Iraq: Protection Officer - Iraq

INTERSOS is an independent non-profit humanitarian organization committed to assist the victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, and respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable and unprotected people.

1. Terms of reference

Job Title: Protection Officer
Code: SR-29-488
Country: Iraq
Duty Station: Hammam Al Alil – Ninewa Gov
Starting date: ASAP
Contract duration: 6 months (renewable)
Reporting to: Project Manager UNHCR Ninewa
Supervision of: National Staff (National Protection Officer, Reporting Officer)
Dependents: No

2. General context of the project

INTERSOS has quickly responded to the needs of vulnerable individuals and displaced populations directly affected by the emergencies of the Mosul, Tel Afar, and Hawjia military operations to liberate the areas from ISIL control. Because of a flexible program approach with close coordination with other INTERSOS projects and external humanitarian actors and community partners, INTERSOS was able to employ an effective and responsive intervention in late 2016 through 2017, reaching and benefiting persons of concern in camp and non-camp locations within Ninewa and Salah al Din governorates, with a focus on targeted areas of East Mosul, Hammam al Alil, Nimrod, Qayarra, Haj Ali, Shirqat, Al Alam, and Tikrit.

Throughout 2017, INTERSOS continued to scale up its protection intervention, becoming fully operational in both Ninewa and Salah al Din governorates with strategically positioned field offices in Hammam al Alil within South Ninewa and in Tikrit within Salah al Din, which provide operational strength and logistical effectiveness for future responses to the changing needs of the environment as secondary displacements and returnee movement flows are anticipated in 2018.

Specifically in the Hammam Al Alil camps, screening and transit sites, INTERSOS became a key protection partner as the first protection implementing partner on the ground responding to the daily new arrivals from Mosul. Following the start of the Tel Afar operation, INTERSOS responded to the changing needs by redeploying protection monitor teams to the mustering points established by ISF throughout the main routes of displacement to address the immediate needs of displaced persons en route to the Hammam Al Alil screening site. As the majority of the South Ninewa camps had already reached full capacity, a new camp in Nimrod district was established to accommodate those displaced from the Tel Afar area. INTERSOS utilized its operational capacity to temporarily shift needed protection personnel from Hammam al Alil to Nimrod for the early opening of the new camp on 26 August, establishing itself as the first protection partner in Nimrod. INTERSOS also led as the key protection partner by utilizing past experience and lessons learned from the openings of Hammam al Alil 2, Salamyeh 1, and Salamyeh 2 camps to ensure an effective and dignified opening and registration process for Nimrod camp. Subsequently, INTERSOS was selected as general protection partner and child protection partner for the camp, quickly recruiting, training, and scaling up with a multifunctional general protection team responding to the beneficiaries’ protection, legal, and psychosocial needs.

Additionally, in the Qayyara camps, Jeddah 5, Jeddah 6, and Haj Ali camps, INTERSOS has been a key protection partner since the liberation in late 2016 through 2 HPF funded project. INTERSOS has been responding to the arising protection needs in Qayyara camps specifically assessing the protection needs of the newly displaced people from Mosul operation, Tel Afar and most recently during the Hawija crisis covering the camp and the transit site in Haj Ali camp. Like in the aforementioned locations protection activities have been implemented in a flexible manner in order to deploy the teams wherever they were needed during the past year and following the waves of displacement in south Ninewa.

3. General purpose of the position

The general purpose of the position is to ensure daily implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of the protection-related field activities. Moreover the position will ensure the training and capacity building of field staff enhancing the quality of the intervention.

4. Main responsibilities and tasks

1. Supervision of the case management activities, ensuring high quality of the service and appropriate response to identified cases

2. Analyse protection needs and trends to be addressed to main stakeholders for advocacy and planning of protection response

3. Training, coordination and supervision of the protection key staff, including identification of capacity building gaps and implementation of related training sessions, in close collaboration with Project Manager and Protection Coordinator

More specifically:

Supervision of case management activities

• Ensure the implementation of protection standard and policy, as well as the harmonization of the protection tools, in collaboration with Protection Coordinator and Project Manager

• Regularly participate at case management conferences, especially for most complicated cases

• Regularly verify the status of case management database and the application of protection standard in the collection of the data

• Work closely with the Protection Coordinator to ensure the quality implementation of the project activities from the technical point of view.

• Support the National Protection Officer in the overall planning and implementation of case management

Project staff training and supervision

• Identify gaps related to protection skills and knowledge, in key national staff, consequently design training program and conduct specific sessions related to identify gaps

• Supervise National Protection Officer as well as Reporting Officer and evaluate their performance

Protection reporting

• Analyze protection trends, risks and concerns to be addressed to relevant stockholder through ad hoc report, in collaboration with Project Manager

• Reviewing of field staff and Reporting officer reports, ensuring quality and timely response

• Support Project Manager in developing program related report

Coordination and representation

• Establish and maintain collaborative relations with relevant donor officers, partners, project stakeholders and other organizations working in the project areas

• Proactively participate in relevant coordination meetings, as required

5. Required profile and experience

Education

• Advanced university degree in Human Rights related fields such as Political Science, International Relations, International Development Cooperation, Sociology or similar subjects
• A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Professional experience

• At least 2 years of professional work experience in protection project including at least 1 year in emergency settings

Professional requirements

• Ability to set high standards for quality of work
• Ability to collect, analyze and integrate quantitative and qualitative information from a wide range of sources and elaborate action plans based on findings
• Good communication and training skills, both oral and written
• Proven experience working in multicultural and traditional contexts, and ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships
• Ability to develop training tools and conduct ad hoc training sessions to national staff according to identified gaps
• Mastery of IT tools (MS Office package, internet, e-mail, etc.)
• Previous experience in managing protection projects
• Previous experience working in IDP camp and non-camp settings, including knowledge of the cluster system (high desirable)
• Previous experience in working in Middle East and specifically in Iraq (high desirable)Previous experience in developing and implementing M&E activities (desirable)

Languages

• Proficient knowledge of English is required
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset

Personal requirements

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with analytic approach
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously
• Ability to achieve results effectively, considering the need for speed, scale and quality
• Ability to integrate and work well within multiethnic and multicultural teams
• Ability to work in austere and hostile environments
• Availability to share accommodation facilities when required
• Holder of an International driving license

For further information and to apply, follow the link below:

https://www.intersos.org/en/work-with-us/#intersosorg-vacancies/vacancy-details/5ac63a06a7854a2a5661b7ab/

In case you encounter difficulties applying through INTERSOS' platform, you can also apply by sending your CV, motivation letter and 2 references via email to recruitment@intersos.org , with subject line: " SR-29-488 Protection Officer - Iraq".

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the first interview.