Protection Sector Co-Coordinator at Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

RESPONSIBILITIES

What you will do:

The Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator is responsible to ensuring the coordination of the National Protection Cluster in Nigeria together with the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) Protection Cluster Coordinator, and the rest of the Protection Cluster Coordination and Co-Coordination team.

The co-Coordinator will actively work with the Cluster Coordination/Co-Coordination team and Protection partners. S/he will represent the cluster in coordination fora and with key stakeholders, support the design and implementation of country level strategies and humanitarian funding processes (e.g. Protection Cluster strategy, HNO(Humanitarian Needs Overview)/HRP(Humanitarian Response Plan), SSHF(South Soudan Humanitarian Fund/CERF(Central Emergency Response Fund), HCT(Humanitarian Coordination Team) Centrality of Protection Strategy). S/he will also ensure that an appropriate Protection Information Management system is in place, facilitate effective information sharing for context analysis, coordination and advocacy, as well as provide support and guidance to the field cluster, focal points and partners on effective response coordination and technical issues.

The Protection Sector Co-Coordinator will work in partnership with the Senior Protection Sector Coordinator from UNHCR, as the Sector Lead Agency, to provide leadership and facilitate sectoral processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective protection response within the BAY States of North-East Nigeria. S/he will represent the cluster in coordination fora and with key stakeholders, support the design and implementation of country level strategies and humanitarian funding processes (e.g., Protection Cluster strategy, HNO/HRP, SSHF/CERF, HCT Centrality of Protection Strategy).

The co-Coordinator will have a specific responsibility to ensure that the Protection Sector North-East Nigeria is informed by NGO perspectives, including, importantly, that of local partners. The co-Coordinator will also be responsible for ensuring that the NGO membership is contributing to and sharing Protection Sector responsibilities and will play a lead role in developing the active engagement and technical capacity of members of the Protection Sector North-East Nigeria. S/he will ensure the following expected results:

• NGOs’ concerns and priorities are adequately brought up to Protection Sector Coordination Team,
• Protection stakeholders are actively participating in Protection Sector activities,
• Protection inter-sectoral and/or multi-sectoral coordination effectiveness is reinforced and,
• Protection Sector coordination and NGO-government relations are strengthened at LGA and state levels.
• Facilitate and co-chair meetings of the national Protection Cluster with the UNHCR Cluster Coordinator, ensuring key and needed information is shared in a timely and accurate manner
• Ensure effective coordination ofthe protection response in Nigeria
• Ensure information exchange with Protection Cluster partners and other relevant stakeholders related to protection issues, situation analysis, gaps, planning, funding processes etc...
• Represent the Protection Cluster and the interests of its partners to government, donors, inter-cluster, stakeholders, and other fora
• Provide practical support and guidance to cluster partners on needs assessments, coordination, project development and implementation, and utilization of funding opportunities
• Provide capacity-building to clusterpartners and relevant counterparts such as other clusterpartners, UN Mission, or government actors
• Build the capacity of partners, design technical tools, guidance and facilitate trainings and workshops.

QUALIFICATIONS

What you will bring:

• Post graduate degree in international law, politicalsciences, or related field
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working on protection related issues in humanitarianemergencies, including inter-agency work and provision of technical advice to field teams
• Exceptional understanding of protection issues in emergency and displacement situations, detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines for humanitarian assistance, and relevant international legal frameworks
• Sound understanding of humanitariancoordination, funding, and leadership mechanisms, as well as experience in working with protection cluster coordination
• Strong leadership, coordination, and inter-personal skills, working well both in teams and independently
• Strong analytical,planning, and drafting skills
• Excellent advocacy and representation skills including the ability to develop strong interpersonal relationships to facilitate communication within the cluster
• Able to work under pressure and good at timely decision making
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills in English
• Initiative-taking and excellent observer of protection issues in the country

Context/Specific skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Experience working in complex and volatile IDP (Internally Displaced People) contexts.
• Ability to work under stressful conditions, meet short deadlines and travel extensively within Nigeria at short notice to support field operations
• Highly reliable, mature and able towork independently as well as in a team
• Proven communication, interpersonal, representation, and negotiation skills
• Culturally sensitive, with theability to work within diverse cultural contexts
• Flexible, creative, and co-operative, and a sense of humor is an asset
• Strong leadership and coordination skills.

What we offer:

• Contract of 24 months
• Grade 8 in NRC scale
• Location: Maiduguri
• An opportunity to match your career to a compelling cause
• A chance to meet and work with people who are the best in their fields