Our client, Vienna International School - Austria, seeks a

Designated Safeguarding Lead (all genders)
Full-time (38.5 hours/week) - as soon as possible

Shape the Safeguarding Landscape of a Leading International School

Are you an experienced social worker looking to transition from traditional institutions into a meaningful, dynamic, and truly international setting?

Vienna International School (VIS) is seeking an exceptional Designated Safeguarding Lead. Reporting to the Director, the role provides expert, practical and confidential support to senior leadership, academic divisions, counselling and student support teams, Human Resources, the Business Office and the Board of Governors. You will coordinate prevention, training, reporting, case management, external liaison and continuous improvement so that our 1,400 students are protected from harm and adults understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

Your core responsibilities

• Strategic Safeguarding Leadership: Lead and continuously strengthen the school-wide safeguarding and child protection framework, policies, procedures, and culture.
• Safeguarding Coordination & Case Management: Act as the senior point of coordination and escalation, ensuring concerns are appropriately assessed, documented, referred, and followed up in a timely, child-centered manner.
• Leadership Advice & Governance: Advise school leadership, counsellors, HR, and relevant staff on safeguarding thresholds, actions, allegations, and governance reporting while maintaining confidentiality.
• Training, Prevention & Safer Recruitment: Build safeguarding capacity through staff training, practical guidance, safer recruitment, induction, codes of conduct, and effective management of concerns involving adults.
• External Partnerships & Records Management: Maintain strong relationships with Austrian child and youth welfare services, authorities, and specialist providers, while ensuring secure, accurate, and compliant safeguarding records.

Your profile

• Qualifications: Degree in social work, psychology, child protection, safeguarding, child development, youth welfare, counselling, public health, or a related field, with relevant safeguarding and case management training.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in child protection, safeguarding, social services, youth welfare, or school wellbeing, including complex case management and safeguarding leadership.
• Knowledge: Strong understanding of child protection, safeguarding, trauma, abuse, online harm, safer recruitment, data protection, and Austrian child and youth welfare pathways.
• Languages: Excellent English and basic German, with the ability to communicate effectively with Austrian authorities and understand official documentation.
• Mindset: Discreet, emotionally mature, and child-centered, with sound judgement, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage sensitive cases and competing priorities in a multicultural environment.

What our client offers

• Purpose & Impact: A meaningful, high-level role where your work directly safeguards a diverse, values-driven educational community.
• Work-Life Integration: A welcoming, stable, and highly professional school environment that offers a sustainable alternative to traditional billable-hour corporate cultures.
• Attractive Compensation: Attractive salary classified under Employment Group F of the collective agreement (KV für Angestellte im Handel), featuring a standard 30% school-specific overpayment (starting at a minimum of € 52,402.00 up to € 77,252.00 annual gross salary, with higher placement based on relevant years of experience).
• Holiday entitlement: 30 days annual leave + 4 additional all-staff school holidays
• Additional Benefits: 5% company top-up pension contribution, continuous professional development opportunities, and state-of-the-art campus facilities.

Apply now by sending your CV and cover letter in English via the online career portal from PMC until October 5^th, 2026 (resp. open until filled).

Please note that a valid residence title and work permit for Austria is required.

Vienna International School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment.