Regional Ombuds (f/m/d)

About Ombuds Office

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.

Developed with input from children and young people, the Ombuds Office functions on the fundamental principles of independence, impartiality, confidentiality, and informality. Honouring these principles are critical to the success of the Ombuds Office.

The Ombuds Office 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 SOS Children’s Villages International

SOS Children’s Villages International is the umbrella organisation for the global federation of SOS Children’s Villages. As a non-governmental social development organisation we support children without parental care and families in difficult living conditions through services in care, education, health and emergency relief, and we advocate for the rights of children and young people, in alliance with a great diversity of partners. We work in more than 130 countries and territories, reaching over one million children, young people, families and caregivers each year. To support us with this important responsibility the International Office CEE/CIS/ME is looking for a committed:

Regional Ombuds (f/m/d)

Purpose of the position:

The Regional Ombuds - Region CEE/CIS/ME, 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. The Ombuds Office is an innovative approach to strengthening child safeguarding and accountability within SOS Children's Villages globally.

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

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• provide training and professional supervision to National Ombuds so they have the knowledge and skills required to support children, young people, care leavers, their families, and staff at the SOS country level when they are unsatisfied with how SOS Children's Villages has responded to their concern;
• Provide guidance, support, and training to National Ombuds to apply SOS Children’s Villages policies, regulations and processes. Help them navigate between SOS Children’s Villages and external processes and systems, as defined by national legislation and policy, in coordination with SOS Children’s Villages national and/or regional child safeguarding teams;
• identify and communicate regional themes and gaps within SOS Children’s Villages programmes, services, and personnel practice related to strengthening child safeguarding and submit findings to regional management, including the regional Child Safeguarding Team and the Global Ombuds, as appropriate, while maintaining the confidentiality of the Ombuds Office.

Requirements:

• Master degree level in a relevant area such as mediation, social work, child psychology, sociology, child rights or protection, child and youth studies, law, or psychosocial wellbeing;
• Minimum five years demonstrated experience in one of the following fields: ombudsperson or mediation, child safeguarding, child protection, or child rights. Three years minimum experience in management and leadership. Conflict management experience desirable;
• Excellent command in spoken and written English language. Knowledge of Arabic or Russian languages would be an asset;
• Highly skilled in managing people and building effective teams across cultural contexts;
• Knowledge of children’s rights, human rights, best interests of the child, safeguarding, and related issues;
• Ability to work using child-centred principles;
• Facilitation/training skills using participatory methods;
• Excellent problem-solving and mediation skills;
• Ability to work in a virtual office and global team.

We offer:

• Working for a meaningful cause
• The opportunity to innovate and make a significant, positive contribution to the child protection field and children's lives
• The opportunity to work for an NGO that is a member of a recognized international network.
• Opportunities for learning and development
• Support from the Global Ombuds
• Satisfying and stimulating work
• Remote and in-person work arrangements
• A salary that will be commensurate with experience and qualifications

What We Stand For: **

SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a caring and protective environment, which promotes its core values, and prevents and addresses child abuse and exploitation. We strongly condemn all forms of child abuse and exploitation, be it within or outside of our organisation, and always respond to any case of proven, alleged or attempted abuse within our sphere of influence according to its nature. Efforts ensure that mechanisms are in place to raise awareness, aid prevention, encourage reporting, and ease response. The organisation prohibits harassment, exploitation and abuses by or of any employee, supervisor, manager, child, young people, community, contractor, applicant, or other individual with whom SOS Children’s Villages employees come into contact by virtue of their work. All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our prevention and protection against Sexual Harassment, Exploitation, and Abuse policy. In addition, SOS Children’s Villages apply a zero-tolerance concerning any fraud situation.

We also provide equal employment opportunities to all employees & qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class. SOS Children´s Villages complies with all applicable laws governing non-discrimination in employment.

Further information

This position involves working with an INGO committed to children and human rights and is subject to strict safer recruitment checks. The successful candidate will be required to complete safer recruitment checks including police and reference checks to help verify their suitability to work for SOS CV. In addition to candidate’s ability to perform the duties of the post, in the selection process will be also explored the motivation and approach of the candidate to safeguarding.

* 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.

How to apply:

If you are interested in this position send your CV and motivation letter in English to hr(at)ombuds-sos-cv.org with the subject line “Regional Ombuds” to avoid misplacing your application by the latest 24 September 2023.

** Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted.

In case you have question, please reach out to us by email: hr(at)ombuds-sos-cv.org

You can find more details about us here:
Ombuds Office - SOS Children's Villages (ombuds-sos-childrensvillages.org)
SOS-Children’s Villages International, www.sos-childrensvillages.org.