The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009.  With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender-based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

The Protection Manager will be responsible for the design, implementation, and technical oversight of DRC Ethiopia’s Protection activities in Afar region, including protection monitoring, individual protection assistance, community-based protection, and psychosocial support for displacement-affected communities. The position holder will guide implementation, provide technical guidance to the protection team, and ensure proper procedures are followed for procurement, finance, and HR requirements, as well as timely and quality reporting. S/he will collaborate closely with DRC’s Country Office Protection Manager to ensure technical rigor and consistent application of DRC’s protection approaches, methods, and tools. This position will additionally focus on the potential scale-up of DRC’s interventions within Afar, including providing inputs for proposals and protection mainstreaming support for multi-sectoral teams.

Location:  Afar- Zone 2, Ethiopia

RESPONSIBILITIES

Programming:

• Ensure planning and timely implementation of DRC Protection activities in Afar region.
• Provide technical oversight of protection work to ensure all activities including gender-based violence, protection monitoring and youth empowerment interventions are implemented in compliance with core protection principles and DRC guidelines.
• Contribute to the design and contextualization of all project guidelines and tools according to international standards and best practices, ensuring technical rigor and the consistent application of DRC’s protection approaches, methods and tools.
• Ensure that ethical and statistically-sound data collection and protection-related information management systems are in place and used for analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy.
• Technically lead protection needs assessments as needed, including developing appropriate tools to inform program design as well as identify risks and vulnerabilities, including those related to gender, age and diversity.
• Develop and facilitate trainings and workshops for staff and other stakeholders
• Collaborate closely with CO Protection Manager to ensure technical rigor and the consistent application of DRC’s protection approaches, methods and tools

Coordination and Representation:

• Participate in coordination fora at a regional level, representing DRC Protection Program and the interests of DRC’s Afar programming
• Develop and strengthen relationships with partners operational in Afar, including opportunities to implement activities in a more collaborative and integrated manner
• Develop and manage relationships with local government officials and other key stakeholders

Project Management

• Oversee implementation of project as per project documents
• Support implementation and ensure adherence to grant work plans, spending plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Ensure the timely and quality delivery of all protection related reports, including monthly protection monitoring reports, donor reports, and appropriate financial and project documentation
• Collaborate with the CO Protection Manager to ensure field-based protection records and documentation are properly managed and compliant with DRC requirements and best practices.

Human Resources:

• Directly manage the Afar Protection team and provide on-going mentorship and support to all protection staff
• Support recruitment processes for protection teams, ensure relevant staffing structures are in place and are reflective of appropriate gender balance
• Promote professional development by identifying training and capacity building opportunities and ensure protection staff are well versed in core protection concepts, DRC’s code of conduct, accountability, respectful dialogue with the refugee population, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Set clear objectives for protection team and do timely performance evaluations.

REQUIREMENTS

DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, law, social work, international development, or another relevant field from a recognized institution.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in an entry to mid-level position in the field of humanitarian protection for an international NGO, UN agency or relevant ministry or local authority.
• Prior experience in emergency response to displacement and/or conflict context is required
• Experience with design and implementation of protection interventions
• Excellent writing and editing skills for external audiences (including governments and donors)
• Proven commitment to accountability and quality assurance.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Experience with capacity building and organizing and facilitating training and workshops.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with staff members and other stakeholders.
• Commitment to learning and implementing organizational policies and procedures.
• Full proficiency in Microsoft Office

EDUCATION: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)

• University degree in gender studies, social sciences, law, social work, international development, or other relevant field from a recognized institution

LANGUAGE: (indicate fluency level)

• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Knowledge of local languages is an advantage