Community Engagement and Safeguarding Advisor

MEDAIR UK; Brighton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

MEDAIR UK is seeking a Community Engagement and Safeguarding Advisor for field-based work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You will lead community engagement strategies, ensure quality across health, nutrition, WASH and protection programs, and support safeguarding integration while strengthening feedback mechanisms.

The role requires technical leadership, collaboration with MEAL and project teams, and ensuring alignment with global standards and donor requirements.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in the humanitarian sector or other relevant field. Health, social work, or psychology background or education (community health, social worker, nurse, midwife or doctor), or Public Health degree desirable.
• Strong working knowledge of English and French (spoken and written). Swahili desirable.

Skills

English-French proficiency

Behaviour Change Communication

Accountability to Affected Populations

Safeguarding

Sphere standards

Education

Post-graduate degree in humanitarian sector

Job description

Community Engagement and Safeguarding Advisor

Starting Date / Initial Contract Details

16 November 2026 , for 12 months.

Role Summary

Provide technical leadership, strategic guidance, and quality assurance for Community Engagement approaches across Medair's multi-sector programs in Health, Nutrition, WASH, Protection, and other sectors. Support the Community Engagement Manager and Project Managers to design, strengthen, harmonize, monitor, and continually improve Community Engagement, Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), safeguarding integration, and community feedback mechanisms.

The Community Engagement Advisor serves as Medair's technical focal point for community engagement, ensuring that approaches are evidence-based, aligned with global standards, donor requirements, and organizational strategies, while building the capacity of managers and field teams.

Project Overview

Emergency health, nutrition, protection and WASH projects targeting displaced, war affected and vulnerable populations in north-east Congo. Some more sustainable objectives are aimed at longer term behaviour change to improve public health outcomes and increase accessibility.

The Community aspects of the programming are Implemented at the household level, this behaviour change programme aims to positively change social and core behaviour of beneficiaries and communities and to directly reduce morbidity and mortality of children under 5 years of age and pregnant and lactating mothers in all project areas where Medair DRC implements its programme.

The Medair Ebola Response in DR Congo strengthens Ebola preparedness and response in the DRC by improving health facility capacity for infection prevention, triage, and case management while maintaining essential services. It enhances community surveillance through trained Community Health Workers for early detection and referrals. Additionally, it establishes Ebola Treatment Centres to provide safe isolation, quality care, laboratory coordination, and psychosocial support

Workplace & Conditions

Field based position in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo. Regularly traveling to other field locations.

Key Activity Areas

Technical Leadership and Strategy

Lead the development and periodic review of Community Engagement strategies, frameworks, standards, and guidance documents.

Provide technical advice to the Community Engagement Manager and sector managers on community engagement approaches.

Support integration of Community Engagement across Health, Nutrition, WASH, Protection and other sectors.

Promote harmonized Community Engagement methodologies across all project locations.

Advise on Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA), Social and Behaviour Change (SBC), Care Group methodologies, and participatory approaches.

Ensure community engagement activities align with international standards, Sphere, CHS (Core Humanitarian Standard), AAP commitments, and Medair policies.

Support proposal development, program design, assessments, and strategic planning processes.

Quality Assurance and Technical Oversight

Conduct regular technical reviews of community engagement activities and tools.

Develop quality benchmarks, minimum standards, and monitoring frameworks.

Review implementation plans and provide recommendations for improvement.

Analyze program performance, community feedback trends, and lessons learned.

Lead technical assessments, barrier analyses, formative research, and behavioural studies where needed.

Support development of standard operating procedures (SOPs), training packages, and implementation guides.

Ensure safeguarding and accountability principles are appropriately integrated into community engagement approaches.

Accountability and Community Feedback Systems

Provide technical support for establishment and strengthening of community feedback and response mechanisms.

Advise managers on AAP best practices and compliance requirements.

Support analysis of feedback, complaints, and community perception data.

Promote community participation in decision-making and project design.

Ensure learning from feedback systems informs program adaptation and strategy.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning

Support development of Community Engagement indicators and measurement frameworks.

Collaborate with MEAL teams on monitoring tools and data quality systems.

Promote use of evidence and learning to improve program effectiveness.

Lead or support operational research initiatives related to behaviour change and community engagement.

Develop technical learning documents, case studies, guidance notes, and best practice resources.

Support evaluation and documentation of Community Engagement outcomes and impact.

External Representation and Technical Networking

Represent Medair in technical working groups, Community Engagement forums, AAP forums, and safeguarding-related coordination platforms.

Maintain awareness of emerging best practices, donor expectations, and sector developments.

Promote collaboration and knowledge exchange with partners and external stakeholders.

Contribute to organizational learning and knowledge management initiatives.

Qualifications

Post-graduate degree in the humanitarian sector or other relevant field. Health, social work, or psychology background or education (community health, social worker, nurse, midwife or doctor), or Public Health degree desirable.

Strong working knowledge of English and French (spoken and written). Swahili desirable.

Experience

2 years’ post-qualification professional experience in an International NGO in a related role

Experience managing Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) ; Safeguarding and the Care Group Methodology

At least 2 year humanitarian experience where you worked with or observed health programming.

Strong written and verbal skills in French.

Able to take initiatives and speak confidently.

Knowledge of humanitarian principles, Sphere and HAP Standard.

Team Spiritual Life

Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, people we serve, and external contacts. Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based teams. Fully contribute to a rich spiritual team life, including team devotion, prayer, and words of encouragement.