Safeguarding Lead

CcHUB is Africa’s leading innovation and creative ecosystem builder, dedicated to nurturing talent, ideas, and startups across the continent. In 2010, we began as Nigeria's premier innovation center, dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity in Nigeria. We have since grown our physical presence to five cities (Lagos, Abuja, Kigali, Nairobi, and Windhoek) across Africa, and we work closely with stakeholders - including entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, government, and private sector - to identify and nurture novel solutions to social challenges in Africa.

In 2017, Co-Creation HUB launched Growth Capital in partnership with Omidyar Network, Bank of Industry, and Venture Garden Group to provide early-stage funding for startups driving social change. In February 2019, Co-creation HUB opened a Design Lab in Kigali, Rwanda, focusing on Research and Development and Human-Centered Design to enable innovation for social impact. Our Kigali Centre collaborates with global stakeholders to explore the application of technology in addressing Africa’s systemic problems in education, public health, governance, and other areas of our work. In September 2019, we expanded our footprint by acquiring iHUB in Nairobi, Kenya, strengthening our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and innovators across the continent. In 2020, we launched CcHUB Syndicate, an investment vehicle designed to improve capital access for startups and bridge the funding gap in Africa’s innovation ecosystem. In 2021, we established the Creative Economy Practice to drive the growth of Africa’s creative economy by applying innovation and technology. In 2023, we further expanded our presence by opening the Co-creation HUB in Windhoek, Namibia. These expansions have been intentional in contributing to our vision to be Africa's leading pan-African creative and innovation ecosystem enabler.

Since its establishment, CcHUB has supported the development and launch of over 10,000 innovative technology companies that address social challenges across Africa in areas such as budget transparency, agtech, education, fintech, healthcare delivery, the creative economy, and sustainability.

Job Purpose

The Safeguarding Lead will oversee the safeguarding, gender equity, and child protection strategy of the GATEWAY Program, ensuring that all activities uphold the highest standards of safety, dignity, and inclusion. This role is central to embedding safeguarding principles across all program components, with a strong emphasis on protecting vulnerable groups, promoting gender equity, and creating inclusive environments. The Lead will provide strategic guidance, oversee implementation, conduct risk assessments, and manage incident response mechanisms while aligning the program with global safeguarding and inclusion best practices.

Key Responsibilities

1.  Safeguarding Leadership and Oversight

• Develop, implement, and review safeguarding policies, procedures, and guidelines in line with international best practices and local laws.

• Conduct safeguarding risk assessments across program activities and recommend mitigation measures.

• Monitor safeguarding systems and protocols regularly to ensure effectiveness and compliance.

• Provide technical guidance and support to program teams and partners on safeguarding requirements.

• Lead safeguarding investigations and ensure timely, appropriate, and confidential responses to incidents.

2. Capacity Building and Training

• Design and deliver safeguarding training for staff, partners, and stakeholders.

• Build the capacity of program teams to identify risks, prevent harm, and respond effectively to safeguarding concerns.

• Develop learning resources, toolkits, and workshops to embed safeguarding awareness across the program.

3. Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

• Ensure safeguarding standards are included in all program partnership agreements.

• Act as the focal point for safeguarding issues in donor relations, audits, and compliance reviews.

• Collaborate with government agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to align safeguarding practices with national laws and global standards.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Develop systems to monitor safeguarding compliance and outcomes across program activities.

• Maintain accurate documentation of safeguarding risks, incidents, and mitigation measures.

• Provide regular safeguarding reports to program leadership and donors.

Key Performance Indicators 

• Safeguarding Systems and Policy Implementation
• Capacity Building and Training
• Incident Management and Response
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
• Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Gender Studies, Human Rights, International Development, or a related field.

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in safeguarding, gender equity, child protection, or related fields, preferably within international development or innovation settings.

• Proven experience designing and managing safeguarding programs and policies in Africa.

• Strong knowledge of global safeguarding and child protection frameworks (e.g., UNCRC, GDPR for child data).

• Track record in leading and managing diverse teams focused on gender, equity, and inclusion.

• Understanding of legal/regulatory safeguarding frameworks in Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, and Rwanda.

• Expertise in gender analysis, safeguarding risk assessments, and child protection evaluations.

• Demonstrated experience in capacity building and training delivery across multiple stakeholder groups.

• Strong communication, negotiation, and partnership-building skills.

Key Skills

• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills with a collaborative and inclusive mindset.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

• Results-oriented, proactive, and able to work both independently and as part of a team.

• High cultural sensitivity and experience working across diverse, multicultural environments.

Please note this is an onsite role in Lagos, Nigeria

Co-creation HUB (CcHUB) is an equal opportunity employer. The Company prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The Company conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.