Protection Manager

The Protection Manager will ensure implementation of protection programming including coordination activities in Bentiu, Rubkona County, and in surrounding counties of Koch, Mayom, and Guit, in Unity State. The Protection Manager will supervise two international Protection Team Leader, and several national protection colleagues, oversee implementation of all protection activities funded by various grants, report to the Area Manager, act as a focal point for the Protection Cluster at state-level, strengthen the capacity of staff, and maintain strong relations with relevant stakeholders, among other tasks. The Protection Manager will be in charge of protection programming and the protection team, ensure quality protection outcomes, collect and disseminate high-quality protection information, and assist in programme development and strategy.

Responsibilities:

• Take the lead in DRC protection programming and coordination in Bentiu, particularly in Rubkona, Guit, Mayom, and Koch Counties in Unity State, ensuring quality protection activities are planned and implemented.
• Manage and oversee the implementation of several protection projects funded by various donors in Unity State, including budget management and donor reporting and quality oversight.
• Assist the country programme team in programme development and strategy implementation, as well as coordinate protection concerns internally and externally.
• Ensure quality of protection activities, following international minimum standards and internal DRC guidance.
• Produce high-quality protection information products (monitoring reports, snapshots, briefings) on the dynamic protection context and protection concerns.
• Hold overall responsibility for managing protection team in Bentiu, including the recruitment and supervision of key protection staff. Supervise, mentor, and support international and national protection officers and assistants in the implementation of project activities.
• Implement protection activities, in accordance with the agreed strategy, operational plan, budgets, and DRC and donor regulations; including protection monitoring, protection assessments, trainings, community-based protection activities, identification and support to persons at risk of protection issues, protection case management, housing land and property monitoring and assistance, awareness-raising, and other regular general protection activities.
• Conduct protection assessments, monitoring, and analysis and disseminate these in high quality reports to identify protection concerns and respond accordingly to the protection risks identified, including conducting advocacy at State-level.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the DRC Protection department, in close collaboration with the DRC Protection Coordinator, including initiating strategy planning at the field level, and share protection updates and information with DRC Protection Coordinator on a regular basis. 
• Oversee data collection and processing including adherence to PIM principles,
• Prepare and follow weekly and monthly work plans for the protection team. Prepare all necessary documentation for each activity (including weekly vehicle movement plans, order requests, payment requests, etc.) and for the reconciliation of the money spent during each activity.
• Plan and host donor visits and ensure compliance with donor guidelines.
• Proactively engage with state-level protection cluster; this includes sharing information on protection concerns, principled advocacy, preparing updates for the cluster, coordinating with other maps on addressing gaps and sharing lessons learned and actively participating in the overall humanitarian response planning with the cluster.
• Engage in other coordination mechanisms when appropriate, these may include, Solutions Working Group and movement monitoring coordination meetings.
• Train protection national staff on a regular basis, at least once a month, on identified areas of need including protection principles and guidance, and protection activities, in close collaboration with the Protection Coordinator.
• Train internal and external DRC staff on protection mainstreaming, AGD Mainstreaming, PSEA.
• Ensure synergy between protection and other sectoral activities at Area level, as well as mainstream protection throughout DRC’s response in Unity State through tangible mainstreaming and integration efforts
• Work closely with the Protection Coordinator in designing training modules and tools on topics such as human rights and basic protection principles for Community Protection Committees, other community structures and partner staff.
• Lead in coordination with the MEAL department on monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes and initiatives for the program,  including contribute to regular reporting on protection activities for various donors (weekly, monthly, quarterly, mid-year, annual, as required).
• Manage the protection database and train national protection colleagues on the use of the database, and ensure referrals and protection cases are followed-up by protection staff, ensuirng adherence to PIM principles.
• Ensure regular general monitoring visits to the affected community are conducted to identify protection concerns and persons with specific needs (PSNs).
• Manage budgets, monitor and update work plans, and prepare reports of several protection projects, working closely with finance and grants departments
• Liaise and build partnerships with community leaders, civil society organisations, and other relevant actors to enhance community-driven approaches.
• Ensure staff compliance with security management rules and procedures; for example, ensuring relevant documentation and procedures are understood and adhered to by staff.
• Ensure staff are well versed with the DRC Code of Conduct, accountability measures, humanitarian principles, protection principles, respectful engagement with the affected population, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Prepare project procurement plans and raise materials/services requisitions and follow up with the respective support departments.
• Liaise on a regular basis with the Area Manager as well as with Juba colleagues to flag issues and concerns, and provide updates on programmes.
• Any other tasks as required by the management relevant to ensuring quality protection programming.

Experience and technical competencies: 

• At least 5 years’ protection project management experience, including community-based training experience on human rights and/or protection, HLP, and protection monitoring/human rights experience, of which at least 3 year should be at international level in geographic or conflict context similar to South Sudan;
• Proven technical knowledge of human rights, protection principles, project cycle management, SPHERE standards;
• Experience in proposal and budget development and project implementation (including budget management);
• Familiar with rule of law and housing, land, and property, protection information management, legal aid, working with person’s with specific needs;
• Understanding of and experience in engaging the cluster system in IDP sites;
• The ability for rapid analysis of very complex issues, strong decision-making, and translation of programmatic learning and priorities into operational strategies;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, cross-cultural communication and ease in managing a multi-ethnic team;
• Good team leadership and conflict resolution skills, consensus team building, and adaptability; 
• Patience and understanding to work with and develop capacity of national staff;
• Experience delivering programs to tight deadlines;
• Good computer and IT skills and strong communication and writing skills; 
• Fluency in written and spoken English language;
• Ability and willingness to work in remote and isolated location with limited access to services and changing security scenarios

Education: 

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in social science, Law, development studies humanitarian project management, international development or other related.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Languages: 

Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required