Protection Officer at FINDEF

Reports to:    Program Manager

 Job Summary

The Protection Officer will be responsible for supporting and implementing the minimum measures for mainstreaming protection as outlined by the Humanitarian Principles, the SPHERE Standards and other relevant protection policies and guidelines. S/he will also support the establishment and management of complaints and feedback mechanisms. The Officer must demonstrate strong communication skills, the ability to multitask under tight deadlines, be a team player, and act as a problem-solver.

 Key Responsibilities

• Conducting joint protection risk and gender analysis with partners and donors.
• Conduct safety audits of the site of operation and final distribution points.
• Monitoring and communicating changes in the protection environment.
• Document barriers faced by certain groups in accessing safe and meaningful assistance (child headed households, people with disabilities, separated and unaccompanied minors, women headed households) and provide appropriate adjustments to ensure inclusion of most vulnerable and at-risk categories.
• Mapping and communicating protection (including gender-based violence and child protection) referral pathways and on-site help and feedback desk.
• Ensure safe and confidential referrals of protection cases for the provision of food assistance.
• Translate protection mainstreaming into concrete, practical actions (awareness-raising, training and on the job mentoring) of food security colleagues.
• Lead the delivery of the protection and gender components of the social behavioural change communication.
• Conduct training and/or awareness raising for food security teams on mainstreaming protection and integrating gender.
• Support to implement good practice in data protection and privacy.
• Support awareness-raising of the food security team and the affected population on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of approaches related to information provision, community consultation, feedback and complaints mechanisms.
• Establish and consult Project Management Committees.
• Prevent incidents of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment through ensuring appropriate safety nets.
• Strengthen mechanisms to receive and refer all SEA incidents through appropriate channels for immediate action.
• Facilitate accountability and investigations in a prompt, safe, and survivor-centered way.
• Engagement with and support of local community population - Ensuring that in the system-wide PSEA policies, practices, and processes the affected communities.
• Ensure communities receiving assistance are treated appropriately as rights-holders and provide regular updates on PSEA key issues.
• Establish and enforce a whistle-blower mechanism – to empower, encourage and protect staff who report cases of sexual exploitation and abuse
• Inform staff members and beneficiaries on a regular basis on how to file a complaint/ report and the procedures for handling protection issues.
• Disseminate no excuse cards/messaging on PSEA, rights of beneficiaries and avenues for reporting at various community entry and intervention activities and platforms.
• Conduct mapping and assessment of existing Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms (CFMs) to ensure they are SEA friendly.
• Provide mentorship and capacity building for staff.

 Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field with at least 3 years’ technical experience on emergency programming in Northeast/Northwest Nigeria.
• Practical experience managing staff and programs in insecure locations.
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills.
• Excellent analytical and data management skills, strong coordination and organizational skills.
• Fluency in English, Kanuri, and Hausa
• Additional qualities: ability to multi-task, ability to handle pressure well, ability to improvise, flexibility, adaptability to transition.