ABOUT MERCY CORPS Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
The Team Mercy Corps has been operational in Sudan since 2004 and currently leads humanitarian assistance and longer-term development efforts in conflict-affected South Darfur, Central Darfur, South Kordofan, North Kordofan, Kassala, Gedaref, and Khartoum States, supporting host communities, IDPs, returnees and refugees. Mercy Corps’ current areas of programming include food security and livelihoods, WASH, health, nutrition, peace building and protection, resilience, and Market Systems Development.
The Position The Safeguarding Advisor will lead country safeguarding prevention and GESI integration efforts by ensuring the Global Mercy Corps Safeguarding and GESI Policies and Core Standards are understood across functions, mainstreaming efforts are implemented and ownership increases across all functions. Embedding these standards will require concerted effort and the Advisor will play a key role in leading workstreams between departments, increasing accountability efforts and safeguarding mainstreaming in key areas. The Safeguarding Advisor will provide periodic briefings to senior management and support key departments towards a Safe, Diverse and Inclusive environment both internally within Mercy Corps and externally towards the communities we support. Working closely with relevant stakeholders, the Advisor is primarily responsible for leading workstreams towards the realization of organizational safeguarding commitments, and ensuring functions are accountable for their relevant Core Standards.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES Project Management
● Lead, manage and follow up on key safeguarding and GESI workstreams, including progress on Core Standards implementation through collaboration with Heads of functions
● Support effective teamwork, communication, and collaboration across teams and liaise with Regional Safeguarding Advisor, Regional GESI advisor and HQ Safeguarding team for support
● Support internal safeguarding and GESI product development through reviewing and updating toolkits, guidance documents, trainings and other resources
● Provide strategic planning support for teams implementing Core Standards by advising on best practice approaches for implementation; close follow up and support to Heads of functions
● Support recruitment of new team members as requested and ensure safe recruitment practices are in place as per Core Standard 2
● Act as liaison between the country safeguarding team, Senior Management Team, the Regional Safeguarding Advisor, regional GESI advisor, Ethics and Compliance department and other stakeholder groups within the agency
● Support Heads of Functions to ensure safeguarding and GESI workstreams are informed by gender, age, disability, and other inclusion considerations.
● Collaborate across departments to promote safe, diverse and inclusive implementation of GESI and safeguarding Core Standards. Program Support
● Contribute to concept notes and proposals; follow guidance from Core Standard 5
● Work closely with the Regional Safeguarding Advisor and Regional GESI Advisor when integrating safeguarding risks and as part of a program or protection risk assessment, or a standalone safeguarding risk assessment
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Support integration of safeguarding and GESI considerations in proposals, logframes, and indicators, in line with donor and agency requirements.
● Ensuring risks have realistic mitigations in place with clear persons responsible in line with Core Standard 5 guidance Training and Capacity Strengthening
• Conduct regular sensitization and training sessions on safeguarding and GESI to various internal and external audiences
• Develop, adapt and strengthen existing safeguarding training material to respond to context specific safeguarding risks
• Provide technical support and build skills of Safeguarding and GESI Focal Points and Champions to enhance integration of safeguarding and GESI in field offices and programs
● Assess the impact of awareness raising activities through use of feedback channels such as surveys and focus group discussions with team members and/or community members
● Integrate GESI principles, power dynamics, and gender norms into safeguarding training and sensitization sessions.
● Support contextualization of safeguarding training materials to reflect local gender norms, language needs, and accessibility considerations. Communications
● Support internal communications on safeguarding including but not limited to drafting emails or segments for senior management to publish in internal newsletters, posts for Viva Engage and blog/vlog postings after field visits and generally creating awareness on the Core Standards
● Ensuring Core Standard 10 on Safe Communications is followed by program, monitoring evaluation and learning (MEL) staff, and other teams collecting stories, images and videos of community members
● Support internal communications that promote awareness of safeguarding and GESI as part of Mercy Corps’ commitment to a safe, diverse and inclusive environment.
Internal Representation
● Internal representation of safeguarding processes and workstreams at country leadership team meetings
● Represent safeguarding and GESI in relevant internal meetings such as country strategy process ● Support the preparation of internal and external reports on the status of safeguarding prevention workstreams as requested or needed
● Lead on gathering and analyzing data to assess the implementation of the Safeguarding Core Standards
● Coordinate with relevant technical teams (e.g. Program, MEL, Protection/GESI) to strengthen coherence between safeguarding, accountability, and inclusion efforts. Survivor Response and Support
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Act as a reporting avenue for safeguarding related issues or concerns
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Act as a resource to survivors and help ensure their safety, security and well-being and support a survivor-centered approach when requested
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In coordination with local PSEA networks identify, map, and annually update the survivor service map to serve as a directory for support services available to survivors
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Ensure safeguarding allegations are reported immediately to the Global Ethics and Compliance Team via the Integrity Hotline
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Support survivor-centered approaches that recognize gendered risks, power imbalances, and barriers to access for marginalized groups.
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Ensure referral pathways and service mapping consider inclusive and gender-responsive service availability.
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Provide support for investigations if requested by the Ethics Team External Representation
• Participate in and represent Mercy Corps at relevant sector coordination mechanisms, including Clusters and PSEA networks
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Provide technical support regarding donor requirements on project proposals and design
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Collaborate closely with Regional Safeguarding Advisor
Supervisory Responsibility
None
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING:
Ongoing Learning In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
EQUITY & INCLUSION:
At Mercy Corps, we believe that empowering people and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where all feel equally respected and valued will help us create a secure, productive and just world. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants of all religions, ethnicities,
citizenships, educational backgrounds, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, ages, socioeconomic statuses, disabilities, and veteran statuses.
SAFEGUARDING & ETHICS:
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTICIPANTS:
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
ACCOUNTABILITY Reports Directly To: PaQ Director Works Directly With: Country Director, Director of Programs, Program Team, HR Team, Safeguarding Focal Points, Champions and Co-investigators. Regional Safeguarding Advisors, Regional GESI advisor and the Ethics and Compliance Department.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
● Bachelor’s degree required.
● 5+ years professional experience in development/humanitarian sector
● Technical skills, experience and knowledge in safeguarding, protection, GESI i.e GBV programming highly desirable
● Experience with Psychological First Aid and survivor-centered approach
● Demonstrates commitment and knowledge of the survivor-centered approach and respective principles
● Experience designing and delivering training to diverse audiences
● Excellent listening, interpersonal, communication and networking skills in both remote and in-person contexts
● Experience with planning and project management
● Strong coordination and organizational skills and able to keep on top of multiple workstreams
● Strong writing skills and mature communications skills
● Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work cross-functionally
● Proficiency with MS Office software required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite)

SUCCESS FACTORS
The successful candidate is an adaptable, opinionated, fast thinking, experienced advisor. They have a thorough understanding of what it takes to deliver high-quality safeguarding mitigations in challenging environments, and how to deliver effectively. They are excellent communicators who can inspire broad and diverse teams towards achieving a shared goal and drive change through internal advocacy. . They contribute towards a safe and conducive working environment encouraging innovation and accountability. They should be able to facilitate complex team dynamics and achieve aims, have excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, good organizational skills and the ability to work independently, with a strong commitment to advancing learning. They should have strong relationship-building skills and commitment to working collaboratively. They have a strong ability to design, implement and manage projects that respond to evolving safeguarding needs.
LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/short term assignment to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.