Job Summary

Title: Protection Coordinator

Location: Addis Ababa

Reports to: Protection Manager

Grade – G1

Start of Contract & Duration: up to May 31, 2022

Posting date: July 22, 2021

INTRODUCTION

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 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 JOB

The Protection Coordinator for Ethiopia and Djibouti will support DRC’s Protection Manager in leading DRC's protection programming in Ethiopia. He/she will provide technical oversight in the areas of legal aid and social cohesion to DRC’s protection activities across seven field operations, ensuring the improvement and application of harmonised quality standards and support a consistent integration of a rights-based approach into all DRC's programme activities across the country. He/She will additionally closely technically supervise the legal aid and social cohesion programming implemented across three DRC field offices.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Oversight and Management of Protection Programming

• Ensure that DRC's legal protection interventions are according to international best practice standards;
• Provide technical oversight of social cohesion activities, including work with peace committees and other informal dispute resolution mechanisms, social cohesion work and community-based protection programming;
• Conduct rapid needs assessments to inform program design and strategic direction as well as identify risks and vulnerabilities, including as related to gender, age and disability;
• Develop, adapt and oversee the roll-out and application of quality measures for DRC’s legal protection activities, in line with SPHERE standards, the Inter-Agency Minimum Standards for Child Protection, guidelines defined in national coordination forums, and similar;
• Conduct and supervise internal and external trainings on protection related issues for DRC staff, partners, and project beneficiaries.

Coordination and Representation

• Represent DRC in protection coordination meetings as agreed with the Protection Manager;
• Ensure internal coordination and harmonization of DRC legal protection-related activities with DRC's Ethiopia/Djibouti and regional protection programs;
• Promote improved understanding of legal protection issues among all relevant stakeholders and ensure the observance of international protection and humanitarian law standards.
• Creating a network among legal aid providers in Ethiopia to enhance legal aid service to refugees, IDPS and returnees.
• Advocate for the better protection of vulnerable groups at national, local, and community levels;
• Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key legal protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, SGBV, and solutions approaches.
• Promote enhanced coordination for social cohesion and peace building work across Ethiopia.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Development

• Support the Protection manager and Head of Programs on protection-related proposals, including design of new activities and programs.
• Develop protection-focused program monitoring tools as relevant and upon request;
• Undertake quality control and site monitoring to ensure that services provided are according to international best practice standards;
• Conduct program monitoring as per expected outputs and outcomes;
• Ensure that the design and implementation of protection activities address protection needs of refugees, IDPs, and other vulnerable populations within DRC's mandate, and contribute to the relevant durable solutions;
• Ensure that quality assurance systems are developed and applied, with particular reference to the Core Humanitarian Standard and Age, Gender and Disability throughout the program;
• Explore new business and partnerships and work closely with the Protection manager and the other relevant staff to develop quality proposals, concept notes, and budgets; and
• Quality assure and provide technical inputs into project reports

Management and supervision

• Provide technical supervision to protection staff across DRC’s field sites, in collaboration with the Protection manager and Area managers;
• Contribute to the recruitment and performance management of protection staff as needed;
• Develop staff capacities on the legal aid and the international protection and humanitarian standards
• Develop tools and guidelines to support legal aid and social cohesion programming, and build capacity among staff on these topics

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master 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.  

Job Requirements

• Minimum a university or graduate degree in law or a related field
• 4 years' work experience within the field of law and protection, particularly within the field of migrant/IDP/refugee protection;
• 2 years’ experience working with international NGO's, UN agencies, relevant ministries and/or local authorities in IDP/migrants/refugee settings in complex emergencies;
• Demonstrated experience managing legal aid, community-based protection, and/or social cohesion programs;
• Demonstrated experience coordinating with and supporting national and local authorities as well as humanitarian coordination forums;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently unsupervised;
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, meet deadlines and adapt in a complex and challenging environment;
• Experience with capacity building, and in convening and facilitating trainings and workshops;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with staff members and other stakeholders.
• Strong writing skills, with demonstrated experience writing proposals, technical reports, guidelines, training materials and/or communications materials.

How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV 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.ngo under Vacancies.

Please note that we receive applications up to August 1, 2021.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.ngo.

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 Opportunities: 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, ethnic origin, colour, race, marital status or other protected characteristics

We encourage only qualified Ethiopian Nationals to apply. DRC considers all applicants based on merit.