Job Description

The position



Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) India was established in 2016 with the vision of creating habitats that allow communities to be resilient to disasters, adapt to climate change, and thrive. With a focus on urban resilience, various initiatives of AKAH work to reduce vulnerability to climate change and disasters through community-led efforts with a strong synergy between traditional knowledge, innovation, and technical integration. It is a Section 8 nonprofit organization and a member of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Headquartered in Mumbai, AKAH works in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana. It has directly impacted 2.5 million individuals.



The Safeguarding Officer role has been created to ensure that AKAH continues to protect people from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH) and safeguard the organization's assets and reputation; that this is managed in a professional, sensitive, coordinated, accountable way, in line with best practices within AKAH and the sector, local legislation, and cultural sensitivities. It therefore plays a key role in fostering the organisations capacity building efforts and monitoring, whilst enforcing compliance. The Safeguarding (SG) Officer will be responsible for ensuring that the different aspects of safeguarding are systematically embedded into the organizational systems and processes.



The Safeguarding Officer will be based in Mumbai with frequent travels to area offices and programme implementation areas.



Duties & Responsibilities



Act as a resource to staff at the field level and volunteers as they work to fulfil their responsibilities and obligations under AKAH's Safeguarding policies

Identify potential SG risks at the organisation and in all the programme activities and report them to the Country Safeguarding Manager

Champion safeguarding policies and accompanying policy guidance support materials, including strong advocacy for safeguarding across all levels of business to promote a culture of respect, safety and inclusion.

Update the organisational risk register

Gather information on the progress with implementing the SG arrangements in functions and across regional offices

Support the Senior Manager Safeguarding with the implementation of annual safeguarding action plan

Support the design of and delivery of induction sessions, short training events as well as longer refresher trainings on safeguarding

Support the Senior Manager Safeguarding with the roll-out/implementation of complaints mechanisms in the region, and work to establish community-level reporting mechanisms for beneficiaries

Support programme teams in building partner capacity in the areas of safeguarding.

Conduct regular visits to the regional and area offices to ensure that SG arrangements are working effectively, and staff and beneficiaries know how to report SG cases to the organisation

In partnership with the relevant teams, identify, map out and regularly update the directory of local support services/referral pathways available in different regions.

Serve as a point of contact for safeguarding disclosures and support the Senior Manager Safeguarding in managing safeguarding cases

Network with external experts/organisations who have skills related to safeguarding



The requirements



Required Qualification & Experience



A university degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., social work, gender studies, conflict resolution/mediation, international development, humanitarian law, HR-training & development, political sciences,

A minimum of 5 years of experience working in Child Protection, Safeguarding, Gender Based Violence, Gender, Social Mobilisation.

Ability to travel and work within challenging environments.

Excellent written and verbal communication and presentational skills; ability to communicate complex ideas to a wide range of audiences.

Highly organised with programme management skills and consistent attention to detail.

Experience of planning and undertaking training programmes/workshops at a range of levels (e.g. field workers, community-based staff, project staff, senior management and beneficiaries).

Approachable, highly confidential and discreet, demonstrating ethics and integrity.

Strong verbal and written communication skills in Hindi and English required



AKAH's recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to equal opportunity and protecting children and at-risk adults from safeguarding violations. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work with children and at-risk adults are recruited to work for us. In the process of recruitment, selection and appointment AKAH implement a range of procedures and vetting checks including criminal records disclosures to ensure everyone associated with AKAH is kept free from harm and abuse is prevented.



By sharing their cover letter and resume with AKAH in response to this job application, applicants consent for AKAH to keep this information on file for recruitment and human resources management purposes.



AKAH is committed to equal employment opportunities, females are encouraged to apply.



Sector



Social Development



About the Agency



A new agency, the Aga Khan Agency for the Habitat (AKAH), works to ensure that people live in physical settings that are as safe as possible from the effects of natural disasters, that residents who do live in such high risk areas are able to cope with disasters in terms of preparedness and response, and that these settings provide access to social and financial services that lead to greater opportunities and a better quality of life. The new agency merges the activities of the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, with its prize-winning water and sanitation programmes and low-cost habitat products, such as smoke-free stoves; the humanitarian arm of AKDN, FOCUS, which promotes disaster mitigation and resiliency and intervenes after disasters; the AKDN's Disaster Risk Management Initiative, which focuses on disaster preparedness in remote areas; and the environment- and habitat-related activities of the Aga Khan Foundation, including the Prince Sadruddin Fund for the Environment and the Foundation's highly regarded rural support programmes.



Region



South Asia



Location



India



Salary



Salary and package to attract the best candidate



Job Expires



29-Aug-2025



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