Job title: Protection Manager

Reporting to: Area Manager

Location: Arua

Overall purpose of the role:

DRC Uganda is seeking an exceptionally qualified protection professional with demonstrated experience supporting refugees and asylum seekers in the context of Uganda. Qualified candidates will have broad experience across the community protection, child protection, gender-based violence prevention and response as well as legal aid sectors, including experience developing technical guidance and tools, development of proposals and strategy documents, as well as project management and staff capacity building. Furthermore, qualified candidates will have a strong knowledge of the contexts in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo and can demonstrate a strong record of leading high-quality and progressive protection programming in challenging contexts.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management, Design and Strategy

• Oversee daily management of all protection projects implemented across Uganda with an immediate focus on the West Nile region.
• Demonstrate exceptional strength and experience in detail-oriented, project cycle management of protection projects. Experience managing UNHCR and BPRM-funded projects is essential.
• Engage in ongoing monitoring, analysis and reporting on the protection conditions of refugees and other displacement affected populations in Uganda, with a specific focus on the West Nile region.

• Based on the context, trends and priority needs, collaborate with the Head of Program, Program Development and Quality Coordinator, DRC protection team members, communities and other key stakeholders to lead assessments and participatory project design processes, and develop technical inputs and associated budgets for protection-related concept notes, proposals and strategy.

Technical Support:

• Demonstrate strong generalist knowledge of community-based protection, child protection, gender-based violence prevention and response as well as legal aid.
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of global and national standards and approaches pertaining to community-based protection, child protection, gender-based violence prevention and response, as well as legal aid and take the lead to ensure fully compliance with associated minimum standards and best practices. This entails development and regular review of guidelines, standard operating proceedures and tools.
• Provide overall technical supervision and support to DRC’s Protection Team in West Nile, including undertaking staff capacity assessments and identification or design of technical trainings, and conducting trainings on topics such as case management, age, gender and diversity, human rights and basic protection principles for community protection committees, other community structures and partner staff.
• Conduct regular field visits to provide technical support to staff and monitor technical compliance of activities.
• Support in coordination of and undertaking protection monitoring activities, including inter-agency and multi-stakeholder monitoring initiatives.
• Monitor referral mechanisms to ensure efficient and effectives systems for DRC’s to make and support protection-related referrals.
• In coordination with the Arua MEAL team, lead on the design of monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes and initiatives for the program in line with key sector minimum standards and guiding principles.
• Collaborate with DRC’s West Nile MEAL teams to ensure active and effective accountability to affected populations through DRC’s Protection Help Desks and the inter-agency FRRM.
• Collaborate with the broader DRC team to support protection mainstreaming across programming.

Staff Management

• Directly manage 5 settlement-based Team Leaders with specialized expertise in the areas of community-based protection, child protection, gender-based prevention and response as well as legal aid.
• Supporting respectful and positive working relationships which allow for the effective implementation of all activities. This is to be achieved through leadership, team building, day-to-day support, capacity-building and strong and generalist knowledge of DRC’s core sectors.
• Lead and support recruitment processes and ensure that relevant staffing structures are in place and are reflective of appropriate gender and diversity balance.
• Promote professional development by identifying training and capacity building opportunities and ensure staff are well versed in core protection concepts, DRC’s code of conduct, accountability, respectful dialogue with the affected populations, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Collaborate with the Arua and Kampala human resources departments to ensure staff evaluations are conducted on a regular basis.

Finance, Administration and Supply Chain

• Assume responsibility as primary budget holder of all DRC protection activities implemented in the West Nile region.
• Overseeing and regularly updating comprehensive forecasting and budget monitoring of protection projects and leading in program and activity-related revisions and re-alighment processes.
• Collaborate regularly with the Arua and Kampala based finance teams to monitor spending and ensure the timely utilization of assigned grants.
• Collaborate with the Finance teams in Arua and Kampala to ensure relevant field-based records are well managed, fulfil DRC and donor requirements, and are always up-to-date for use in donor reports.
• Collaborate with the Supply Chain teams in Arua and Kampala to develop, maintain and monitor project procurement plans.
• Collaborate with the Supply Chain teams in Arua and Kampala to ensure relevant field-based records are well managed, fulfill DRC and donor requirements, and are always up-to-date for use in donor reports.
• Ensure full program compliance with DRC and donor financial guidelines and policies.

Representation and Advocacy:

• Represent DRC in protection-related, sector meetings, such as working groups, at both the local and national levels. Coordinate, and maintain constructive relationships with UNHCR, the Office of the Prime Minister, district local governments, as well as other international NGOs and other stakeholders.

Experience and technical competencies:

• Minimum of 7 years of proven and successful track record experience designing and delivering protection programming for refugees and other vulnerable communities.
• University degree (preferably Masters level) in law, social work, social sciences, deevelopment studies or relevant fields.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the displacement context in Uganda, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Exceptional understanding of both global and national protection standards and approaches.
• Experience designing technical components of protection programs, including demonstrated knowledge of protection information management systems.
• Experience of working with UNHCR and international and national NGOs
• Exceptional organizational and management skills.
• Exceptional spoken and written English as well as analytical skills.

Education:

• University degree (preferably master-level) in law, social work, social sciences, development studies, or relevant fields.

Languages

• Full proficiency in spoken and written English;
• Knowledge of the local languages spoken in the operation area is an asset.

How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV of not more than four (4) pages and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.

We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies. Applications close on 18th January 2024.

Equal Opportunity

Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels in light of this, women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply to bridge the gender gap.

Equal Opportunity: DRC is an equal opportunity employer, we value diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability status, religion, ethinic origin, colour, race, marital status or other protected characteristics.