Social Safeguards Specialist

NATIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE COMMITTEEIntegrated Social Protection for Resilience and Opportunity (INSPIRE-O)Credit /Grant No: P512324Date of Issue: 6th November 2026EXPRESSION 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 OverviewThe 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 ResponsibilitiesThe Social Safeguards Specialist’s role encompasses the following key result areas, with core responsibilities including but not limited to:Social Risk Assessment & ManagementOversee 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 specialistsPromptly 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 RedressLead 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. Ensur