Protection Advisor - Syria [Syrian Nationals]

Protection Advisor - Syria

Short-term Consultancy Contract [6 months]

1.    Background

Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development (Evangelisches Werk fur Diakonie und Entwicklung- EWDE) – Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) - with Headquarter in Berlin - Germany, is the humanitarian aid organization of the protestant church in Germany. We provide aid to people who have become victims of natural disasters, war and displacement and who lack the resources to cope with the crisis situation on their own, irrespective of religion, skin color and nationality. We also provide support in response to “forgotten disasters” that receive limited public attention and funding.

We empower our partners. Together, we invest in preparedness, response, and resilience. We take localization and partnership to the next level by committing and aiming for equitable and long-term partnerships, by shifting power to our partners and communities through transfer of decision-making and funding opportunities, and by amplifying the voices of local partners and communities.

DKH’s Middle East and Central Asia Hub, based in Amman, Jordan, provides comprehensive program support to DKH Programs and local partners in the region. The hub also referred to as the MECA Type 2 Office, has four units: [1] Type 3B - Middle East Program (MEP) Unit, [2] Type 4A – Pakistan and Afghanistan 3] Type 2 Finance and Administration Unit, [3] and Type 2 Program Support Unit

Complying with DKH’s mission and in the face of the ongoing humanitarian crises in the Middle East (ME), the ME Crisis Strategy for 2024-2026 embodies a steadfast commitment to fostering dignity, resilience, sustainability, and equal partnerships. The Middle East Program (MEP) currently implements programs in Türkiye, Syria, Lebanon,Yemen, Gaza/oPT, and Iraq. Programmatically, we focus on markets and livelihoods, protection, food security, DRR and climate change impact mitigation, and emergency response.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA) established in 1994 is currently the largest faith-based and vetted low-risk organization. Through offices and service centers spread across the entire Syrian geography, GOPA-DERD’s staff and out-reach mobile teams implement a wide range of programs in 14 governorates in Syria, that address all the needs of those affected, IDPs and refugee returnees.  After reaching global media visibility and recognition, GOPA-DERD and through its bilateral agreements with international partner organizations, GOPA-DERD reaches the largest number of beneficiaries, at an increasing pace with the passing of the years.

2. PURPOSE

This position is instrumental to ensure the implementation of high quality protection programs in Lattakia, Idleb, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Deir-ez-Zor. This position is essential for enhancing the presence and visibility of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe in Syria through active representation in front of the clusters, partner organization and the government.  The position is also contributing heavily to the progress and evolution of the portfolio of Syria.

3. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting Line and Operational Coordination:

The Protection Advisor will be based in GOPA’s office in Syria and reports to DKH Country Program Coordinator (CPC) for Syria. The consultant will provide technical support to ensure technical quality, compliance, and accountability across all protection components, working in Syria while reporting to DKH  in Amman and coordinating closely with GOPA-DERD. The Protection Advisor is responsible only to fulfill the following tasks:

·       Technical Advisory on Protection Programing

·       Ensure technical quality, compliance, and accountability across all protection components within the Syria portfolio

·       Protection interventions are implemented in line with Protection Principles, SPHERE Standards, and other relevant guidelines

·       PAF and Protection Analysis

·       DKH contributes meaningfully to collective protection cluster analysis

·       Quality Assurance and Capacity Strengthening

·       Strengthen partners’ capacity in technical protection standards

·       Partners demonstrate improved technical understanding and compliance

·       Proposal Development (Protection-Specific Input)

·       Strengthen the technical quality of upcoming proposals containing protection components

·       Proposals meet donor and protection standards and align with DKH’s protection strategy

·       Cluster Coordination

·       Maintain DKH’s active presence in the Protection Cluster and related working groups.

·       DKH is recognized as an active and reliable protection actor.

4. Deliverables

Under the leadership of Middle East and Central Asia Hub Office and in coordination with The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA) In Syrai, The Field Program Officer will be responsible for the following key deliverables:

4.1 Technical Advisory on Protection Programing

• Targeted technical advice on protection activities, including:
• Spot checks and review of complex cases for Case Management and CfP (Case Fund) activities
• Advisory support for implementing new protection activities (e.g., legal assistance, Victim Assistance for Explosive Ordnance incidents)
• Revision of SOPs and other relevant documents
• Protection Mainstreaming.

4.2 PAF and Protection Analysis

• Develop PAF report (methodology, data review, final analysis, presentation)
• Present findings to the Protection Cluster / Protection Monitoring Working Group

4.3 Quality Assurance and Capacity Strengthening

• Conduct capacity-building sessions or technical refreshers (e.g., case management, protection mainstreaming, legal aid approaches)

4.4 Proposal Development (Protection-Specific Input)

• Provide written technical input for or revision of up to two proposals (e.g., ECHO, GFFO), focusing on protection-related intervention logic, activities, and indicators

4.5 Cluster Coordination

• Participate in key cluster and working group meetings relevant to DKH’s Syria program priorities
• Provide written meeting notes to DKH Team in Amman
• Short contributions demonstrating DKH’s engagement (max. 1 page per event)
• Contribute to up to two joint initiatives or thematic inputs coordinated by the cluster

5. Duration and Timeline

The consultancy will be implemented over six (6) months, with payments linked to the completion and acceptance of key deliverables, in line with donor compliance and performance-based contracting principles.

6. SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS PROFILE

Interested candidate should demonstrate the following qualifications:

Professional Competencies:

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in humanitarian protection programming, preferably in complex emergency settings such as Syria or the wider MENA region.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in protection programming, including case management, Cash for Protection (CfP), protection mainstreaming, and protection risk analysis.
• Proven experience in conducting protection assessments, protection monitoring, analytical reporting, and/or Protection Analytical Frameworks (PAFs).
• Strong understanding of international protection principles and standards, including Protection Principles, Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), GBV guiding principles, and relevant humanitarian coordination frameworks.
• Experience supporting the development or revision of technical SOPs, guidance notes, and protection-related tools.
• Demonstrated experience in providing technical advisory support and capacity strengthening to national and international partners.
• Familiarity with the Syria humanitarian coordination architecture, including Protection Cluster and relevant working groups, is highly desirable.
• Experience contributing technical inputs to humanitarian proposals, logical frameworks, indicators, and protection strategies.
• Strong analytical, writing, and facilitation skills, with the ability to present complex protection issues clearly and concisely. 
• Education: Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Humanitarian Action, Human Rights, Law, Psychology, or another relevant field.
• Languages: Professional fluency in English required; Arabic strongly preferred.
• Nationality: Syrian national or with the right to work in Syria.

7. Coordination and Reporting

The consultant will report technically to the Country Program Coordinator for Syria at DKH in Amman, and coordinate operationally with GOPA-DERD in Syria to ensure alignment of project activities and compliance with partnership standards.

8. Proposal Submission

If your profile matches the requirements and you are interested in this opportunity, we warmly invite you to apply by submitting your application to the following link [https://forms.office.com/e/h9zEPywppD?origin=lprLink] . The application deadline is 11:45 PM on Saturday- June 20th , 2026.

All applications will be treated with strict confidentiality. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.