Safety and Safeguarding Officer

• PositionSafety and Safeguarding Officer – Uganda
• CompanyCorpsAfrica
• LocationKampala, Uganda (with field travel)
• Job TypeFull-Time
• CategoryNGO Jobs in Uganda
• IndustryNGO / International Development
• DepartmentSafeguarding, Safety & Security
• Reports ToCountry Director
• DeadlineThursday, 15 October 2026

CorpsAfrica is an international nonprofit, registered in the United States as a 501(c)(3) organisation and headquartered in Washington, DC, that lets young Africans serve as volunteers in their own countries along the lines of the Peace Corps model. It was founded in 2011 by Liz Fanning, a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, after young Moroccans told her they wanted to serve their own communities but could not join a programme open only to Americans.

The Safety and Safeguarding Officer – Uganda is CorpsAfrica/Uganda’s focal point for protecting everyone the programme touches: Volunteers placed in communities, office staff and the community members they work with. You will build and enforce safeguarding policies, run risk assessments for the office and every Volunteer placement, manage confidential case files, map medical, psychosocial and legal referral pathways for survivors, and escalate serious cases to the Global Safeguarding Lead on time.

The role also covers physical safety and security. You will write security protocols, contingency and incident-response plans, monitor local security conditions, run emergency simulations and keep teams updated. With the new Volunteer cohort working alongside young refugees and Ugandans, you will liaise closely with OPM, UNHCR, district authorities and security agencies, and make sure CorpsAfrica meets donor and government requirements on protection and refugee engagement.

Safeguarding

• Develop, implement and monitor safeguarding policies and procedures consistent with CorpsAfrica’s safeguarding and safety standards.
• Conduct safeguarding risk assessments for office operations and Volunteer placements.
• Train staff and Volunteers on safeguarding, child protection and ethical conduct.
• Deliver induction and refresher safeguarding training to Volunteers, staff and host community partners, using organisation-wide training materials.
• Maintain confidential, accurate case files and follow CorpsAfrica’s incident reporting and referral protocols; escalate serious cases to the Global Safeguarding Lead within required timelines.
• Map and maintain local referral pathways (medical, psychosocial, legal) for survivors of safeguarding incidents.
• Conduct community awareness sessions on safeguarding standards and reporting channels at Volunteer placement sites.
• Contribute local risk data to the organisational risk assessment and gender risk matrix.
• Submit regular (at minimum quarterly) safeguarding reports to the Global Safeguarding Lead.
• Model and promote a culture of safeguarding and accountability within the country office.
• Maintain accurate safeguarding records and ensure timely reporting to management and donors.
• Collaborate with HR and Administration to integrate safeguarding and security into organisational policies and procedures.
• Carry out other responsibilities as assigned.

Safety and Security

• Develop and maintain security protocols, contingency plans and incident-response procedures for the Uganda office and field operations.
• Conduct regular security risk assessments and advise management on mitigation measures.
• Monitor local security contexts and provide timely updates to staff and Volunteers.
• Liaise with OPM, UNHCR, district authorities and security agencies to ensure compliance with national safety standards.
• Support emergency preparedness and crisis management, including training and simulations.
• Ensure adherence to donor requirements and Ugandan government policies related to protection and refugee engagement.
• Contribute to organisational learning and continuous improvement through documentation and knowledge sharing.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Rights, Human Resources or a related field.

Work Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in safeguarding, protection or security management within humanitarian or development settings.
• Experience coordinating work-related investigations and reporting.
• Proven ability to design and deliver training programmes.

Additional Requirements

• Strong understanding of Ugandan labour laws, safeguarding frameworks and refugee-response policies.
• A demonstrable understanding of government and OPM administration.
• Fluency in English and local languages; familiarity with refugee contexts in Uganda is an asset.
• A passion and commitment to youth leadership, participatory community development, impact evaluation, transparency and accountability.
• Impeccable integrity, judgment and discretion, with a professional demeanour that elicits trust.
• Must be authorised to work in Uganda (the application form asks whether you can work without company sponsorship). Only complete applications will be considered.

Technical Skills

• Safeguarding Policy and Case Management: Writing and enforcing policies, keeping confidential case files and following referral and escalation protocols.
• Risk Assessment: Running safeguarding and security risk assessments for offices and field placements, including gender risk analysis.
• Security Planning: Building security protocols, contingency plans, incident-response procedures and crisis simulations.
• Investigations and Reporting: Coordinating workplace investigations and producing quarterly and donor safeguarding reports.
• Training Design: Designing and delivering induction, refresher and community awareness sessions.
• Digital Tools: Working knowledge of Google Workspace apps, Salesforce and Canva.

Soft Skills

• Discretion and Confidentiality: Managing sensitive information in a timely, confidential and accurate way.
• Stakeholder Liaison: Working with OPM, UNHCR, district authorities, security agencies and partners.
• Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with survivors, Volunteers, staff and communities.
• Decision-Making: A proactive approach to problem-solving with strong judgment under pressure.
• Organisation: Extremely detail-oriented, organised and able to manage multiple priorities and time well.
• Cross-Department Coordination: Integrating safeguarding into HR, administration and programme work.

The advert does not list a salary or specific benefits. The application form asks for your desired salary, so benchmark protection and safeguarding officer pay at international NGOs in Kampala before applying.

CorpsAfrica is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis.

• You will be the country focal point for safeguarding and security, with direct access to the Country Director and the Global Safeguarding Lead.
• You build CorpsAfrica/Uganda’s protection systems while the programme is still young, so your frameworks will shape it for years.
• The refugee and youth focus of the new Volunteer cohort gives you meaningful refugee-response work alongside OPM and UNHCR.
• The role combines safeguarding and physical security, a pairing that strengthens your profile for senior protection roles.
• You will design and deliver training to staff, Volunteers and host communities, building strong facilitation experience.
• CorpsAfrica operates in many African countries, offering exposure to a pan-African safeguarding network.

Apply online through CorpsAfrica’s JazzHR portal: Safety and Safeguarding Officer – Uganda application form. Submit a CV and a cover letter that illustrates qualifications relevant to this role.

The form also asks for your address, desired salary, earliest start date, references with contact details, a description of your relevant experience, and confirmation that you are authorised to work in Uganda without company sponsorship. Only complete applications will be considered. The deadline is Thursday, 15 October 2026.

• Lead your cover letter with your 5+ years in safeguarding, protection or security, naming the humanitarian or development organisations and settings.
• Give one anonymised example of a safeguarding case or investigation you managed, showing you followed referral and escalation protocols.
• Highlight any work with OPM, UNHCR, district authorities or refugee settlements, since the advert lists these partners by name.
• Show training evidence: the topics you taught (child protection, PSEA, ethical conduct), audience size and how often.
• Mention security planning work such as contingency plans, incident-response procedures or crisis simulations.
• State the local languages you speak and any refugee-context experience, both listed as assets.
• Fill in every required field, including references and desired salary, because incomplete applications are not considered.