The Near East Foundation (NEF) is a non-profit international development organization that has supported livelihoods recovery and community-based economic development in the Middle East, Africa, and Caucasus since 1915. NEF draws on local teams, experience, and partnerships in these regions to create community-led solutions to reduce poverty, create economic opportunity, and empower conflict and crisis-affected groups to improve their future outlook and wellbeing. Our programs are organized around three pillars: Inclusive Economic Development, Climate-resilient Development, and Stabilization and Peacebuilding.
Position: Gender and Protection Officer
Reports to: Program Director, South Sudan
Location: Juba, South Sudan
Travel: 25-50% to NBeG, Unity, Warrap States and Abyei Administrative Area
Status: Full-time Employee
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Gender and Protection Officer is a key member of the Near East Foundation team in South Sudan. The Gender and Protection Officer has the responsibility to ensure protection and gender mainstreaming in all activities under NEF South Sudan projects, and to coordinate the implementation of protection-based livelihoods activities.
The role will mainly require the postholder to: (a) organize and facilitate gender-based violence (GBV) awareness and protection workshops with partners; (b) ensure that community-based organizations (CBOs) have proper GBV and protection protocols in place; (c) ensure GBV awareness and protection are mainstreamed into programming; (d) ensure safe spaces for project participants are available within the CBOs and meet necessary standards; (e) develop a referral process in coordination with CBO partners to ensure vulnerable cases are received, handled and referred with necessary follow-up; (f) play a role in the identification and selection of vulnerable beneficiaries for livelihoods support, including examining cases of vulnerability in more detail as required; and (g) support the coordination and implementation of livelihoods activities.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the overall supervision of the Program Director and in close coordination with the Program Specialists, M&E, and the HQ-based Program Unit, the Protection Officer will have the following duties and responsibilities:
Implementation, Monitoring, and Oversight:
- Ensure protection mainstreaming and gender inclusion in all components and activities through regular field monitoring, collaboration with staff, assistance in capacity building of partners, etc.;
- Maintain a robust and up-to-date referral system to receive and respond to protection cases in field locations; Maintain an up-to-date mapping of services and foster linkages with service providers;
- Identify protection trends on a regular basis and share them with the Program Director for action planning;
- In coordination with the MEL Officer and the Program Director, ensure smooth implementation of protection-related activities against targets and budgets;
- Manage, track, and follow up on the referrals received from NEF field offices through the available referral platforms;
- Develop and implement analysis together with the MEL team and field staff which contributes to a deepened understanding of protection and gender issues in South Sudan;
- Ensure that lessons learned from the protection and gender interventions are well disseminated and understood by all staff of NEF and integrated into current and planned programs.
Reporting & Documentation:
- Ensure gender and protection strategies, SoPs, guidelines, and frameworks are updated, explained and in place to guide project implementation;
- Compile field-generated information and provide inputs to reports in a timely manner and in compliance with HQ and donor requirements;
- Identify and draft relevant impact and success stories related to protection mainstreaming and gender inclusion;
- Ensure proper documentation and data protection of vulnerable cases received and handled by protection focal points;
- Prepare, develop, and implement regular reports, analysis, and assessments related to protection;
- Develop internal and external monthly and quarterly protection reports.
Training/Guidance/Capacity Building:
- Deliver relevant protection and gender training to NEF staff and CBO teams;
- Provide team and individual guidance and technical capacity through training, operational planning, daily interaction, regular team meetings, and learning and reflection events to implement gender, GBV, and protection effectively and efficiently into project activities;
- Engage trained staff and volunteers in the job mentoring and supervision
- Provide Protection, Gender, GBV and PSEA technical guidance according to NEF’s policies, Gender approach and global humanitarian standards;
- Build the capacity of staff and partners through mentoring, training and guidance on best practice and standards including the IASC Gender Handbook and the IASC Guidelines for GBV Interventions in Humanitarian Settings;
- Support NEF and partners (where applicable) to build capacity to integrate gender sensitive approaches into humanitarian work and systems;
Representation & Coordination:
- Represent NEF in protection working groups at national and local levels, and other relevant interagency workshops or events in related sectors;
- Share relevant project information and documents related to protection and gender with project teams, partners, HQ, and other stakeholders;
- In coordination with the Program Director, identify areas of collaboration with UN agencies, international NGOs, local NGOs, government departments around protection and gender issues.
Program Development & Strategic Planning:
- Contribute to the design of a protection and gender sector for the South Sudan operation and ensure it is disseminated to, and applied by, all team members;
- Support field assessments and research studies as required to identify new areas of intervention;
- Support the mainstreaming of gender, protection, and do no harm approach including GBV mitigation;
- Lead regular planning and reflection sessions with the relevant project teams, local and international partners and government officials.
Other Responsibilities:
- Ensure compliance with applicable donor rules and regulations on gender and protection;
- Provides leadership and work direction to assigned work team, and/or mentors and supervises the work, as appropriate;
- Any other duties relating to the nature of the job as requested by the supervisor.
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful Gender and Protection Officer must be a self-directed individual with the following qualifications:
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in international human rights, law, sociology, social work, or any other relevant field;
- 3-5 years of relevant protection experience with a humanitarian/development organization;
- 2 years of project management and coordination experience;
- At least 1 year of experience working on livelihoods projects;
- Experience conducting and facilitating training and workshops in both Arabic and English;
- A clear understanding of the rights and protection issues of refugees, children, and women, including solid experience working with vulnerable communities;
- Fluency in Arabic and English, both written and verbal;
- Proven analytical and writing skills;
- High-level knowledge and practice with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.;
- Willingness and ability to frequently travel to field sites;
- Ability to live and work in South Sudan without company sponsorship.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with EU and UN grants;
- Strong facilitation skills for effective training, workshops, and meetings with a diverse population with clear gender focus;
- Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work effectively across a wide variety of cultural contexts.
Position Criteria:
- Effective team player, able to develop and maintain effective working relationships;
- Ability to take initiative; highly self-motivated, with a strong capacity to work within a team;
- Ability to work independently, with strong work ethics and a high level of professionalism;
- Capable of maintaining confidentiality and ensuring others do as well;
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
- Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and cope with competing demands under tight deadlines;
Flexible, creative, and problem-solving oriented;
- Strong commitment to humanitarian principles.
To apply:
The closing date for this application is November 3, 2022.
This position will be hired on a rolling basis. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Please apply by submitting the following documents in the English language:
- Cover letter outlining relevant experience and availability
- Curriculum Vitae
- List of three references
Applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Near East Foundation by visiting the NEF website at www.neareast.org.
The Near East Foundation promotes Equal Opportunities for all applicants seeking employment.
Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Pre-employment Checks
Any Employment with the Near East Foundation will be subject to the following checks prior to start date:
- A satisfactory Restricted Party Screening.
- Receipt of satisfactory references.
- Proof of eligibility to work in the national location for this role.