Safeguarding Manager-Ethiopia

ABOUT INKOMOKO 

Inkomoko supports entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in order to improve livelihoods, create jobs, and help communities thrive. 

In 2026, Inkomoko was listed by the Financial Times as the 5th fastest-growing company in Africa, supporting entrepreneurs across East and Central Africa to grow thriving businesses and build inclusive, resilient economies. 

Founded in 2012, Inkomoko has worked with more than 100,000 entrepreneurs, including thousands of refugee entrepreneurs. Inkomoko provides a combination of training, consulting, access to finance, and market-level systems change.  We are the largest investor to refugee entrepreneurs in Africa.  

Inkomoko has 900+ staff in 50 offices across Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Through Inkomoko’s 2030 strategic plan, we are adding 3 additional countries to serve more than 550,000 entrepreneurs and growing our $30M loan fund to impact 7M lives. 

 
INKOMOKO VALUES

All staff at Inkomoko are connected to a shared set of organizational values:

• Purpose: be solutions-oriented, produce high-quality work, and be a global leader.
• Achievement: push yourself to reach beyond what you previously thought possible. 
• Improvement: be humble, engage in continuous growth through open & accurate feedback
• Bravery: willing to take risks, create a safe space for others, be compassionate, and inclusive.
• We Eat Goat:  we celebrate success and support each other in hard times. We do this work together in the spirit of turikumwe, tuko pamoja, abren nen, Kula na sawa, On est ensemble.

Inkomoko is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.  Refugees, women, and persons who reflect the diverse communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.  

ABOUT THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIESInkomoko seeks a highly talented and experienced Safeguarding Manager - Ethiopia who is a crucial member of the Inkomoko team, working with all staff to create a culture of safety, dignity, and well-being of all clients, staff, and partners. This role will implement, monitor, and enforce safeguarding standards in alignment with international humanitarian best practices, and will work closely with Inkomoko’s security, HR, and program teams for prevention, detection, and response.

The Safeguarding Manager will also conduct training and provide guidance on safeguarding

issues across all in-country Inkomoko program sites, and will be a key partner if any safeguarding or protections issues arise. 

SAFEGUARDING LEADERSHIP AND PREVENTION

• Promote a culture of safety by collaborating with leadership to embed safeguarding into all organizational practices,decision-making, and performance, and performance objectives..
• Lead safeguarding awareness and capacity building for staff, partners, and clients, ensuring understanding of the Code of Conduct, safeguarding policies, reporting mechanisms, and individual rights and responsibilities.
• Conduct ongoing safeguarding risk assessments of programmes, operational sites, field activities, partnerships, and new expansion locations, supporting teams to conduct  safeguarding risk assessment, mitigation and implement effective prevention measures
• Ensure safeguarding complaints and reporting mechanisms are accessible, inclusive, confidential, and responsive, particularly for refugee and vulnerable populations.
• Work closely with the Regional Safeguarding team to ensure consistent application of safeguarding policies, standards  and risk management approaches in all organisational initiatives.

• Coordinate timely, survivor-centred responses to safeguarding concerns, ensuring cases are triaged promptly and managed confidentially, impartially, and in accordance with organizational policy and response timelines.
• Coordinate safeguarding case management and investigations, maintaining accurate documentation, monitoring progress, and ensuring appropriate escalation and resolution where required.
• Facilitate survivor access to appropriate legal, medical, psychosocial, and protection services through established referral pathways, ensuring survivor choice, dignity, and confidentiality throughout the process.
• Liaise with leadership, the Regional Safeguarding Team, and external protection actors, including relevant government authorities, UNHCR, and protection partners, as appropriate.
• Contribute to safeguarding reporting, case trend analysis, and organizational learning to strengthen prevention, response, and continuous improvement.

• Monitor compliance with safeguarding policies, procedures, donor requirements, and minimum standards across all country operations.
• Conduct regular field visits and safeguarding assessments of offices, programme sites, activities, partnerships, and new operational locations to monitor compliance, identify emerging risks, and support continuous improvement.
• Lead safe partnering initiatives, including safeguarding due diligence, partner capacity strengthening, and ongoing monitoring to ensure partners meet Inkomoko's safeguarding standards.
• Represent Inkomoko in safeguarding coordination forums, clusters, Communities of Practice, and other external networks, maintaining strong relationships with humanitarian and protection stakeholders and contributing to sector learning.
• Prepare regular safeguarding reports and provide updates to country and regional leadership on safeguarding risks, response trends, compliance, and performance.

• Integrate safeguarding considerations into staff recruitment and onboarding in partnership with P&C, programme design, implementation, monitoring, partnerships, and organizational planning.
• Facilitate Communities of Practice, learning sessions, and knowledge-sharing activities that strengthen safeguarding practice across country operations.
• Promote continuous learning by identifying emerging safeguarding risks, sharing lessons learned, and supporting implementation of best practices across teams.
• Strengthen organizational capacity by supporting teams to improve safeguarding systems, safe programming, gender equality, disability inclusion, and protection mainstreaming.

CULTURE OF SAFEGUARDING AND ABUSE PREVENTION

• Work with country leadership to ensure the country offices are continuous in their dedication to safeguarding. This includes: Safeguarding management briefs at the country level, Collaborating proactively with other departments during the KPI process to ensure everyone is setting safeguarding goals & Reinforcing safeguarding through Inkomoko’s cultural values.
• Facilitate the delivery of safeguarding training to ensure all country-level staff understand safeguarding protections for one another and client as well as clients always know their rights when working with Inkomoko.
• Provide specialized training sessions tailored to the needs of different program areas
• Promote the participation of refugee populations so they are aware of the Inkomoko’s Code of Conduct, of their right to protection and clarity about how to report a concern about safeguarding.
• Ensure complaints mechanisms are accessible to all clients, with a specific focus on refugee clients.
  

ACTIVE RESPONSE, CASE MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING

• Provide survivor-support that honors the victim and provides culturally relevant resources in all cases of safeguarding violations or reporting
• Collaborate with legal, medical, and psychosocial support services and maintain accurate and accessible referrals
• Manage safeguarding concerns and cases from a client-centric perspective, ensuring appropriate and timely response, and guidance to leadership
• Engage with external partners (i.e. police, CNARR, DPHR and UNHCR) as needed to report violations
• Support the establishment of a survivor centered referral pathway.

COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING

• Support in the development, implementation and monitoring framework to assess the effectiveness of Inkomoko’s safeguarding at country level
• Conduct regular field visits to ensure safeguarding practices are being upheld in all sites.
• Actively participate in the network of safeguarding champions across Inkomoko’s offices to ensure safeguarding standards are maintained.
• Prepare and submit regular reports on safeguarding activities, trends, and incidents.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 

• Lead “safe partnering” activities, which includes evaluating partnerships for risks and compliance around safeguarding, training partners
• Ensure all partners are aware of Inkomoko’s Safeguarding standards.
• Work closely with local communities, partners, Inkomoko Cultural Advocates,Protection Partners  and other stakeholders to promote safeguarding awareness and practices.
• Liaise with UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations to stay informed of best practices and collaborate on safeguarding initiatives.
• Represent Inkomoko in safeguarding-related forums, workshops, and meetings.

 CAPACITY BUILDING AND LEARNING

• Support the integration of safeguarding into program design, implementation, and partnerships
• Guide discussions on emerging risks, trends, and best practices
• Design and facilitate learning sessions, trainings, and knowledge-sharing forums within the CoP
• Support CoP members to identify gaps and strengthen safeguarding frameworks, including areas such as gender, disability inclusion, and safe programming
• Promote alignment with organizational policies, donor expectations, and global best practice.
• Act as coordinators and conveners of the CoP, fostering active participation and

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

We are looking for candidates who will navigate fast-paced and resource-constrained environments with enthusiasm, patience, a sense of humor, and imagination.

The ideal candidate will fulfill the following requirements:

• 7+ years of work experience in relevant
• Minimum 2–3 years in safeguarding, protection, or PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse)
• Experience handling safeguarding cases and investigations
• Experience working in humanitarian or development context
• Bachelor Degree in relevant field

Demonstrated experience in:

• Managing safeguarding incidents and case management processes
• Conducting or supporting investigations
• Working with vulnerable populations (refugees, women, children, etc.)

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Strong understanding of:

• Safeguarding principles and frameworks (PSEA, child protection, GBV)
• Survivor-centered approaches
• Case management and referral pathways
• Risk assessment and mitigation

Practical experience with:

• Reporting mechanisms (hotlines, complaints systems)
• Training design and delivery
• Policy development and SOP implementation

GENERAL COMPETENCIES MANAGER
We are looking for someone who;

• Leads Teams -  Aligns the team with common objectives derived from the organizational strategy, fosters a shared mindset, and celebrates wins while recognizing team efforts.
• Builds Trust - Holds self and others accountable by clearly outlining responsibilities, tracking results, delegating effectively, building independence and demonstrating care for others, and being consistent in actions.
• Relationship Management - Establishes and maintains strong relationships with key stakeholders, partners, and community leaders, while anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

This role is inside a high-growth, mission-driven social enterprise. By joining, you’ll access:

• Meaningful work that directly contributes to sustainable livelihoods and job creation across East and Central Africa.
• Competitive salary, and potential Performance-based bonus
• Incredible company culture, with opportunities for learning and growth
• Diverse colleagues across the region, and policies that demonstrate commitment to equity and inclusion 
• A dynamic and entrepreneurial team environment committed to innovation and social impact
• Health insurance for self and family
• Staff savings and provident fund, negotiated bank rates for long-term employees
• Generous annual leave, parental leave, and sabbatical options. 

TO APPLY

If you’re excited about this role, please submit your CV, and tell us why you are the right fit for this opportunity. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: July 15, 2026

Inkomoko is committed to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.  As we seek to reflect the communities we serve, refugees and women are strongly encouraged to apply. As a company we have policies that ensure fair treatment in the application process. 

NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Employment is conditional upon successful background checks and other verification as needed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and background screening checks. Inkomoko also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual misconduct, fraud, or abuse. By applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.