Protection Officer-Prevention

Duty Station : Sittwe

Report to : Protection Team Leader

Overall purpose of the role:

The Protection Officer – Prevention will be responsible for supporting, supervising and ensuring the quality implementation of DRC's General Protection prevention activities across all targeted project locations. Based in the DRC Sittwe Office, the position will provide regular technical and operational support to Protection staffs and Protection Focal Points (PFPs), while ensuring that prevention, protection monitoring, community engagement and community-based protection activities are implemented in line with DRC standards, project objectives, donor requirements and the evolving protection context in Rakhine State.

The position will play a key role in strengthening community-based protection mechanisms, support communities to identify and analyse protection risks, develop and implement Community Action Plans (CAPs), and promote safe access to protection information and services. The position will also lead regular protection monitoring through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), direct observations and other appropriate methodologies, contributing to timely analysis, reporting and programme adaptation.

Responsibilities:

Protection Prevention Activities

• Support the planning, coordination and implementation of General Protection prevention activities across all targeted project locations and townships.
• Provide technical guidance and regular field-level supervision to Protection staff and PFPs on protection awareness, information dissemination and community engagement activities.
• Ensure protection awareness and information sessions are participatory, contextually appropriate, inclusive, conflict-sensitive and accessible to different population groups.
• Ensure communities receive accurate, timely and safe information on protection risks, available services, referral pathways, rights and available assistance.
• Identify gaps in protection information and prevention programming and recommend appropriate responses.
• Ensure prevention activities are tailored to the operational context in Rakhine State, considering context-specific protection risks.

Protection Monitoring

• Coordinate and provide technical oversight for regular protection monitoring across designated DRC project locations.
• Conduct and support FGDs, KIIs, direct observations, community consultations and other protection monitoring activities. Guide field-based staff conducting Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), direct observations and community consultations.
•  Work with field teams and the Protection Team Leader to identify and prioritize locations, population groups, information gaps and protection issues requiring further monitoring. Ensure monitoring captures priority risks, access barriers, safety concerns, community perceptions, coping mechanisms and affected groups.
• Ensure compliance with approved SOPs, ethical principles, confidentiality, data protection, and Do No Harm.
• Ensure field teams submit complete Kobo Toolbox monitoring data within agreed deadlines.
• Validate data for completeness, accuracy, consistency and methodological compliance, and follow up with field teams on required corrections.
• Analyse monitoring data to identify priority concerns, trends, emerging risks and programme implications, and share significant findings with the Protection Team Leader and relevant internal colleagues.
• Prepare the monthly draft Area Office Protection Monitoring Report, presenting key findings, significant trends, priority protection concerns, recommendations and  programme or advocacy implications.
• Promptly communicate urgent or serious protection concerns identified through monitoring to the Protection Team Leader through approved internal escalation pathways, while maintaining confidentiality and data protection standards.

Community-Based Protection and Information Dissemination

• Support the establishment, strengthening and regular functioning of Community-Based Protection Groups and other community protection structures.
• Facilitate regular meetings, discussions and capacity-building sessions with Community-Based Protection Groups and PFPs.
• Support communities to identify, prioritize and analyse protection risks and available community capacities and resources.
• Facilitate the development of Community Action Plans (CAPs) based on identified protection concerns, priorities and feasible community-led solutions.
• Support and monitor the implementation of CAPs and document progress, challenges, good practices and lessons learned.
• Strengthen community ownership and participation while ensuring that community-based protection mechanisms do not expose members or vulnerable individuals to additional protection risks.
• Promote meaningful participation of women, girls, children, older persons, persons with disabilities and other potentially marginalized or at-risk groups in community protection initiatives.

Field Supervision and Technical Support

• Conduct regular field visits to targeted project locations to supervise activities, provide coaching and identify implementation challenges.
• Provide day-to-day technical support to field-based staff and PFPs, including activity planning, facilitation techniques, documentation and reporting.
• Review field-level workplans, activity reports, monitoring forms and other relevant documentation.
• Support staff to develop realistic weekly and monthly workplans aligned with project targets, indicators and protection priorities.
• Identify capacity gaps among Protection staff and PFPs and support the development and delivery of relevant coaching, mentoring and capacity-building sessions.
• Promote consistent quality standards across different project locations and implementation modalities.
• Support remote supervision and communication when physical access is restricted due to security, movement or administrative constraints.

Coordination, Reporting and Data Management

• Coordinate closely with other DRC Protection components, including General Protection, Child Protection and GBV, to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication.
• Maintain strong coordination with other sectors such as CCCM, Shelter/NFI, WASH, Health, Education, Economic Recovery and MEAL where protection concerns are cross-sectoral.
• Liaise with relevant protection actors, local partners, community representatives and other stakeholders, as appropriate and approved by DRC management.
• Support relevant Protection coordination mechanisms and contribute protection analysis and updates when requested.
• Identify opportunities for joint awareness, referral, community engagement and protection monitoring initiatives with relevant actors.
• Ensure coordination and information sharing respect confidentiality, data protection, operational security and Do No Harm principles.
• Prepare accurate and timely weekly, monthly and ad-hoc updates on prevention and protection monitoring activities.
• Maintain organized records of protection monitoring findings, CAPs, community meetings, awareness sessions, referrals and other relevant activities.
• Ensure protection monitoring data is collected, stored and managed in accordance with DRC data protection policies, SOPs and confidentiality requirements.
• Provide timely contextual updates and protection analysis to support programme decision-making.
• Recommend adjustments to prevention and monitoring activities based on changing security, access and protection conditions.
• Ensure all activities are conflict-sensitive and adapted to local social, cultural, linguistic and political dynamics.

Safeguarding, Accountability and Do No Harm

• Ensure all activities comply with DRC's Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding, PSEA, safeguarding, data protection and other relevant policies.
• Ensure protection activities are implemented in a safe, dignified and inclusive manner.
• Promote community feedback and complaints mechanisms and ensure communities understand how to safely provide feedback or raise concerns.
• Immediately report safeguarding, PSEA or other serious protection concerns through established DRC reporting channels.
• Ensure confidentiality and informed consent are respected during interviews, FGDs, KIIs and other monitoring activities.
• Pay particular attention to the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals and groups participating in community activities.

Teamwork and Internal Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with the wider Protection team and contribute to a positive, respectful and supportive team environment.
• Support colleagues during periods of high workload, emergency response or rapid programme adaptation.
• Participate actively in Protection team meetings, planning sessions, reflection exercises and capacity-building initiatives.
• Share learning, tools, resources and good practices with colleagues across project locations.
• Support the Protection Project Manager/Team Leader with additional tasks related to programme quality, planning, coordination and emergency response as required.
• Undertake any other protection-related duties reasonably assigned by the Protection Project Manager, Protection Team Leader or senior management.
• Support DRC's emergency response and scale-up activities when required.
• Maintain flexibility to work across different project locations and implementation modalities according to operational needs.

Required experience and technical competencies

• University (BA/BSc) degree in relevant field
• At least 2 years of relevant experience in protection, community-based protection, humanitarian programming, protection monitoring or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience working in complex humanitarian, conflict-affected or displacement contexts.
• Practical experience conducting FGDs, KIIs, direct observations, community consultations and protection monitoring.
• Experience working with community-based protection structures, working with community-based groups, or local organizations.
• Experience facilitating community action planning and supporting community-led protection initiatives.
• Experience supervising or technically supporting field-based staff is highly desirable.
• Experience with KOBO or similar digital data collection and monitoring systems is desirable.
• Strong report writing, analytical and documentation skills.
• Fluency in Burmese and English is required
• Ability to communicate effectively with communities, field teams, local partners and humanitarian stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, negotiation and communication skills.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

Condition

Contract: DRC will offer the successful applicant a DRC’s Regular contract including 3-month probation. Renewable depends on both funding and performance. Salary and conditions will be in accordance with DRC’s Terms of Employment. The position is placed in Employment Band H- non-management. Only applicants who can work and be based in Sittwe, Rakhine State, are eligible for this position.

Application and CV

Interested? Click here to apply. Please send your application, in English, no later than 17 Sep 2026.

CV only applications will not be considered.

(Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and shortlisted candidates may be contacted for interview/an offer made before the advertised closing date)