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Job Announcement

National Ombuds Specialist

with SOS Children's Villages of Cambodia

BTDC-ID: 42126
Closing Date:

Announcement Positions

National Ombuds Specialist

Announcement Description

SOS Children’s Villages Cambodia is a child-focused national organization dedicated to ensuring that every child grows up in a safe, caring, and supportive family environment. Since its establishment in 1999 and official registration with the Ministry of Interior (MoI) on 24 April 2001, the organization has worked alongside vulnerable children, young people, families, communities, government and CSO partners to strengthen child protection systems and improve the lives of children and young people in Cambodia. AS a member of the global federation of SOS Children’s Villages International, SOS Children’s Villages Cambodia combines international experience with strong local partnerships and community-based approaches to support children and young people who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing it.Today, the organization operates in seven project locations across Cambodia: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang, Ratanakiri, Kratie, Kampot, and Prey Veng. Through integrated programs in alternative care, family strengthening, youth empowerment, early childhood care and development, education, safeguarding, and advocacy, SOS Children’s Villages Cambodia has been supporting thousands of vulnerable children, young people and families. The organization’s work is grounded in the belief that children thrive in safe, supportive family and community environments. Guided by Cambodia’s national care reform priorities and international child rights principles, SOS Children’s Villages Cambodia is actively transitioning toward more family- and community-based care solutions that prioritize prevention of family separation, safe reintegration, and long-term resilience for vulnerable families.

Announcement Positions

National Ombuds Specialist

Workplace Circumstances
  • Environment: Office
  • Languages: English, Khmer
  • Location: Phnom Penh
Position Circumstances
  • Career Category: Social Work, Child Protection, Community Development, Rural development
  • Schedule:Full-time
  • Salary: Negotiable
Position Summary

Report to : Regional Ombuds

Duty Location : National Office, Phnom Penh

The Ombuds Office for SOS Children's Villages is an independent entity within SOS Children’s Villages dedicated to supporting individuals concerned about the safety or well-being of children and young people involved in SOS programmes and services, past or present. Its approach is child-centred, participatory, and 'ground-up', meaning it adapts to each national context and seeks local solutions to local challenges.

An Ombuds is a trustworthy individual who listens, supports, and guides children, young people, and adults to find solutions to their concerns related to children and young people. Each Ombuds follows the four principles: Confidentiality, Impartiality, Independence and Informality. They work independently of SOS Children’s Villages as a check and balance to safeguarding with the goal of finding a solution to the concern raised.

Duties & Responsibilities:
  • In order to further their mission, SOS Children’s Villages has decided to implement an Ombuds Office.
  • The National Ombuds Specialist Specialist – Cambodia, as designated neutral professionals, will build awareness, promote prevention, nurture child participation, and enable children and young people to be safe in all SOS CV programs and services. She/He is a person of trust who has the skills and interest to work through their concerns and find a local solution by:
  • Adhering to the principles of confidentiality, independence, informality and impartiality;
  • Guiding a fair process through listening and supporting;
  • Utilizing dispute resolution skills;
  • Being a check and balance;
  • Identifying trends and making recommendations to SOS Children’s Villages Cambodia.
  • The National Ombuds Specialist Specialist will operate independently from SOS Children’s Villages Cambodia and will report to the Regional Ombuds.
Benefits:
  • A full-time fixed-duration employment contract for 40 hours/week
  • Training and development
  • Support from the Regional Ombuds
  • Satisfying and stimulating work
  • Remote and in-person work arrangements
  • The opportunity to work for an NGO that is a member of a recognized international network.
Expected Profile of Candidates
Languages:
  • Khmer - Good
  • English - Good
Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree in a relevant area such as child rights or child protection, child and youth studies, mediation, social work, child psychology, safeguarding or psychosocial wellbeing, law, or equivalent
Work History:
  • Demonstrated experience in one of the following fields: ombudsperson, mediation, child safeguarding, child protection, or child rights for 5 years as a minimum
  • Demonstrated experience in working with children and youths for 3 years as a minimum
Skills & Knowledge:
General & Technical Skills
  • Experience in working in communities;
  • Good level of knowledge of children’s rights or child protection/prevention and related issues - child safeguarding, child development and health, law, policies, regulations and International Standards related to children's care;
  • Strong facilitation/training skills - Ability to develop and implement engaging trainings and ongoing support workshops for staff and children' representatives;
  • Understanding of the local context, including laws, policies, practices, language and social norms;
  • Be able to work in two languages: Khmer and English;
  • Understand the foundations of the Ombuds’ work;
  • You have the legal right to live and work in Cambodia;
  • Experience working in an NGO or international organization would be an asset.
  • Commitment to child safeguarding, PSHEA, and SOS Cambodia’s Code of Conduct.
Soft Skills
  • Very good listener with good observational skills;
  • Strong communication skills;
  • Demonstrated ability to build rapport with children and young people, to identify marginalized children and young people and connect with them and build trust;
  • A problem solver, adviser and mediator capable of resolving young people’s and adults’ concerns effectively and in a timely manner;
  • Be gender and diverse, sensitive and representative.
 

How to Apply

Note: This position involves working with a not-for-profit organisation committed to children and adult safeguarding and is subject to strict safer recruitment checks. The successful candidate will be required to go through background verification checks to verify their suitability to work for SOS Children’s Villages Cambodia.

To protect the independence of the Ombuds Office, this position is not open to SOS Children's Villages employees or those who have been employed by SOS Children's Villages within the last 2 years, or for those who have relatives working for SOS Children's Villages. Please note that only successful candidates will be contacted.

In case you have question, please reach out to us by email or email

You can find more detail about us here: Ombuds Office - SOS Children's Villages

In accordance with the organisation’s child protection policy, this position will be subject to applicable background checks, including criminal record checks.

Application Information

As this position is need to fill up urgently, so the interview will be conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled up. Interested Candidates are requested to apply early Interested candidates please submit CV and Cover Letter (in one file) and complete our application form as attach, incomplete our application form should not be considered. Salary expected and mention the position which you are interested to apply to address provided in the contact details.

Attachment:
  • Revised_of_Personal_History_Form_PHF_Application_2026_final
 

Contact Details

Office Address
  • # 44Bis, Street 334, Sangkat Boeng Keng Kang Ti Muoy, Khan Boeng Keng Kang, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
 
Contact Name
  • SOS Children's Villages of Cambodia
 
Email