Senior Director of Safeguarding & Child Protection (Volunteer)

Senior Director of Safeguarding & Child Protection (Volunteer)

PromiseTrust | Youth Protection, Safeguarding & Investigations

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromiseTrust

Location: Remote / Hybrid (NYC Collaboration as Needed)

Type: Volunteer Senior Leadership Role

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 Hours Per Week

Minimum Commitment: 6-Month Commitment Required

Reports To: Deputy General Counsel & Chief of Legal Operations

Works Closely With: Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chief Program Officer, PromisePeople, PromiseShield, Executive Leadership, School Partners, and Program Leadership

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization serving children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, literacy, educational enrichment, social-emotional learning, workforce development, creative expression, and community-centered opportunity.

Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of the children and families we serve.

Safeguarding is not a policy.

It is not a training.

It is not a compliance requirement.

It is a commitment.

Every program, volunteer, partnership, event, platform, and interaction must reflect that commitment.

About PromiseTrust

PromiseTrust serves as Mentor A Promise's Legal Division and is responsible for legal affairs, governance, compliance, risk management, investigations, organizational accountability, and safeguarding oversight.

Within PromiseTrust, the Office of Youth Protection, Safeguarding & Investigations exists to ensure that child safety remains embedded in every aspect of MAP's work.

This office establishes the standards, systems, oversight, investigations, and accountability mechanisms necessary to protect children, youth, families, volunteers, and staff.

Role Overview

Mentor A Promise is seeking an experienced, mission-driven, and highly trusted Senior Director of Safeguarding & Child Protection to lead one of the most important functions within the organization.

This leader serves as MAP's senior safeguarding authority and is responsible for building, overseeing, and continuously strengthening the organization's child protection framework.

The Senior Director will oversee:

• Child protection policies
• Safeguarding standards
• Volunteer compliance
• Background screening governance
• Incident investigations
• Mandatory reporting oversight
• Youth safety audits
• Safeguarding training and education
• Risk prevention systems

This role helps ensure that every child participating in a MAP program is protected through strong policies, effective oversight, and a culture of accountability.

This is not simply a compliance role.

This is a child protection leadership role.

Core Responsibilities

Child Protection Policy & Framework Development

Lead the development and maintenance of:

• Child protection policies
• Safeguarding procedures
• Youth safety standards
• Volunteer conduct requirements
• Reporting protocols
• Prevention frameworks
• Organizational safeguarding guidelines

Ensure MAP's policies reflect best practices in youth protection and nonprofit safeguarding.

Safeguarding Standards & Program Oversight

Establish and oversee safeguarding standards across:

• Mentorship programs
• Educational programs
• Virtual programs
• Community events
• School partnerships
• Volunteer engagement
• Digital platforms

Help ensure safeguarding practices remain consistent across the organization.

Volunteer Compliance & Screening Governance

Partner with PromisePeople to oversee:

• Background screening governance
• Volunteer eligibility standards
• Screening procedures
• Compliance monitoring
• Safeguarding onboarding requirements
• Volunteer risk assessments

Help ensure all volunteers meet organizational safeguarding expectations.

Incident Investigations

Lead and oversee investigations involving:

• Safeguarding concerns
• Policy violations
• Youth safety incidents
• Volunteer misconduct allegations
• Boundary violations
• Compliance concerns

Ensure investigations are conducted professionally, fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with organizational procedures.

Mandatory Reporting Oversight

Develop and oversee systems involving:

• Mandatory reporting procedures
• Escalation protocols
• Documentation standards
• Reporting compliance
• Case management practices
• External reporting coordination

Help ensure MAP fulfills its legal and ethical responsibilities regarding youth safety.

Youth Safety Audits & Risk Assessments

Develop and lead:

• Program safety reviews
• Safeguarding audits
• Compliance assessments
• Risk evaluations
• Safety monitoring systems
• Corrective action planning

Identify vulnerabilities before they become incidents.

Safeguarding Education & Culture

Support organization-wide safeguarding education involving:

• Volunteer training
• Staff education
• Safeguarding awareness
• Reporting procedures
• Boundary-setting practices
• Child protection expectations

Help create a culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Cross-Divisional Risk Prevention

Partner with:

• PromisePeople
• PromisePrograms
• PromiseLearning
• PromisePublic
• PromiseShield
• Executive Leadership

Help integrate safeguarding into organizational planning, operations, technology, and program delivery.

Leadership Responsibilities

The Senior Director provides leadership and oversight for:

Child Protection Manager

Responsible for:

• Child protection program administration
• Policy implementation
• Training coordination
• Compliance monitoring

Safeguarding Investigator

Responsible for:

• Incident investigations
• Case documentation
• Fact-finding processes
• Investigation support

Risk & Incident Analyst

Responsible for:

• Incident tracking
• Risk assessments
• Safeguarding data analysis
• Trend reporting

Background Screening Specialist

Responsible for:

• Screening administration
• Compliance tracking
• Eligibility reviews
• Volunteer screening systems

Qualifications

Helpful experience may include:

• Child Protection
• Safeguarding
• Youth Development
• Social Work
• Education
• Compliance
• Investigations
• Risk Management
• School Safety
• Youth Services
• Family Services
• Legal or Regulatory Compliance

Strong candidates often demonstrate:

• Child protection expertise
• Investigative experience
• Strong judgment and discretion
• Trauma-informed practice
• Risk assessment capabilities
• Policy development experience
• Exceptional communication skills
• Commitment to youth safety and well-being

Experience working with children, schools, youth-serving nonprofits, child welfare systems, education programs, or safeguarding functions is highly valued.

First-Year Priorities

Within the first year, this leader will help:

• Review and strengthen MAP's safeguarding framework
• Standardize child protection policies
• Enhance volunteer screening governance
• Establish incident management protocols
• Improve mandatory reporting systems
• Conduct organizational safeguarding audits
• Build safeguarding dashboards and reporting systems
• Strengthen safeguarding education and training

Success Measures

Success in this role includes:

• Strong safeguarding compliance
• Effective incident response systems
• Timely and appropriate investigations
• Comprehensive volunteer screening oversight
• Increased safeguarding awareness
• Strong risk mitigation practices
• Effective youth safety audits
• Organizational confidence in safeguarding systems

Why This Role Matters

Every child deserves safety.

Every family deserves trust.

Every volunteer deserves clear expectations.

Every organization serving children has a responsibility to protect them.

The Senior Director of Safeguarding & Child Protection helps ensure that safeguarding remains one of the strongest and most important commitments within Mentor A Promise.

This role protects the people behind the mission.

What You'll Gain

• Senior leadership experience overseeing a critical organizational function
• Opportunity to build a best-in-class safeguarding and child protection program
• Collaboration with executive leadership, legal, HR, and program teams
• Meaningful impact protecting children and youth experiencing housing instability
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• The opportunity to help establish one of the strongest safeguarding programs in the nonprofit sector

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit:

• Resume or CV
• Brief statement of interest
• Relevant safeguarding, child protection, investigations, compliance, education, or youth services experience

Please share experience involving:

• Child protection
• Safeguarding
• Youth development
• Investigations
• Compliance
• Risk management
• Program oversight

Help protect what matters most.

Because no mission is more important than the safety and well-being of the children we serve.

This role holds the pieces together.

From prevention to investigation to accountability—help ensure every child is protected before risks become harm.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with our organization. At this time, volunteer opportunities are limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements. We appreciate your interest in our mission and your understanding of these constraints.