work for an NGO that is a member of a recognized international network.

Duties & Responsibilities:

While working with us Ombuds person you will be in charge of the following,

Managing Concerns

• Receive and address concerns promptly.

• Listen carefully to concerns, discuss an ‘action plan’, suggest next steps, guide Inquirers through the agreed process as needed, and be available for ongoing support;

• Help Inquirers understand SOS processes and navigate between SOS and community structures and systems; and

• Make referrals to appropriate SOS departments, local child protection agencies, legal advice, and/or community resources when appropriate.

Collaborate and support

• Collaborate and support children, young people, and co-workers within their roles Children/Young People and Staff Representatives

• Collaborate and support children, young people,e and staff within child-friendly and staff-friendly Safeguarding and Ombuds policies and processes

• Share their views and feedback to improve the Ombuds Office.

• Work to build awareness around organizational resources and the Ombuds program.

Confidentiality

• Develop and maintain a confidential database that tracks concerns until they are resolved.

• Uphold the highest standards of confidentiality and neutrality while handling concerns and complaints.

• Protect the privacy of individuals seeking assistance while offering impartial advice and mediation service

Identify Trends

• Identify relevant national trends within SOS programs, services, and human resources; recommend changes to the National MA senior leadership Team and the SOS Regional and Global Ombuds, while maintaining the confidentiality of the Inquirers to the Ombuds Office.

• The Ombuds help the organization by identifying recurring problems or patterns of issues that could affect the work environment, culture, or operational efficiency and provide insights and feedback to leadership on systemic concerns or processes that need improvement.

Adaptability and dedication required

• Operating in a challenging working environment that requires balancing independence while collaborating remotely with colleagues, demanding wisdom and maturity to build a strong community of practice, uphold Ombuds principles, and mitigate isolation.

• Managing a high volume and complex nature of inquiries, which demands significant effort and attention to detail.

• Adapting to diverse local and national cultural contexts, and legal frameworks, and navigating regional and international conventions, principles, and standards.

• Addressing historical cases with limited documentation requires persistence and resourcefulness to resolve.

• Contributing to pilot innovation projects, learning through experimentation, and providing support for the scaling-up efforts, requiring flexibility and proactive engagement.

SAFEGUARDING ( CHILD AND YOUTH, ADULT AND ASSET)

• Responsible for showing behavior and all relationships are based on the Sexual Misconduct Regulation, Child Protection Policy, and in line with the Code of Conduct and that they adhere to it in every situation.

• Responsible for ensuring behaviors and all relationships are based on safeguarding and in line with the Code of Conduct and adhering to it in every situation

• Conduct themselves per the Code of Conduct, Safeguarding, and Local/Country Policies and Procedures

• Be vigilant about any possible form of abuse/harm, neglect, harassment, or exploitation against, children, youth, and adults in personal and professional lives

Job Requirements

• Up for the challenge...

• Then check out our criteria:

Must Criteria

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area such as Law, Social work, Psychology, Child rights, youth work or psychosocial wellbeing.

• Experience: Five years of demonstrated experience as an Ombudsperson or in a closely related role in child safeguarding or child rights. Experience in management and leadership.

DESIRED CRITERIA

• Master, Ph.D, or another advanced degree in a relevant area such as law, social work, psychology, sociology, child rights, youth work, and psychosocial well-being.

• Seven years of demonstrated experience as an Ombudsperson or in a closely related role in child safeguarding or child rights.

• Ability to speak and work in at least two local languages and English.

Competencies – Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Essential

• Understanding the organization and commitment to its vision and mission: able to communicate SOS Children’s Villages Who We Are (Vision, Mission & Values), “Living our Values” policies and strategies in all areas.

• Honest and transparent with an understanding of children and young people’s developmental stages and needs

• Knowledge of children’s rights, best interests of the child, safeguarding, and related issues

• Excellent listening and consultation skills

• Facilitation/training skills with participatory methods

• Ability to work using child-centered principles, with children and young people

•  Excellent problem-solving and mediation skills; comfortable with innovation.

• Ability to keep information confidential

• Nurturing nature

Required

• An open-hearted, honest, and kind person who respects and understands children and young people.

• Educated with knowledge of children’s rights, safeguarding, and related issues, including medical, law, policies, regulations, and International Standards.

• Responsible and courageous to defend children and their rights, to offer support, to be fair as they support children and young people

• An attentive listener with good observational skills and strong communication skills.

• Ability to develop and implement engaging training and ongoing support workshops for staff and child and young people representatives.

• Motivated to visit and spend time with children and young people to build trust.

• Committed to sharing information in accessible ways, to seriously consider children and young people’s views and feelings, while also ensuring careful

• Motivated to visit and spend time with children and young people to build trust.

• Committed to sharing information in accessible ways, to seriously consider children and young people’s views and feelings, while also ensuring careful consideration of their best interests, especially when making decisions.

• Able to identify marginalized children and young people and connect with them.

• A problem solver, adviser, and influential mediator to resolve children's, young people’s, and adults’ concerns effectively and on time. Comfortable being an active contributor to an innovative project.

• Committed to respect confidentiality and to act independently and impartially without bias

• Calm, peaceful, patient, humble, flexible and non-violent

COMPETENCIES – Lead and Core

LEAD COMPETENCIES

• Role Model: Act as a role model for the organization, living our values and inspiring and learning from others

• Collaboration: Remove barriers to participation, share decision making and build partnerships

• Empowerment: Promote inclusion and equitable sharing of power

• Strategic Thinking: Live the values and mission, setting realistic goals and translating them into actionable plans

CORE COMPETENCY

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.

• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand, and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.

• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.

• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.

• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

Excited to take on a new Challenge.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicants can apply using THIS LINK

Then send us your application (application letter, detailed CV containing contact details of there references) electronically through SOS Children Villages Application portal (ICIMS) by 11th December 2024.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.