Protection Officer – CBP and PSS

Overall purpose of the role

Lead community-based protection and group psychosocial support in Ayod, strengthening community capacities to identify and address protection risks. Plan and deliver inclusive activities through the Protection Desk and mobile response, and coach General Protection Assistants, Facilitators, Community Mobilizers, and Information Disseminators under the supervision of Protection Team Leaders.

Responsibilities and duties

1. Community-based protection

• Reactivate and support the existing Community-Based Protection Networks and Structures, ensuring meaningful participation of women, youth, older people, persons with disabilities, IDPs and host communities.
• Train and mentor network members on protection principles, safeguarding, confidentiality, inclusion and safe referrals. Keep confidential case management with trained staff.
• Help networks identify community-level risks, develop feasible action plans and follow up mitigation actions. Provide direct field support and strengthen existing structures rather than create parallel mechanisms.
• Conduct protection risk monitoring across South Sudan.

2. Group psychosocial support

• Plan structured and unstructured group PSS for women, men and adolescents with qualified PSS technical support, using approved approaches and age-appropriate activities.
• Facilitate sessions, coach GP Assistants, Facilitators, Community Mobilizers, and Information Disseminators and observe delivery. Promote voluntary participation, positive coping and social connection without requiring disclosure of personal experiences.
• Coordinate session schedules, materials and follow-up across desk and mobile locations. Arrange safe referrals for people needing individual or specialised support.

3. Protection information and outreach

• Use protection-monitoring findings and community feedback to prepare timely, accessible information on risks, services, safe movement and help-seeking, with appropriate technical review.
• Lead GP outreach and information sessions with Assistants, Facilitators, Community Mobilizers, and Information Disseminators and community networks. Coordinate with the GBV Prevention Officer on overlapping issues while maintaining distinct GP responsibilities.
• Prepare community-activity plans in mobile locations, agree staff assignments with the Team Leader and maintain continuity between deployments.

4. Quality and accountability

• Provide daily technical guidance to assistants, Facilitators, Community Mobilizers, and Information Disseminators assigned to community activities and PSS. Escalate training, safety, access and workload concerns to the Team Leader.
• Maintain proportionate activity records and report progress, participation and community feedback. Work with MEAL on appropriate PSS outcome monitoring and avoid double-counting repeat participants.
• Follow up community concerns through approved feedback channels, coordinate risk-mitigation actions with relevant sectors and prepare activity, movement and supply requests within delegated authority.

Education, skills and experience required

• Degree in social work, psychology, social sciences, community development or a related field; a relevant diploma with substantial directly relevant experience may be considered subject to HR approval.
• At least two years of relevant humanitarian protection experience, including community-based protection and facilitation of group psychosocial support.
• Demonstrated training in non-specialised PSS, safe group facilitation, inclusion and referrals; ability to work under qualified PSS technical guidance.
• Experience training community networks, coaching facilitators and working with displaced and host communities in remote or emergency settings.
• Strong planning, communication and reporting skills, with an understanding of confidentiality, informed consent and protection risk analysis.
• Competence in Microsoft Word, Excel and email; willingness to travel to remote locations under approved security arrangement.