Job description
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT @ NATIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE COMMITTEE
POSITION: SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS SPECIALIST
Location: Lilongwe
Integrated Social Protection for Resilience and Opportunity (INSPIRE-O)
Credit /Grant No: P512324
Date of Issue: 6th November 2026
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR POSITIONS UNDER THE INTEGRATED SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR RESILIENCE AND OPPORTUNITY (INSPIRE-O)
The Government of Malawi (GoM) through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NGFC) has received financing from the World Bank Group and the Malawi Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund supported by the European Union, Ireland, the United Kingdom through FCDO, Germany through KIW, Iceland, and Norway towards the cost of Integrated Social Protection for Resilience and Opportunity (INSPIRE-O). The NGFC intends to apply part of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under the contract to recruit various specialists and/officers on a three – year contract, renewable annually based on performance and availability of financial resources or as mutually agreed by both parties.
NGFC, therefore, invites applications from suitably qualified and interested candidates to fill various positions available at the NGFC Offices:
Social Safeguards Specialist (1 position)
Position Overview
The Social Safeguards Specialist is a senior technical position whose role is to lead the identification, assessment, and management of social risks and impacts for the INSPIRE-O projects. The Specialist will be responsible for ensuring that all project activities are planned and implemented in a socially responsible manner, in full compliance with Government of Malawi regulatory framework, and the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). This includes promoting social inclusion, protecting vulnerable groups, managing stakeholder engagement and grievance redress, and overseeing the implementation of Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) mitigation measures.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Social Safeguards Specialist’s role encompasses the following key result areas, with core responsibilities including but not limited to:
Social Risk Assessment & Management
Oversee the preparation and implementation of site-specific social risk-management instruments, including Resettlement Action Plans, Labor Management Procedures and other required social instruments. Lead the implementation of labour-management requirements, including fair terms and conditions, nondiscrimination, prevention of child and forced labour, and worker grievance arrangements, in coordination with the OHS Specialist on occupational health and safety matters.
Lead the screening and management of risks related to land acquisition, restrictions on land use, physical displacement and economic displacement in accordance with the project’s Resettlement Policy Framework and ESS5, including oversight of voluntary land donation or land-use agreements and preparation and implementation of Resettlement Action Plans where required.
Ensure that all social safeguards instruments are developed in a participatory manner, costed, and integrated into project design, procurement documents, and contracts.
Coordinate the preparation of social compliance monitoring reports and track the implementation of corrective and remedial actions.
Assess and monitor social risks associated with digital registries, payment systems and beneficiary information systems, including exclusion from project benefits, accessibility barriers, digital literacy, informed communication, protection of personal data, misuse of beneficiary information and access to grievance channels, in coordination with the relevant digital-system and data-protection specialists
Promptly identify, document and internally escalate social incidents in accordance with the ESCP timelines, including incidents involving labour, communities, displacement, violence, discrimination, child or forced labour, and SEA/SH, and support appropriate review, corrective action and follow-up in coordination with the Environmental and OHS Specialists. SEA/SH cases shall follow confidential, survivor-cantered procedures.
Support the social screening and monitoring of microenterprise activities financed through cash grants, tools and equipment, including labour and working conditions, social inclusion, exclusion risks, accessibility, community health and safety, grievance access and risks affecting vulnerable beneficiaries.
Stakeholder Engagement & Grievance Redress
Lead the development and implementation of the project’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), ensuring meaningful, inclusive, and culturally appropriate consultation with all project-affected communities, vulnerable groups, and other stakeholders.
Establish, operationalize and monitor the project grievance mechanism, including training Grievance Redress Committees, maintaining the grievance database, protecting confidentiality, and tracking complaints through acknowledgement, assessment, referral, resolution or escalation, and closure within agreed timelines. Ensure coordination with the separate worker grievance mechanism under the LMP and confidential referral arrangements for SEA/SH and other sensitive complaints.
Prepare and manage project information materials and ensure their dissemination to affected communities to enhance transparency and social accountability.
GBV/SEA/SH Risk Mitigation & Management
Lead the review, updating, implementation and monitoring of the project’s GBV/SEA/SH Action Plan, ensuring that appropriate prevention, confidential reporting and survivor-cantered referral arrangements are maintained across relevant project components.
Ensure that SEA/SH allegations are received and referred through confidential, survivor-centered channels, with informed consent, restricted access to information and referral to appropriate service providers. The Specialist shall monitor the functioning of the referral arrangements but shall not investigate SEA/SH allegations or record unnecessary personal details
Oversee the mainstreaming of GBV/SEA/SH risk mitigation measures in project activities, including the development of codes of conduct for staff, contractors, and community workers.
Ensure that all project staff, contractors, and community facilitators are trained on GBV/SEA/SH prevention and response.
Monitor and report on the implementation of the GBV/SEA/SH Action Plan and support the implementation of corrective actions as needed.
Vulnerable Groups & Social Inclusion
Identify and ensure that the needs and concerns of vulnerable groups such as the ultra-poor, women, people with disabilities, the elderly, child-headed households, and people living with HIV/AIDS are addressed in project design and implementation.
Ensure that project benefits are inclusive and that vulnerable groups are not marginalized or negatively affected by project activities.
Monitor and report on the social inclusion of vulnerable groups.
Capacity Building & Coordination
Design and deliver capacity-building programs on social safeguards and social risk management for NLGFC staff, local authorities, contractors, and other relevant stakeholders.
Coordinate closely with the Environmental Safeguards Specialist, OHS Specialist, and other PIU members to ensure integrated management of environmental and social risks.
Contribute to the preparation of Terms of Reference for social safeguards-related consultancies and support the management of such assignments.
Qualifications and Experience
Master’s Degree in Social Sciences; Sociology; Anthropology; Gender and Development; Rural and Social Development Studies; or a related field from an accredited institution.
A minimum of eight (
years relevant working experience in the field of social risk management, social safeguards, or social development projects.
Demonstrated experience in assessing and managing social risks in civil works or infrastructure projects, including stakeholder engagement, grievance management, labour and working conditions, land acquisition and displacement, social inclusion, and GBV/SEA/SH risk mitigation under the World Bank ESF or comparable international standards.
Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building programs in the field of social safeguards.
Essential Skills and Competencies
Technical: In-depth knowledge of the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework, particularly ESS1, ESS2, ESS4, ESS5 and ESS10, with practical experience in social risk assessment, labour management, land acquisition and displacement, community health and safety, stakeholder engagement, grievance management, social inclusion and GBV/SEA/SH risk mitigation.
Regulatory: Working knowledge of Malawi’s legal and policy requirements relevant to social risk management, including land acquisition and compensation, labour and working conditions, gender equality, disability inclusion, child protection and stakeholder engagement, with experience engaging relevant national and local authorities
Communication: Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and relevant local languages, with the ability to explain complex social risk-management requirements clearly and engage effectively with project-affected communities, vulnerable groups, workers, contractors, government institutions and other stakeholders.
Computer: working knowledge in using MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and database management tools.
Personal Attributes: Highly motivated, self-starter, result-oriented and capable of working under pressure to meet tight deadlines. Must demonstrate the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and a commitment to anti-corruption and anti-bribery ethics.
Deliverables and Performance Management
The Social Safeguards Specialist’s performance will be assessed against the timeliness, quality, and completeness of the following deliverables:
Social Risk Management Instruments: Required social instruments, including RAPs where required, LMP updates, stakeholder engagement records, grievance-management arrangements and GBV/SEA/SH measures, prepared or updated, technically reviewed, disclosed where required, and monitored within the agreed timelines.
Social Risk Management Reports: Monthly, quarterly and annual social risk-management reports prepared and submitted on time, covering implementation of the ESCP, SEP, LMP, RPF and any RAPs, grievance management, stakeholder engagement, social inclusion, and GBV/SEA/SH measures
Social Compliance Reports: Quarterly reports on contractors’ and implementing partners’ compliance with applicable social requirements, including the LMP, worker grievance mechanism, Codes of Conduct, stakeholder engagement, community grievance management, social inclusion, ESS5 requirements where applicable, and GBV/SEA/SH mitigation measures.
Social Risk Tracking System: A functional system for tracking social risk-management requirements, including stakeholder-engagement commitments, grievances, labour issues, ESS5 actions, social inclusion measures, GBV/SEA/SH actions, non-compliance and corrective actions.
Social Monitoring Reports: Reports following site visits and spot checks, documenting compliance with applicable social requirements, stakeholder consultations, grievances, labour issues, ESS5 actions where applicable, inclusion of vulnerable groups, GBV/SEA/SH measures, and corrective actions requiring follow-up.
Social Compliance Review and Audit Follow-up Reports: Reports on internal social compliance reviews and support provided to independent environmental and social audits, with agreed corrective and remedial actions tracked to verified closure.
Capacity Building Reports: Reports on the design and delivery of capacity-building programs for relevant stakeholders.
Social Non-Compliance Reports: Reports on identified social non-compliance, including the requirement breached, responsible party, agreed corrective action, completion deadline, follow-up status and evidence of closure.
Key Performance Indicators
% of required social risk-management instruments identified and technically reviewed within the agreed timelines, with implementation regularly monitored and material delays or non-compliance promptly reported, escalated and followed up through corrective actions.
Timely submission of complete monthly, quarterly and annual social risk-management reports and inputs to consolidated E&S reports.
Timely submission of quarterly social compliance reports covering contractors’ and implementing partners’ compliance with applicable labour, stakeholder engagement, grievance management, social inclusion, ESS5 and GBV/SEA/SH requirements.
Percentage of major social non-compliance findings reported on time, with corrective actions agreed and followed up to verified closure within the agreed timeframe. Percentage of staff identified in the approved social risk-management capacity-building plan who complete the planned training within the agreed timeframe.
Reporting and Supervision
The Social and Safeguards Specialist will report to the Deputy Project Coordinator for all administrative operations and to the Head of Environmental and Social Safeguards at NLGFC for technical issues. S/he will work in close collaboration with the Environmental Safeguards Specialist, local authorities, and other project staff.
Location of Employment
The consultant will be based at the NLGFC offices in Lilongwe. The position will require regular and extensive travel to all project implementation areas for INSPIRE-O.
Duration of Assignment
The assignment is for a period of three (3) years, with annual performance reviews and contract extension subject to satisfactory performance and availability of project resources.
Selection and Remuneration
Selection Method: The applicant will be selected on the basis of the method of Individual Consultant in accordance with the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers,” Sixth Edition, February 2025.
Remuneration: The remuneration package will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Interested applicants who meet the specified requirements are encouraged to submit their application letters together with a concise Curriculum Vitae (CV), National ID, and copies of relevant original certificates to the address below not later than 17.00 hours on 13th November, 2026.
The National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying Gender equality in its operations and strongly encourages women to apply for the above vacant positions.
The Executive Director
National Local Government Finance Committee
Area 14, Red Cross Building
Presidential Way
P.O Box 31162
LILONGWE 3
Or through the following email address: recruitment@nlgfc.gov.mw
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessments.
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