Child Protection (CP) OFFICER - NATIONAL STAFF

Position Title:  Child Protection Officer  

Location:  Amman -  –Jordanbased with travel to Jordan field locations  

Project: SPRING – Sistemi di PRotezione integrati e INclusivi per le comunità rifugiate e locali di Zarqa, Mafraq, Ramtha e Amman in Giordania .

Donor: AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation)  

Contract Type: full-time  

Contract Duration: 13 months   

Context Presentation: Un Ponte Per ETS (UPP) is an international humanitarian organization, with Headquarters in Italy. Originally named Un Ponte Per Baghdad (A Bridge to Baghdad), the association became Un Ponte Per after the extension of its work to other Mediterranean countries. UPP ETS is currently active in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Serbia, Kosovo, Tunisia, and Ukraine alongside civil society organizations, with a strong localization approach. UPP strongly rejects war as a solution to international and national conflicts. It exerts relentless efforts with the ultimate objective of preventing armed conflicts and developing more equal and peaceful coexistence. The NGO acts through awareness campaigns, cultural exchanges, humanitarian and development projects, peacebuilding programs, and the creation of social justice networks. In Italy and in Europe, UPP works to promote peace and disarmament, human rights, refugees and migrants’ inclusion, and ecological transition. In Jordan, it has been active since 2005 with a strong focus on the protection of women and girls including Gender Based Violence (GBV), Child Protection (CP), and Psycho-social support (PSS) targeting the most vulnerable refugees, host community members and persons with disabilities (PWDs). For further information, please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/. 

Project brief: The project promotes protection of vulnerable refugees and host community members across Zarqa, Amman, Mafraq, and Irbid, through an integrated framework of protection, assistance, empowerment, and social inclusion, with a focus on women, girls, children, and persons with disabilities. Activities address protection needs at individual, group, and community levels, strengthen local protection capacities, and ensure the safety and fundamental rights of vulnerable populations. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

The CP Officer works under the direct supervision of the Project Officer and receives technical supervision from the CP and GBV Specialists. S/he is responsible for ensuring the delivery of CP case management services in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) and the best interests of the child principle, across project locations in Zarqa and Amman governorates. 

Case Management 

• Provide direct support to CP case management processes, including intake, risk screening, safety planning, individualized care plan development and follow-up, in compliance with CP Guiding Principles (Safety, Confidentiality, Respect, Non-Discrimination). 

• Identify and refer cases presenting overlapping CP and GBV risks to the GBV Specialist, following the integrated GBV/CP case management model. 

• Work with children in conflict with the law and former offenders in coordination with MoSD and MoJ, supporting reintegration pathways, under the technical guidance of the CP Specialist. 

• Maintain accurate and confidential case records using CPIMS+ or equivalent tools, with data disaggregated by sex, age, nationality, and disability; manage hotline/FCRM logs and ensure timely escalation to the CP Specialist. 

Child Friendly Spaces 

• Support the daily functioning of Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) in project locations, applying CFS model standards, child safeguarding checklists, and CP compliance tools as directed by the CP Specialist, ensuring the CFS functions as an identification and referral entry point for both CP and GBV services. 

• Provide technical guidance to CFS Facilitators and community-based staff on child-centred approaches, CP Basic Principles, and mandatory reporting protocols. 

• Support the delivery of CP group activities curricula across age groups, including PSS, life skills, recreational and other structured and unstructured activities, homework support and remedial education for school-age children, and parallel caregiver positive parenting sessions, in line with CPMS standards and content approved by the CP Specialist. 

Referral & Coordination 

• Coordinate safe and dignified referral pathways to internal and external services (legal, MHPSS, GBV services, rehabilitation, cash assistance), ensuring joint CP/GBV case management protocols are followed where cases present overlapping risks, and maintaining accurate records in CPIMS+ or applicable databases. 

• Identify and refer children whose school attendance barriers are linked to protection risks for Cash for Education support, ensuring transfers are integrated into their CP case management plans and reported to the CP Specialist. 

• Contribute to Protection and CP/GBV-related data collection, FCRM, and ensure Do No Harm and beneficiary accountability throughout the project. 

Capacity Building & Community Outreach 

• Provide technical support to local partners and CBOs on CP case identification, safe disclosure, survivor-centred approaches, and CP standards, as part of the capacity-building plan developed by the CP Specialist. 

• Contribute to awareness sessions on child protection within safe spaces and community outreach activities. 

MEAL & Reporting 

• Contribute to the project’s MEAL framework, including disaggregated data collection tools, baseline and endline surveys, satisfaction surveys, PDM tools, and regular activity reporting for RAIS and ActivityInfo. 

• Support PO and MEAL staff in coordination with partners to carry out needs assessments and baseline, midline, and final evaluations. 

• Provide regular case management and activity updates to the CP Specialist, flagging trends, protection concerns, and gaps requiring technical guidance. 

Coordination & PSEAH 

• Support the CP Specialist in inter-agency coordination, including the CP/GBV Sub-Working Group and relevant national coordination mechanisms, and contribute to reporting platforms (RAIS, ActivityInfo). 

• Implement and monitor PSEAH/safeguarding measures across all UPP activities, supporting the Safeguarding Advisor and ensuring communities are informed of complaint and feedback mechanisms. 

• Participate in monthly technical working group meetings with field teams. 

Project Development 

• Contribute to the elaboration of new project proposals and concept notes, including stakeholder engagement, needs assessments, and partnership mapping. 

REQUIREMENTS 

Essential 

• University degree (Bachelor's or Master's) in social work, child development, psychology, law, or a related field. 

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in child protection programming in humanitarian or development contexts. 

• Sound knowledge of the CPIMS, child-centred case management principles, and international child rights frameworks (UNCRC). 

• Experience in community-based protection (CBP) approaches, community outreach, and behaviour change communication. 

• Experience working with children with disabilities and in implementing inclusive CP services. 

• Familiarity with the Jordanian CP coordination architecture and the National Child Protection System. 

• Ability to work effectively with children of diverse ages, backgrounds, and protection needs. 

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills; ability to work effectively with diverse teams, partners, and communities. 

• High degree of integrity, discretion, and professionalism when handling sensitive protection cases. 

• Arabic language proficiency at CEFR level C1 or above; English language proficiency at CEFR level B1 or above. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). 

Desirable 

• Familiarity with TF-GBV risks and digital safety approaches, including ICT/cybersecurity literacy for protection contexts. 

• Experience with disability-inclusive programming and intersectional approaches to CP. 

• Regional and cultural knowledge and sensitivity. 

UPP requires criminal background check certificate (released max 3 months before the date of job offer) and a health clearance certificate to confirm a job offer. We are aware that in some countries the release of criminal background certificate by the competent authorities might require several weeks. However, UPP runs selections to deploy staff in emergency programs and time-lapse between job offer and field deployment is often very short. Thus, we kindly ask all candidates to get prepared on time and be able to submit their certificate promptly in case of success in the selection.