National Ombuds Lebanon

About The Ombuds Office for SOS Children’s Villages:

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.

Each Ombuds follows the four principles: Confidentiality, Impartiality, Independence and Informality. They work independently of SOS Children’s Villages as a check and balance to safeguarding with the goal of finding a solution to the concern raised.

About the National Ombuds role:

Location of the role: Lebanon. 

Contract:12 months Fulltime Employment Contract

In order to further their mission, SOS Children’s Villages has decided to implement an Ombuds Office.

The National Ombuds Lebanon, as a designated neutral professional, will respond to concerns that the SOS Safeguarding Team has been unable to resolve to the satisfaction of the child, young person, or adult involved.

She/He is a person of trust who has the skills and interest to work through their concerns and find a local solution by:

• Adhering to the principles of confidentiality, independence, informality and impartiality;
• Guiding a fair process through listening and supporting;
• Utilizing dispute resolution skills;
• Being a check and balance;
• Identifying trends and making recommendations to Lebanon SOS Children’s Villages and General Secretariat (GSC).

The National Ombuds will operate independently from SOS Children’s Villages Lebanon and will report to the Regional Ombuds.

Profile, skills and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in a relevant area such as child rights or child protection, child and youth studies, mediation, social work, child psychology, safeguarding or psychosocial wellbeing, law;
• Minimum five years demonstrated experience in one of the following fields: ombudsperson, mediation, child safeguarding, child protection, or child rights;
• Good level of knowledge of children’s rights or child protection/prevention and related issues - child safeguarding, child development and health, law, policies, regulations and International Standards related to children's care;
• Very good listener with good observational skills;
• Strong communication skills;
• Strong facilitation/training skills - Ability to develop and implement engaging trainings and ongoing support workshops for staff and children' representatives;
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport with children and young people, to identify marginalized children and young people and connect with them and build trust;
• A problem solver, adviser and mediator capable of resolving young people’s and adults’ concerns effectively and in a timely manner;
• Understanding of the local context, including laws, policies, practices, language and social norms;
• Be gender and diverse sensitive and representative;
• Good level of Arabic language and a professional proficiency level in one official federation language: English, French, Spanish or Arabic;
• Understand the foundations of the Ombuds’ work;
• You have the right to live and work in Lebanon;
• Experience working in an NGO or international organization would be an asset.

We offer:

• 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.