Protection Manager

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Protection Manager to work in the fastest developing and most critical refugee crisis in Bangladesh. This is an opportunity for a Protection Manager to shape a new country programme and ensure best practices are applied from the outset.

About the job

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), one of the world’s leading NGOs, with a focus on responding to displacement, has been registered in Bangladesh since 2013. In 2017, in response to the Rohingya influx, DRC is preparing to launch an integrated programme of support to the government in site management, shelter/NFI and protection. As a key part of this, DRC is opening up a main office in Cox’s Bazar, and a support/liaison office in Dhaka. DRC’s protection programming will focus on protection monitoring and general protection principles, advocacy and community based protection, with addition of child protection in 2018. Managers will therefore be sought to cover these different aspects, depending on the size and scope of the 2018 programme.

The Protection Manager will ensure the effective implementation of DRC’s protection activities in the assigned locations, and the mainstreaming of protection issues within other program sectors. The PM will ensure technical and operational management, in both quality and delivery, in line with the agreed projects, ensuring the protection context is well understood and the programme adapted to ensure mitigation of risks and response to protection concerns. The PM will contribute to the development of proposals where protection programming is concerned and engage with other protection actors within the protection sector to ensure effective coordination and collaboration. The DRC protection programme is centred in protection monitoring, emergency case management and community participation, in close link with the CCCM programme. The strategy on advocacy and child protection is expected to be further developed for 2018 according to the situation on the ground. Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

• Line manage protection staff (national)
• Ensure high quality project implementation in accordance with donor and DRC regulations and accountability framework, as well as in line with agreed log frames/indicators, budgets, procurement plans, and work plans.
• Ensure that allocated budget lines/activities and expenses are regularly monitored and, as needed, action plans with follow-up are developed to correct any over or underspending in a timely manner.
• Help ensure that the protection program is well documented and that the institutional memory of DRC Bangladesh is preserved.

• Ensure the roll out of the DRC protection strategy and its integration into the DRC program strategy and the response as a whole.
• Feed in to the development of the overall protection strategy in line with information/data collected at field level and observed protection risks
• Conduct needs assessment to ensure appropriate response design, as well as identify risks and vulnerabilities, including those related to gender, age and diversity
• Assess protection needs and identify problems/gaps and propose/prioritize timely practical actions to respond to particular protection problems
• Lead the compilation and analysis of information to feed into protection monitoring for sharing with partners and donors
• Ensure that protection information is used effectively to advocate on important issues as well as longer term planning for target populations
• Develop training materials on protection principles, protection monitoring, community conflict mediation, reporting and referrals for field based staff, including strengthening information and reporting systems.
• Ensure the mainstreaming of protection principles in the DRC programmes according to DRC’s protection mainstreaming framework, international law and protection standards

• Regular coordination and liaison with protection sector, UNHCR protection unit and other protection partners in the field
• As needed, represent DRC in Protection Working Groups and sub-sectors
• Close coordination with government authorities at site and union levels
• Ensure DRC’s remit and strategy is known and correctly understood by all stakeholders.
• Pro-actively liaise and build good rapport with local authority officials, community representatives, and any other relevant stakeholders.
• Promote improved understanding of protection issues among all relevant stakeholders and ensure the observance of international protection and humanitarian law standards.

• Monitor developments and determine strategic opportunities related to the protection sector.
• Input to proposal development for protection projects

• Signatory of official documents (contracts, payments, purchase orders) within approved parameters and in compliance with DRC’s and donors’ rules and regulations, and Bangladeshi law.
• Provide appropriate and timely feedback to program staff regarding their performance, including annual staff performance appraisals. Identify with protection staff their needs and opportunities for professional development.
• Develop job descriptions and recruit qualified protection staff.

• Participate in project kick-off, close-out and review meetings according to requirements. Ensure documentation and follow up of action points in a timely manner.
• Include the participation of beneficiaries and communities, particularly those most vulnerable or at-risk, in all stages of the project cycle where appropriate.
• Ensure that all protection activities are included in project M&E plans and supervise the implementation. Ensure key lessons learned are incorporated in new protection project proposals.
• Strengthen accountability activities for protection, ensuring that feedback from all relevant stakeholders is considered in protection programming design.
• Contribute to drafting of project reports, leading on any protection sector inputs.

Any other duties as agreed with the Line Manager

About you

To be successful in this role we expect the following:

• University or graduate degree in relevant field.
• Fluency in English

• An excellent professional track record with a minimum of five years of work experience, with at least two years of overseas experience in a protection/managerial role; technical knowledge and significant experience in working in refugee contexts
• Excellent English writing ability and verbal skills for project proposals, reports, and communications
• M&E knowledge and experience, including understanding of conducting assessments and analysing data
• The selected candidate must have demonstrated ability to think strategically, prioritize, and meet deadlines; must be culturally sensitive.
• S/he must be able to plan and manage her/his own time effectively. The holder must exercise a strong work ethic and take responsibility for his/her own actions. High degree of flexibility with respect to working hours.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations at all levels.
• Bengali language skills desirable

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies: 

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 

Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values. 

We offer

Contract length: 6 months with possibility of extension based on funding and performance

Level: A13 or A14

Designation of Duty Station: Unaccompanied.

Start date: Mid-January 2018

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Tess Elias, DRC’s Team Leader in Bangladesh, tess.elias@drc.dk

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 30th November

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.