PSEAH and Safeguarding Manager

About ActionAid

Founded 1972, ActionAid operates as a federation of country offices and 2,000 local community led partner organisations in 70 countries. Using human rights-based feminist approaches, ActionAid works alongside communities living in poverty and exclusion to challenge systemic injustices, to secure fundamental human rights and address humanitarian and climate emergency needs. ActionAid International’s Secretariat has a head office in Johannesburg South Africa with its staff members dispersed in regional hubs and country offices. The Secretariat serves as the federation’s global coordinating body, driving international strategy and cross-country collaboration to advance human rights, climate justice, and women’s rights.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Head of Strategy, Performance and Risk, the PSEAH and Safeguarding Manager provides strategic direction, technical expertise and practical management to advance ActionAid’s commitment to safeguarding and the Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH).

This is a senior specialist Manager role and the Federation’s global risk owner for PSEAH and safeguarding, with responsibility for strategy, risk management, assurance and accountability across programmes, operations, partnerships and organisational culture.

Working closely with the Head of Strategy, Performance and Risk, the PSEAH and Safeguarding Manager holds country and functional leadership accountable for meeting required standards and completing agreed corrective actions. The Manager challenges inadequate responses and escalates material risks, persistent non-compliance and overdue actions through the appropriate oversight channels.

The Manager drives the design, implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of safeguarding strategies, systems, policies and procedures, helping to protect staff, rights holders, communities, partners and others with whom ActionAid engages. Working with country offices, regional teams and global functions, the Manager embeds PSEAH and safeguarding across programmes, operations and assurance processes, supporting consistent application of standards throughout the Federation.

1. Strategic Impact and Contribution

• Coordinate the development and implementation of a federation-wide PSEAH and safeguarding strategy that aligns with ActionAid’s values, risk appetite, accountability commitments, and feminist, survivor-centred approach.
• Set federation-wide technical standards and requirements for PSEAH and safeguarding, working with country and functional leadership to continue embedding across programmes, partnerships, humanitarian responses and operations.
• Influence federation-wide planning, assurance, and accountability processes to ensure safeguarding is understood as a critical organisational priority and embedded across campaigns, programmes, humanitarian responses, partnerships, and operations.
• Monitor performance, risks, and impact of PSEAH and safeguarding initiatives using evidence, data, assurance findings, and learning to recommend targeted improvements and strengthen organisational accountability.

2. System, Policies and Procedures and Product Management

• Maintain and strengthen safeguarding policies, procedures, and implementation standards, ensuring alignment with international standards, donor expectations, legal requirements, and sector good practice.
• Conduct regular reviews and updates of safeguarding documents and training materials to address emerging issues and changes.
• Design and deliver high-quality capacity strengthening for staff, leaders, partners, and safeguarding focal points on PSEAH and safeguarding policies, prevention, reporting, response, and accountability, including tailored support for higher-risk contexts.
• Oversee the development and dissemination of safeguarding resources, tools, and materials to support implementation at the global and country level.
• Ensure that safeguarding measures are integrated into programme design, implementation and monitoring processes.
• Propose and implement innovative, survivor-centred and feminist approaches to PSEAH and safeguarding prevention, integrating and applying the organisational risk management framework and good practice.
• Contribute to the development of the internal control framework and work processes related to PSEAH and safeguarding by identifying risk areas and recommending control activities and best practices in alignment with the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework and policies.

3. Issue Resolutions, Crisis/Risk Management

• Serve as the federation’s senior technical specialist and global risk owner for PSEAH and safeguarding, supporting risk assessment, assurance, audit readiness, certification requirements, and reporting to senior management and the Risk and Internal Audit Committee (RIAC) as required.
• Assess risks related to PSEAH and safeguarding in various contexts and provide recommendations for risk mitigation.
• Coordinate preparedness and response protocols for serious safeguarding concerns and crisis situations, ensuring clear escalation routes, survivor-centred decision-making, learning, and timely management oversight.
• Support the provision of external and internal information for the country risk ranking protocol to align country support and work prioritisation, while recommending stronger indicators for the protocol.
• Support countries in overcoming and resolving annual assurance findings, external audit recommendations, and regulatory compliance issues while ensuring accountability.
• Provide technical oversight and quality assurance for PSEAH and safeguarding case management and investigations, ensuring safe, confidential, survivor-centred, feminist, and legally informed practice.
• Require country and functional leadership to implement proportionate, time-bound risk mitigation and corrective-action plans where control weaknesses, assurance findings or noncompliance are identified, and monitor progress through to completion.

4. Communications, Influencing and Coordination

• Act as the primary technical and coordination point for safeguarding-related matters, including internal advice, donor and external accountability requirements, information flow, and coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Influence and advise senior stakeholders, country leadership, and functional teams to strengthen safeguarding ownership, accountability, and consistent implementation across the Federation.
• Collaborate with regional and country teams to ensure effective communication and coordination of safeguarding efforts across the Federation.
• Report PSEAH and safeguarding risks, the effectiveness of controls and relevant assurance findings to the Head of Strategy, Performance and Risk, senior management and relevant oversight committees.

5. People Management

• Develop Terms of Reference (ToR) and Job Descriptions (JDs) for consultants or part-time/fulltime staff supporting the PSEAH and Safeguarding team and related work processes as needed.
• Ensure adherence to and delivery of AAI Talent Management for the respective Directorate/Unit/Team, encompassing recruitment, selection, retention, development, and succession planning.
• Conduct probation and performance management in accordance with HR timelines to maintain a high-performing staff and facilitate constructive feedback to enhance team performance and individual growth.
• Provide senior technical advice, risk analysis and assurance to senior leadership, ensuring that material PSEAH and safeguarding risks and required management actions are clearly understood.
• Encourage collaboration and foster a team culture across different functions and levels within the organisation, valuing collaboration internally and cross-functionally, while partnering effectively with countries.

6. Other Delivery on Strategic/Functional Priorities (Directorate-specific – Maximum 5 KPIs)

• Contribute to the Federation’s overall strategic priorities by integrating safeguarding into all areas of work, including fundraising, programme development, campaigns, and humanitarian responses.
• Participate in relevant networks, forums, and working groups to share best practices and contribute to the global safeguarding agenda.
• Deliver agreed annual strategic planning objectives established with the Head of Strategy, Performance and Risk, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities, monitoring progress against key milestones and adapting initiatives as needed to achieve effective results.

Essential Experience

• Preferably at least eight years’ progressive professional experience in safeguarding, PSEAH, protection, accountability, investigations, organisational risk or a related field within an international, humanitarian, development or complex federated organisation.
• Demonstrable responsibility for significant PSEAH, conduct or protection risks across multiple countries or operational contexts.
• Development and implementation of strategies, frameworks, policies and organisational controls.
• Technical oversight or quality assurance of complex case management and investigations.
• Proven success in influencing senior stakeholders and driving improvements across federated or decentralised structures.
• Design and delivery of capacity-strengthening approaches for staff, leaders, partners and focal points.

Essential Knowledge

• Advanced understanding of safeguarding and PSEAH standards, legal and regulatory requirements, survivor-centred practice and relevant sector guidance in international development and humanitarian settings.
• Organisational risk management, internal controls, assurance and governance within international or federated organisations.
• Safeguarding case-management and investigation principles, including confidentiality, data protection, referral pathways and conflict-of-interest management.

Essential Skills

• Advanced Excellent interpersonal, advisory, negotiation and influencing capabilities, including building trust, exercising discretion, and constructively challenging senior stakeholders.
• Considered decision-making when assessing complex risks, communicating sensitive matters, and recommending proportionate action.
• Effective cross-cultural collaboration across time zones and matrix structures, while balancing competing priorities.
• Coaching and facilitation tailored to different cultural, contextual and language needs.
• Translating strategic objectives into measurable results and sustaining delivery through cross-functional teams.

Education and Technical Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, international development, human rights, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in social sciences, human rights, international development, gender studies, or a related field is an advantage.

Language Requirements

• Proficiency in English is essential.
• Knowledge or Proficiency in another language will be an asset.

Apply For This Job

Name*

Email*

Phone*

A valid phone number is required.

Cover Letter*

Attach Resume*

Submit Close

By applying with us, you agree to Oxford HR’s Privacy Policy