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 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 Project Manager will manage and technically oversee DRC’s protection work in Pamdong reception center, Kule and Tierkidi refugee camps and protection monitoring activities in Gambella region. He/She will offer needed technical support to protection staff in DRC’ office in Dimma as well. DRC is currently implementing a Youth programming in the 2 refugee camps as well as operating a Helpdesk in Pamdong reception center. Recently DRC received also funds to conduct protection monitoring in areas where refugees or newly arrived asylum seekers are concentrated outside of official reception areas.

The Protection project manager for Gambella will plan and oversee the implementation of project activities, provide technical guidance to the protection team, take the lead in developing and planning new interventions according to the country protection strategy and engage with key stakeholders. He/She is additionally expected to manage the protection team leaders and officer, overseeing the project cycle management in close collaboration with the Area Manager in Gambella.

The position is required to have significant experience designing and implementing protection programs in a refugee setting and more specifically in Youth programming, psychosocial support and protection monitoring. In particular, the Protection Project Manager will play a key role in providing hands-on, field-based technical guidance and capacity building to DRC’s protection teams. The position will collaborate closely with DRC’s Addis Ababa-based Protection Manager to ensure technical rigor and the consistent application of DRC’s protection approaches, methods and tools.

Responsibilities

Coordination:

• Participate in coordination fora at a regional level representing DRC protection program as needed, including the representation of interests of DRC office in Dimma

Technical support:

• Provide technical oversight of all protection monitoring, helpdesk and youth activities in compliance with core protection principles and DRC guidelines including the CP and SGBV oversight of protection activities in Dimma.
• Contribute in the design and contextualization of all monitoring tools and guidelines according to international standards and best practices, ensuring technical rigor and the consistent application of DRC’s protection approaches, methods and tools.
• Promote improved understanding of protection issues among relevant stakeholders and ensure the observance of international protection and humanitarian law standards.
• 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.  
• Overlook the designing and development of programmatic plans related to psychosocial support interventions
• Develop and facilitate trainings and workshops for staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders
• Ensure that Protection is mainstreamed in other DRC’s sectors
• Lead and contribute to protection assessments, mapping, identification and documentation of protection needs
• Collaborate closely with DRC’s Addis Ababa-based Protection Manager and PIM officer to ensure technical rigor and the consistent application of DRC’s protection approaches, methods and tools
• Contribute to the strategic direction of Ethiopia’s protection programming through active and ongoing participation in and contribution to strategic planning meetings and development of strategic documents.

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.
• Develop programme and monitoring tools in collaboration with the senior MEAL officer
• Draft and contribute to project report, progress report, project update and input to other project monitoring tools
• Compile and submit weekly /monthly reports
• Ensure appropriate financial and project documentation on all project activities in collaboration with the Area manager, DRC finance and logistics team
• Undertake quality control and site monitoring to ensure that services provided are according to international best practice standards.
• Ensure the timely and quality delivery of all protection-related organizational and project reports and staff contributions to organizational monitoring and evaluation requirements to ensure project quality, relevance and accountability to DRC's beneficiary populations.
• Collaborate with the Area Manager and 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 2 Protection Team leaders and Protection Monitoring Officer, providing on-going mentorship and support to all protection staff
• Support recruitment processes for the protection teams, and ensure that 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.
  

Safety and Security:

• Support the Area Manager in ensuring the responsibility for staff safety in the area of operation.
• Support the Area Manager in ensuring that all relevant information regarding safety, security and the context is collected, updated and shared in a regular and timely manner.

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• Minimum Bachelor degree in social sciences, law, social work, international development, or other relevant field from a recognized institution.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in an entry to mid-level position, preferably with experience in the field of humanitarian response and refugee protection working for an international NGO, UN agency or relevant ministry or local authority.
• Substantial strong staff and project management experience
• Experience with design and implementation of protection interventions
• Experience in youth programming and Psychosocial support interventions highly recommended
• Proven commitment to accountability and quality assurance. 
• Excellent analytical and writing skills. 
• Experience with capacity building, and organizing and facilitating trainings and workshops. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with staff members and other stakeholders. 
• Experience working in cross-cultural, multi-sector, insecure, and/or remote environments. 
• Ability to work well under pressure and in adverse conditions. 
• Commitment to learning and implementing organizational policies and procedures.
• Full proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Education:

• Minimum a Bachelor degree in social sciences, law, social work, international development, or other relevant field from a recognized institution.

Languages:

• Excellent verbal and written proficiency in Amharic and English
• Local language skills are highly preferable

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies: 

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC's vision and values