Protection and Safeguarding Specialist

• Unable to provide sponsorship at this time. Only considering persons eligible to work in the United States.
  
  

Global Support and Development is seeking to hire a Protection and Safeguarding Specialist within our Programs section. The position is full-time, fixed-term, until December 19, 2025.

Reporting to our Protection and Safeguarding Advisor, The Protection and Safeguarding Specialist is responsible for integrating protection and safeguarding into GSD emergency response and preparedness operations, with a focus on emergency response during the Atlantic Hurricane season (June 1-November 30, 2025).

This is a deployable position requiring the ability to rapidly deploy to areas affected by natural disasters primarily in the Caribbean and Central America. As part of GSD’s internal Disaster Response Team (DRT), the Protection and Safeguarding Specialist will work to ensure that GSD's interventions minimize harm, promote safety, and uphold the rights and dignity of affected populations, including preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and child safeguarding concerns.

GSD is locally-led, brings together a range of backgrounds and expertise and does not engage in stand-alone protection programming at this time. Deployments are often based out of GSD’s Humanitarian Vessel. The ideal candidate will be adaptable to different modalities of work, have strong skills in integrating protection into other sectors of disaster response and supporting diverse partners and staff, and can engage meaningfully with communities, without being extractive.

GSD Offers a Comprehensive Benefits Package To Include

• Up to 25 days of accrued vacation
• Up to 80 hours of annual sick leave
• Up to 80 hours of Military Pay and 30 Days Differential
• Medical, Dental and Vision (GSD covers monthly premium)
• Group Life and AD&D Coverage (GSD covers monthly premium)
• Retirement (Pre and Post Tax Options) and a Company Match
• Matches on Qualified 529 Plans
• Up to 14 Paid Holidays
  
  

Want to know more? Read below for additional responsibilities and qualifications.

• Rapidly deploy to areas affected by Atlantic hurricanes (within 48-72 hours as requested, for up to 2-3 weeks) and remain prepared for rapid deployment;
• Conduct rapid protection and safeguarding risk analysis for affected areas;
• Support GSD teams to integrate protection principles into all aspects of GSD's emergency response, including needs assessments, program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;
• Work with Team Leads to ensure implementation of GSD's safeguarding policies and procedures on the ground, that they are understood and adhered to by all staff, volunteers, and partners;
• Identify and analyze potential protection and safeguarding risks associated with GSD's operations and develop mitigation strategies, emphasizing those most at-risk;
• Provide training and awareness-raising sessions on protection and safeguarding principles, expectations, risk mitigation, and reporting channels, for GSD staff, volunteers, and partners;
• Share, strengthen, and establish (as needed) feedback and complaint mechanisms that are accessible and safe for affected populations, ensuring that protection concerns can be raised and addressed;
• Liaise and coordinate with local partners, including the national disaster management organizations and other humanitarian actors on protection and safeguarding issues;
• Connect with specialized protection organizations, and those serving the most vulnerable or at-risk populations. Participate in relevant coordination meetings and working groups;
• Adapt protection and safeguarding strategies and tools to the specific context of each emergency response;
• Contribute to timely and accurate reporting on protection and safeguarding activities, including any incidents or concerns. Maintain clear and confidential records in accordance with GSD's policies;
• Advocate for the protection needs and rights of affected populations within GSD's operations and with external stakeholders as appropriate;
• Develop technical resources and tools for GSD staff and partners on protection and safeguarding;
• Contribute to development of organizational framework on protection and safeguarding as well as strategies and tools;
• Represent protection and safeguarding in relevant internal meetings;
• Uphold GSD’s core values of accountability, humility, and integrity in all work we conduct;
• Promote good stewardship of financial and other resources to achieve maximum benefit to those impacted by disaster or at risk of impact; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

Required Experience:

• Five (5) or more years of relevant professional experience, working on protection, GBV, child protection, or related field in humanitarian settings. Experience in the Caribbean and/or Central America a plus; and
• Proven experience applying protection lenses to engagements with partners and teams.
  
  

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  
  

Knowledge/Skills

• Demonstrated skills in protection risk analysis and mitigation;
• Strong understanding of minimum standards for protection and safeguarding in humanitarian action;
• Solid experience in humanitarian programming for major protection issues including GBV, child protection, etc.;
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of survivor-centered safeguarding systems;
• Ability to work collaboratively with a wide array of stakeholders and build authentic, strong relationships across cultures;
• Excellent at developing technical tools and facilitating training in protection;
• Flexibility to adapt to evolving organizational needs and systems as well as different modalities of working;
• Discernment for confidentiality in relation to organizational, partner, and donor activities and communications;
• Experience working and/or traveling domestically and internationally;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to rapidly shift tasks; and
• Proficiency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, or other working language is an asset.
  
  

Working Conditions And Physical Requirements

• At this time, GSD is not offering sponsorship and is only accepting applications from persons eligible to work in the United States; and
• This is a deployable position, with travel up to 60% (according to emergency need).
  
  

GSD prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of all of our staff members. All employees are expected to follow strict safety protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as required and adherence to safety regulations (maritime, and other), to mitigate risks.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and North Carolina state law, GSD will provide reasonable accommodation for a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship

or a direct threat to the health and/or safety of the individual or others.

These working conditions and physical demands are described to provide a clear understanding of the nature of the role, including the essential deployment responsibilities that may be necessary, to ensure that potential candidates are well-prepared for the challenging and demanding nature of the duties and realities of disaster response work. GSD is not able to reasonably predict when or whether it will become necessary to deploy an employee in this position for disaster response work. Such decisions are made as circumstances arise to meet organizational needs, and employees in this role are therefore expected to be able to fulfill disaster response work responsibilities.

Working Conditions During Non-Deployment Periods

• Work is performed in an office setting and is generally sedentary, but may involve movement (e.g., walking, standing or otherwise being mobile throughout the office) for brief periods of time;
• Ability to use hands, reach, and independently lift and move items weighing up to 20 pounds, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects;
• Ability to bend and stoop;
• Ability to sit and view a computer screen for extended periods of time;
• Ability to demonstrate manual dexterity to operate computer and other office equipment;
• Ability to communicate effectively with others.
  
  

Working Conditions During Deployment Periods (Including Rapid Response)

• May be regularly exposed to and required to work in varying outdoor weather conditions, including extreme heat or cold, heavy rainfall, and other extreme weather events;
• May be required to engage in irregular travel and / or work schedules, which may include extended hours exceeding 8 or 12 hours in a day for prolonged periods outside of the control of the individual;
• While wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) which is required and provided by GSD:
• Work may be conducted near moving mechanical parts, which could include exposure to loud noises;
• Work may be conducted near and include potential exposure to fumes, airborne particles, and toxic or caustic chemicals; or
• Work may be conducted in areas that include exposure to the risk of electrical shock or vibration.
• Ability to obtain necessary travel documents and fulfill any other travel requirements (including an active passport, visa requirements, vaccinations, etc.);
• This role may include deployments to support natural disaster response efforts within hazardous, dynamic, and unstable environments (economically/environmentally) in pre- and post- disaster scenarios, which could include, among other conditions: lack of access to medical care, exposure to critical incidents (including severe injury, death, traumatic encounters, and/or mental strain), and uncommon sleeping arrangements (i.e. not in a hotel, could include close living quarters and cohabitation);
• GSD’s nutritional environment contains milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat products. Ability to make dietary accommodations may be limited. Potential exposure to food borne allergens; and
• Employees may be required for this role to work upon our Humanitarian Vessel for up to 30 consecutive days. The vessel’s working environment entails performing in conditions inherent to vessel travel, including but not limited to: steep and narrow stairs and living spaces, close quarters including cohabitation, sharp surfaces, metal gangways and ladders, heavy doors, European-type plugs and wiring (220-240v, 60Hz) which cannot support all American appliances, in addition to bright and flashing lights, loud noises, nuts and shellfish exposure, poor weather, movements which can trigger motion sickness, and / or limited access to hospital / definitive care. This setting involves various sea conditions, including but not limited to rough seas, adverse weather, and potential for sea sickness.
  

Physical Demands During Non-Deployment Periods

• Ability to perform work indoors in an office environment;
• Ability to work a varied schedule to complete projects and meet deadlines in response to changing demands;
• Ability to travel to attend meetings, industry or professional association conferences and stay overnight as required.
  
  

Physical Demands During Deployment Periods

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) for up to 50% of the time;
• Ability to regularly engage in manual dexterity;
• [FOR VESSEL] Essential physical requirements (depending on job description requirements) may also include climbing, balancing, reaching or stretching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling;
• Ability to frequently move lift, push, pull, carry items weighing up to 20 pounds for various needs;
• Ability to observe details at a close range (within a few feet of the observer), and the ability to communicate information and ideas so that others will understand (must also be able to exchange accurate information in these situations);
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
  
  

This job description reflects an assignment of essential functions. It does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Other duties and tasks may be assigned to this job at GSD’s discretion.

Work Authorization Requirements: GSD participates in E-verify, an internet-based system that allows employers to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. Our participation in E-Verify is in compliance with federal law and is limited to the use of E-Verify for employment eligibility verification only. We do not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9.

This job description is a summary rather than a detailed list of the duties performed. The essential functions, knowledge, skills, and working conditions may change along with business needs. This job description does not constitute a contract between employer and employee as employment is at will. Global Support and Development provides reasonable accommodations to assist qualified individuals in order to perform the essential functions their job requires.

GSD is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and embraces all candidates regardless of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. GSD promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all candidate selections.