National Ombudsperson

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, the Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children and young people.

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government, and community-based organizations across seven program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect, and security.

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. The Ombuds follow 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.

Why we need you?

We are looking for a National Ombudsperson who is working independently from SOS Children’s Villages and contracted by the SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia. The National Ombuds will be a designated neutral professional, who will build awareness, promote prevention, nurture child participation, and enable children and young people to be safe in all SOS Children’s Village programs and services. The position holder serves as a designated independent practitioner providing informal and confidential conflict resolution support to children, young people, care leavers, their families, and SOS country-level staff.

What we provide?

An amazing work environment that promotes personal growth through providing professional space to grow and advance your career!

• 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.

Your role and responsibility?

While working with us Ombuds person you will be in charge of the following,

Managing Concerns

•   Receive and address concerns in a timely manner.
• Listen carefully to concerns, discuss an ‘action plan’, suggest next steps, guide Inquirers through the agreed process as needed, and be available for ongoing support;
• Help Inquirers to understand SOS processes and navigate between SOS and community structures and systems; and
• Make referrals to appropriate SOS departments, local child protection agencies, legal advice, and/or community resources when appropriate.

Collaborate and support

• Collaborate and support children, young people and co-workers within their roles Children/Young People and Staff Representatives
• Collaborate and support children, young people and staff within child-friendly and staff-friendly Safeguarding and Ombuds policies and processes
• Share their views and feedback to improve the Ombuds Office.
• Work to build awareness around organizational resources and the Ombuds program.

Confidentiality

• Develop and maintain a confidential database that tracks concerns until they are resolved.
• Uphold the highest standards of confidentiality and neutrality while handling concerns and complaints.
•  Protect the privacy of individuals seeking assistance while offering impartial advice and mediation service

Identify Trends

• Identify relevant national trends within SOS programs, services, and human resources; recommend changes to the National MA senior leadership Team and the SOS Regional and Global Ombuds, while maintaining the confidentiality of the Inquirers to the Ombuds Office.
• The Ombuds helps the organization by identifying recurring problems or patterns of issues that could affect the work environment, culture, or operational efficiency and provide insights and feedback to leadership on systemic concerns or processes that need improvement.

Adaptability and dedication required

• Operating in a challenging working environment that requires balancing independence while collaborating remotely with colleagues, demanding wisdom and maturity to build a strong community of practice, uphold Ombuds principles, and mitigate isolation.
• Managing a high volume and complex nature of inquiries, which demands significant effort and attention to detail.
• Adapting to diverse local and national cultural contexts, legal frameworks, and navigating regional and international conventions, principles, and standards.
• Addressing historical cases with limited documentation, requiring persistence and resourcefulness to resolve.
• Contributing to pilot innovation projects, learning through experimentation, and providing support for the scaling-up efforts, requiring flexibility and proactive engagement.

SAFEGUARDING ( CHILD AND YOUTH, ADULT AND ASSET)

• Responsible for showing behaviour and all relationships are based on the Sexual Misconduct Regulation, Child Protection Policy, and in line with the Code of Conduct and that they adhere to it in every situation.
• Responsible for ensuring behaviors and all relationships are based on safeguarding and in line with the Code of Conduct and adhering to it in every situation
• Conduct themselves per the Code of Conduct, Safeguarding, and Local/Country Policies and Procedures
• Be vigilant about any possible form of abuse/harm, neglect, harassment, or exploitation against, children, youth, and adults in personal and professional lives

Job Requirements

Up for the challenge...

Then check out our criteria’s:

Must Criteria

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area such as law, social work, psychology, child rights, youth work or psychosocial wellbeing.
• Experience: Five years of demonstrated experience as an Ombudsperson or in a closely related role in child safeguarding or child rights. Experience in management and leadership.

DESIRED CRITERIA

•    Masters, Ph.D or another advanced degree in a relevant area such as law, social work, psychology, sociology, child rights, youth work and psychosocial well-being.
• Seven years of demonstrated experience as an Ombudsperson or in a closely related role in child safeguarding or child rights.
• Ability to speak and work in at least two local languages and English.

Competencies – Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

Essential

• Understanding the organization and commitment to its vision and mission: able to clearly communicate SOS Children’s Villages Who We Are (Vision, Mission & Values), “Living our Values” policies and strategies in all areas.
• Honest and transparent with an understanding of children and young people’s developmental stages and needs
• Knowledge of children’s rights, best interests of the child, safeguarding, and related issues
• Excellent listening and consultation skill
• Facilitation/training skills with participatory methods
• Ability to work using child-centered principles, with children and young people
•  Excellent problem-solving and mediation skills; comfortable with innovation.
• Ability to keep information confidential
• Nurturing nature

Required

•  An open-hearted, honest and kind person who respects and understands children and young people.
• Educated with knowledge of children’s rights, safeguarding and related issues, including medical, law, policies, regulations and International Standards.
• Responsible and courageous to defend children and their rights, to offer support, to be fair as they support children and young people
• An attentive listener with good observational skills and strong communication skills.
• Ability to develop and implement engaging trainings and ongoing support workshops for staff and child and young people representatives.
• Motivated to visit and spend time with children and young people to build trust.
• Committed to sharing information in accessible ways, to seriously consider children and young people’s views and feelings, while also ensuring careful
• Motivated to visit and spend time with children and young people to build trust.
• Committed to sharing information in accessible ways, to seriously consider children and young people’s views and feelings, while also ensuring careful consideration of their best interests, especially when making decisions.
• Able to identify marginalized children and young people and connect with them.
• A problem solver, adviser and influential mediator to resolve children's, young people’s and adults’ concerns effectively and in a timely manner. Comfortable being an active contributor to an innovative project.
• Committed to respect confidentiality and to act independently and impartially without bias
• Calm, peaceful, patient, humble, flexible and non-violent

COMPETENCIES – Lead and Core
LEAD COMPETENCIES

• Role Model: Act as a role model for the organization, living our values and inspiring and learning from others
• Collaboration: Remove barriers to participation, share decision making and build partnerships
• Empowerment: Promote inclusion and equitable sharing of power
• Strategic Thinking: Live the values and mission, setting realistic goals and translating them into actionable plans

CORE COMPETENCY

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.
• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.
• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.
• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.
• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

How to Apply

Excited to take on a new Challenge.

Then send us your application (application letter, detailed CV containing contact detail of there references) electronically through SOS Children Villages Application portal (ICIMS) by 11th December 2024.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia holds strict child safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for conducts of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks, police clearance reference check processes.

SOS Children's Villages Ethiopia provides equal employment opportunities to all co-workers & qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.

Note that to protect the independence of the Ombuds Office, this position is not open to SOS Children's Villages employees or those who have been employed by SOS Children's Villages within the last 2 years, or for those who have relatives working for SOS Children's Villages.