Protection Specialist

Job Title: Protection Specialist

Duty Station: Gederef or Port Sudan – Sudan Country Operation

DRC Sudan

DRC has been present in Sudan since 2004, delivering life-saving programming in protection, emergency response, shelter, food security and livelihoods, disaster risk reduction, camp management, and humanitarian mine action. DRC has implemented projects in Central Darfur, South Darfur, South Kordofan, Gedaref, Kassala, and Khartoum states. Sudan hosts one of the largest displaced populations in Africa, with over 3.7 million internally displaced people and over 1.1 million refugees from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Chad, Yemen and Syria. Against a background of political crisis, Sudan faces economic and social turmoil, with sharp increases in food and energy costs, further exacerbated by disease outbreaks and ongoing conflict.

 About the job

The Protection Specialist will support the Protection Coordinator (PC) and Protection Managers (PMs) in the implementation, quality control, and coordination of Danish refugee Council (DRC) Protection activities in Sudan. The Specialist will be part of the Protection Team and will work under the supervision of DRC Head of Program (HoP). He/She will be based in DRC head office in Sudan and regularly visit area offices to provide capacity building to Protection field teams and ensure they have adequate capacity and technical soundness for Protection output. Protection activities in Sudan are: individual protection assistance (IPA), human rights and GBV case management, community-based protection, PSS, protection information dissemination and awareness raising, legal aid, referrals to specialized services, and protection monitoring. Protection is mainstreamed throughout all other programme areas and is a key component in programme design.  

Responsibilities and Tasks:

Project Management and Implementation:

• Lead capacity building on key protection activities for field teams, ensuring technical quality and minimum standards for protection activities.
• Serve as DRC Focal point to ensure protection mainstreaming and quality services within consortium mechanisms (RRM, Protection Consortium, Cash Consortium).
• Support program continuity, by gap-filling PC/PMs in their absence (emergency-related gaps).
• Provide program quality direction to field Teams.
• Support with tools development and harmonization.
• Support field teams during assessments and monitoring reports.
• In the area assigned, undertake regular on-site visits to monitor the quality of activity implementation at the village level and provide technical advice to field project staff as necessary.
• Support the PMs in ensuring the relevance and implementation of technically sound beneficiary selection criteria and approaches.
• Support with strengthening information management, including standardized databases for protection and planning purposes.
• Collaborate on donor reporting by providing accurate and timely input on protection activities.

Programme Development and Quality

• Develop and roll out a structured and formal capacity building plan for creating, improving and fostering skills and capacities of the Sudan Protection team.
• Ensure that the beneficiary selection criteria is properly implemented.
• Ensure referral pathways are updated and are being utilized.
• Compile monthly donor reports on project activities on a timely manner and share with the Protection Coordinator.
• Provide hands-on trainings, coaching, mentoring to protection staff, ensuring clarity on protection tools and standards.
• Ensure that a protection risk analysis is in place and regularly updated.
• Identify key advocacy messages and promote dissemination of these within the operational context
• Flag for PMs consideration gaps and opportunities for further programming, support needs assessments and gap analyses, and contribute to proposals and other programme development initiatives. 
• Contribute to DRC Sudan’s Protection Strategy and provide technical assistance to roll it out.
• Support with the design of Protection tools and ensure adequate use of tools in program implementation.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

• When requested by PMs and in the assigned areas, monitor protection risks and needs in project sites on a regular basis in alignment with project requirements.
• Collaborate with M&E team to ensure monitoring activities are mainstreamed with protection and ensure protection of vulnerable groups while gathering appropriate and accurate data on protection outcomes;
• Implement internal learning and program adjustments developed by PMs
• Contribute to the development and implementation of Protection assessments, with support from the Grants and MEAL Manager; Work closely with the team to support the development of accountability activities, ensuring compliance with CHS.

Coordination & Representation

• Under the guidance of the PC and HoP, coordinate with national, local, and international actors and participate in working groups and other sector meetings on protection-related issues; 
• Stay abreast of developments in the protection environment in Sudan and provide timely analysis on key issues regularly.

Minimum Qualification, Skills, and Experience Required:

• At least 3 years of proven experience in field-based protection.
• Detailed understanding of humanitarian and protection principles and their application, including community safety and rights-based approaches
• Knowledge of protection standards and guidelines.
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to professionally and appropriately represent the organization with a diverse range of government officials, local organizations and other groups. 
• Sound project management skills, including creating work plans, budgeting, and delegation of responsibilities.
• Ability to set clear milestones, organize work and monitor progress in a dynamic and quick-paced environment.
• Ability to work closely with a diverse team of individuals, displays cultural sensitivity and is respectful of local contexts.
• Proven experience in providing technical guidance and training including development of training materials.

Effectively engages and communicates with communities in a responsible manner and is aware of AAP principles

Education background: (include certificates, licenses etc.)

• University degree or higher education in law, social sciences, or related field or equivalent work experience;

languages: (indicate fluency level)

• Fluency in written and spoken English required.
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic required

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five 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.

We offer

Contract length: 12 months

Level: G1, Specialist, Non-Management

Salary range: 1,762- 1,985 USD

Location: Gederef or Port Sudan – Sudan Country Operation

Expected Start date: As soon as possible

Note: Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply:

Application process:

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in the same language as this vacancy note.

Applications Closing Date: 20/4/2024

Need further information?

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please visit drc. ngo/jobsupport.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.org