Safeguarding and Accountability Manager- Parental Leave Cover

Starting Date: 01 September 2024

Contract type: Fixed term for 12 months

Salary: £57,400/year if in London; INR 3,042,400/year if in Delhi or PKR 6,773,600/year if in Lahore.

Location: London, UK; Lahore, Pakistan or Delhi, India

Application closing date: 23 August 2024 @ 17:00 UK time. P

lease note that the applications to be reviewed on a rolling basis and recruitment will be closed when the suitable candidate is identified. We encourage interested candidates to apply ASAP.

About this role

The Safeguarding Manager is responsible for all aspects of safeguarding at Better Cotton, including ensuring that organisation’s safeguarding policies are fit for purpose, appropriately understood by all staff and being implemented in an effective manner.

The Safeguarding Manager is a member of the global partnerships team and is tasked with supporting Better Cotton’s network of partners to ensure that their safeguarding policy, and other feedback mechanisms are fit for purpose and driving improvements in working conditions in the Better Cotton partner network.

Responsibilities

Safeguarding

• Ensure that Better Cotton’s Safeguarding Policy & Processes are fit for purpose and appropriately understood by all staff – including delivering safeguarding training to all staff when they join and enhanced training for different roles within the organisation as required.
• Ensure that Better Cotton’s central policies and processes are appropriately amended to align with national legislation and requirements where necessary.
• Ensure national/regional safeguarding focal points are in place in countries where Better Cotton has an office, and that they have the skills, knowledge and support required to conduct their duties.
• Matrix management of the Safeguarding and Compliance Senior Coordinator (Pakistan) and other similar roles as may be created in other countries.
• Directly oversee all safeguarding investigations, ensuring that they are effectively managed, investigated and resolved and survivors/victims are supported.
• Conduct analysis on reported incidents and ensure that it is being used to identify trends and implement proactive mitigation measures where possible.
• Proactively seek to identify ways to make safeguarding mechanisms and survivor support services accessible to different actors in the BCSS, and in particular producers; including through implementing pilots with programme partners and identifying opportunities for wider roll out.
• Conducting risk assessments to ensure we are striving to understand and mitigate risks.

Complaints & Whistleblowing

• Leadership of the cross-functional complaints management team and matrix management of country/regional level complaints focal points.
• Management of the Better Cotton Complaints & Whistleblowing frameworks.
• Ensuring that all relevant policies and procedures are appropriate to organisational needs, meet international standards and are aligned with local legislation where necessary.
• Ensure that admissible complaints are appropriately managed, investigated and resolved by nominated cross-functional focal points.
• Provide direct support to country/regional focal points to carry out investigations into complaints from partner staff relating to working conditions and human rights as required.
• Ensuring that learnings from complaints received, and investigations conducted, are contributing to continuous improvement in programme delivery.

Partner Performance & Support

• Provide expert input into partner due diligence – reviewing partner policies on safeguarding and recommending corrective actions where weaknesses are identified.
• Work in close collaboration with country/regional focal points (where available) to provide partners with support with implementing corrective actions relating to safeguarding, stakeholder feedback mechanisms and labour rights.
• As part of the Partnerships Team, contribute to building and delivering a cohesive approach to effective partnerships that will drive excellence and impact at the field level.

Other duties and responsibilities

• Maintain an active dialogue with members of the Better Cotton Executive Group (EG) and nominated focal points on the Better Cotton council – ensuring that they are kept appropriately updated.
• Quarterly reporting to EG on Safeguarding, Complaints & Whistleblowing.
• Annual reporting to Better Cotton Council on Safeguarding, Complaints & Whistleblowing.
• Ensuring that serious complaints, safeguarding and whistleblowing incidents are reported to the Better Cotton EG, Better Cotton Council and External Bodies as appropriate (and in the case of External Bodies, legally required).
• Ensure that risks associated with safeguarding and complaints are appropriately represented in the organisational risk register.
• Promote and upheld Better Cotton’s approach to partnership and programme management, including its ethos and values.
• As part of the Global Programmes Team participate in working groups and lead on additional tasks as reasonably requested by the Director of Farm Programmes & Partnerships.

Profile

The selected candidate will have the following attributes, skills, knowledge, and experience:

Attributes

• Self-starter with ability to work with limited direction
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to handle difficult interviews
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to think ahead and anticipate needs
• Ability to handle sensitive information confidentially
• Ability to lead and inspire others
• Ability to remain calm under pressure
• Willingness to travel internationally (10%) of time

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• At least five years of professional experience in safeguarding, some of which in an international context
• A proven track record of developing and implementing safeguarding policies and mechanisms
• Experience of establishing frameworks and procedures
• Experience of leading cross-functional projects and workstreams
• Experience in managing safeguarding investigations
• Experience designing and rolling out training to staff and partner organisations
• Experience in providing support to focal points
• Experience of working with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Knowledge of safeguarding legislation, regulations and best practice in the UK and other countries
• Experience in reporting on cases and safeguarding trends to senior management

Desirable

• Experience in safeguarding within the NGO sector
• Experience in safeguarding in India, Pakistan, Mali, Mozambique
• Experience in safeguarding within a rural context
• Language skills relevant to one or more of Better Cotton’s countries

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid working – Two to three days/week in the offices central London, Delhi or Lahore
• The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year
• Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time
• Continuous learning and development
• 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays and a further 3 discretionary days off over Christmas/year end period.
• A warm, positive working environment where everyone is valued
• The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based in either London, Delhi or Lahore. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm. Travel may be required to country offices from time to time in accordance with business needs. This is not anticipated to be more than twice per year.

About Better Cotton

Better Cotton is the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme. Our 200+ colleagues of 37+ nationalities are united by a shared passion and commitment to achieving the Better Cotton mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. Through our network of field-level partners a quarter of the world’s cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard. We have united the industry’s stakeholders behind our efforts, from ginners and spinners to brand owners, civil society organisations and governments. Everyone who cares about cotton and its sustainable future can now be part of something better.

About our Values

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible)​
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic)​
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic)​
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic)​
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing) ​

Being you @ Better Cotton

Better Cotton is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.