Job Title: Senior Safeguarding Officer

Team: Programmes

Reporting to: Programmes Manager

Second Line of Reporting: Head of Programs

Location: Lilongwe, Malawi

We will only be accepting applications from candidates with the Right to Work in Malawi.

Please note: CAMFED will never request applicants to pay a processing fee or to provide personal or financial information for recruitment purposes. If you have any concerns, please contact recruitment@camfed.org.

Principal Accountability

The Senior Safeguarding Officer is responsible for upholding CAMFED’s zero-tolerance stance on sexual exploitation, abuse, discrimination, harassment, and leading gender and inclusion initiatives for the organization. This role involves ensuring the organization implements gender transformative approaches and promotes safe environments and upholds the rights and safety of marginalized girls and young women. The Senior Safeguarding Officer provides technical and strategic guidance on gender and inclusion and safeguarding policies and is the primary contact for staff regarding inclusion and safeguarding concerns.

Who we are
CAMFED (the Campaign for Female Education) is internationally recognized as a leader in girls’ education, for its child protection policy and practice, and as a voice for girls’ education and women’s empowerment at the highest levels. Founded in 1993, CAMFED supports girls throughout their primary and secondary school years and supports women to transition to productive and fulfilling livelihoods and onto leadership, as role models, activists, and philanthropists. CAMFED operates in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Policy Management and program implementation

• Review, update, and implement safeguarding and gender and inclusion policies

• Enhance reporting channels and response plans for safeguarding concerns.

• Develop annual safeguarding plans

• Ensure policies comply with data protection and confidentiality regulations

• Develop gender equality strategy and action plan, provide overall strategic leadership to CAMFED Malawi’s work in gender mainstreaming in line with the country’s gender priorities and strategies.

• Provide gender technical advice, quality assurance and support for CAMFED Malawi’s team, partners and stakeholders.

Capacity Building

• Design and deliver safeguarding and gender training for staff, stakeholders, and partners

• Ensure understanding of safeguarding and gender policies and conduct expectations

• Develop and share safeguarding and gender and inclusion awareness materials and support community learning.

Promoting Safe Environments

• Raise awareness and coordinate with various committees and authorities

• Monitor and assess safeguarding practices and implement improvements.

Case Management

• Serves as a key contact for safeguarding concerns and provide support and advice in consultation with the Executive Director.

• Investigate safeguarding violations and facilitate appropriate referrals and follow-ups.

Monitoring and Continuous Quality Improvement

• Report on safeguarding indicators and suggest improvements

• Track and evaluate safeguarding and gender and inclusion practices while maintaining confidentiality.

• Provide support in establishing gender related indicators, collection and analysis of gender disaggregated data and compiling lessons learned to inform programming.

Strategic Partnerships

• Identify and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders, service providers and authorities to ensure appropriate referrals and linkages, including developing and maintaining a directory.

• Represent CAMFED and contribute in relevant expert groups/communities of practice with a view to ongoing strengthening of Safeguarding in CAMFED.

• Lead strategic relationships with relevant stakeholders to ensure CAMFED Malawi is strategically positioned and contributing to gender and inclusion at sector level.

• Any other duties as defined by the Programmes Manager and CAMFED Leadership

Technical/Functional Competencies

• Master’s degree in Gender and Development Studies or a related field.

• Minimum of five (5) years’ relevant professional experience in safeguarding, gender equality, and social inclusion programming or related sectors.

• Ability to manage own work with little supervision.

• Demonstrable capacity for evidence-based decision-making and sound judgment

• Problem-solving ability, creative resourcefulness, and innovation

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Chichewa

• High levels of integrity and passionate about promotion of safeguarding and gender equality.

• Available for frequent travel especially in hard to reach areas across the country.

• Very strong analytical and drafting skills, the ability to meet deadlines and to produce concise, top-quality work at strategic and operational levels

• Drive for Results – Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed -upon results.

• Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion – Collaborates with other team members and contributes productively to the team’s work and output, demonstrating respect for different points of view.

The duties and responsibilities in this role profile are not exhaustive and are subject to change following the needs of the organization. A job profile needs to be flexible enough to allow us to be adaptive as an organisation.

CAMFED Values

The post holder is expected to live the CAMFED values which are:

• Focus on the girl as client.

• Partner with the Community.

• Be transparent and accountable.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at CAMFED

CAMFED is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those from marginalised communities. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

CAMFED has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse, discrimination and harassment in all forms. All applicants will, therefore, be subject to a comprehensive verification process, which includes background and reference checks, as well as verification of qualifications.

Application details:
Please submit your application by 17th July 2026