Position Title: Protection Coordinator
Date: January 2025
Country Program: Sudan, East Sudan
Report To: Area Manager/Protection Advisor
Status: Full-Time
Supervisory Capacity: Protection Managers
Department/Country Program Description/Mission
ALIGHT (formerly the American Refugee Committee) Sudan Program began in 2004 and provides critical humanitarian assistance in East Sudan, focusing on refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and vulnerable host communities in Kassala, Gedaref, and surrounding areas. Through a broad range of services—including health, WASH, food security, and protection—ALIGHT supports marginalized communities via multi-sectoral interventions.
Primary Purpose of the Position
The Protection Coordinator is responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of high-quality protection services across ALIGHT’s East Sudan programs, with particular focus on refugee camps/IDPs and host communities. This position ensures that protection interventions are of high quality, evidence-based, and adhere to international standards. The coordinator works closely with Protection Technical advisor, protection teams, partners, and stakeholders to enhance the organization’s impact on protecting vulnerable populations in humanitarian and development contexts. The position is based in Gedaref state, with frequent travel to refugee camps/ IDPs for support and monitoring.
Major Areas of Roles and Responsibilities
Project Planning, Implementation, and Strategy
- Lead the planning, implementation, and monitoring of protection activities across East Sudan.
- Collaborate closely with the Protection Advisor to support the development of protection-related proposals, including assessment tools, program design, staffing, planning, monitoring, and evaluation.
- Ensure the quality and timely execution of protection interventions in refugee camps/IDPs and host communities, in line with agreed work plans.
- Analyze protection-related data and report progress to the Area Manager, Technical Advisor, donors, and key stakeholders.
- Develop and implement community-based protection strategies, including Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Child Protection (CP), and general protection activities.
- Align protection strategies with overall program objectives by collaborating with the Protection Advisor and other ALIGHT sector leads.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of Protection Managers and field teams across multiple refugee camps, ensuring consistency in approach and standards.
- Monitor field-level protection trends and challenges, adapting programming as necessary.
- Lead and support advocacy efforts related to protection issues with UNHCR, IOM, and other partners.
Reporting, Compliance, and Coordination
- Ensure compliance with ALIGHT and donor reporting requirements by producing accurate and timely protection reports.
- Represent ALIGHT in coordination meetings, working groups, and inter-agency forums related to protection.
- Foster effective collaboration with UNHCR, SHF, UNFPA, and other protection actors in East Sudan to ensure harmonized programming.
- Provide technical input on protection needs, strategies, and activities during proposal development.
- Maintain high standards of information management, ensuring data is gathered, protected, and reported according to guidelines.
Information Management and Data Analysis
- Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of protection-related data from all project sites.
- Ensure adherence to data protection standards and best practices when handling sensitive information.
- Coordinate with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) teams to conduct needs assessments and profile Protection Sensitive Needs (PSN) cases.
- Lead the development and maintenance of protection-related databases, ensuring high-quality data management practices.
Team Leadership and Capacity Building
- Supervise, train, and provide technical support to protection staff, including Protection Managers and field staff.
- Develop and deliver training programs to enhance the skills and knowledge of the protection team.
- Foster a collaborative and positive team environment, promoting professional development and growth.
- Provide leadership and guidance to field teams managing protection activities, ensuring high performance and alignment with ALIGHT’s values.
Community Engagement and Capacity Building
- Support the team to strengthen community protection structures, including training community facilitators and key stakeholders.
- Ensure active community participation in protection activities, fostering inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches.
- Develop strategies for community-based protection that empower both refugees and host communities.
- Oversee the implementation of protection referrals and response mechanisms, ensuring timely and effective support for affected individuals.
Education, Technical Skills & Knowledge Required
- Advanced University Degree in International Humanitarian Law, International Relations, Political Science, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in protection programming, including at least 2 years in a managerial role in a refugee or conflict setting.
- Strong knowledge of international humanitarian law, protection principles, and human rights standards.
- Experience in managing protection teams and working in complex emergency settings.
- Demonstrated ability to manage data using tools such as Kobo, PowerBI, ODK, and other data management platforms.
- Strong report writing, proposal development, and advocacy skills.
- Experience in financial management, budget monitoring, and procurement processes.
- Fluency in English, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Willingness to travel to remote locations and work in challenging conditions.
Key Behaviors & Abilities
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Self-Management: Ability to perform effectively under pressure and manage time and resources efficiently.
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Operational Decision-Making: Ability to take decisive action and adapt to changing contexts.
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Teamwork and Collaboration: Ability to build, lead, and motivate multi-cultural teams to achieve objectives.
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Accountability and Results-Oriented: Commitment to ALIGHT’s mission, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability for outcomes.
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Cultural Sensitivity: Proven ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural and diverse environment.
Benefits
Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.
Learning & Development – Access thousands of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.
Health, dental, and MedEvac Insurance – We strive to offer the best-in-class healthcare plans to our staff each year. We cover 100% of the cost for your health premium and 75% of the cost for coverage for your spouse/dependents.
Generous Leave Time – Between general leave and holidays, you have ample opportunity to take time off when you need it.
