Child Protection Specialist

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified Child Protection Specialist to contribute to DRC’s protection programming in Poland.  

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading protection agency with a mandate to promote and protect durable solutions to conflict and displacement affected populations on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC is implementing a multi-sector response to support Ukraine refugees, IDPs and host populations both within Ukraine and in the neighbouring countries of Poland, Romania and Moldova and wider Europe.  Since late February 2022, nearly 4 million Ukrainians and third-country nationals have crossed the border to Poland. As part of its neighboring country response, DRC is establishing an operational presence in Poland to support displaced populations through partnership with civil society organizations and national NGOs, duty bearers and other actors.   

About the job 

As Child Protection Specialist you have a country focus and you ensure compliance to DRC procedures and guidelines within Poland. You contribute to the development of country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks. You provide support and/or technical guidance to country operations while overseeing country activities specific to child protection. Your main duties and responsibilities will be: 

Project coordination and implementation 

• Develop DRC Poland child protection programmatic approaches in line with national legislation, Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and other relevant IASC Guidelines   

• Design child protection interventions and relevant programmatic tools as part of DRC Poland protection programming (implemented directly or in partnerships) focusing on:  

• Facilitation of child friendly spaces in Blue Dots and community centers  

• Design of recreational activities for children and youth   

• Design of child and youth friendly engagement and outreach activities  

• Identification of children and risk and referral to specialized service providers  

• Child – protection sensitive protection monitoring   

• Develop child friendly messaging   

• Ensure child protection risks and strategies are assessed on a regular basis   

• Regular mapping of child protection systems, services, and their capacities at area level  

• Support area teams in developing child protection referral pathways and maintaining them up to date   

• Regular field visits to monitor implementation of programmes and to provide technical guidance.  

• Support of capacity building and training for Child Protection staff.   

• Assist in implementation of the Child Safeguarding Policy and procedures;   

• Ensure the Child Safeguarding Policy is effectively integrated and rolled out at the programmatic level;   

Monitoring, reporting and development   

• Establishment and support of monitoring and evaluation of the child protection program.  

• Quality control and site monitoring to ensure that services provided are according standards   

• Preparation of regular donor reports as well as other documentation related to child protection programmes  

• Continuously update project documentation and files    

• Work closely with Protection Manager to develop quality proposals, concept notes and budget   

• Develop and undertake needs assessments to inform program design and strategic direction.   

External coordination and representation   

• Participate in Child Protection subsector meetings and feed into any relevant documents developed by the CP subsector and Protection Sector to ensure that child protection issues are included   

• Coordinate with other agencies, governments and NGOs to implement and coordinate common standards. 

• Coordinate the work of the four area Blue dot coordinators in Gdynia, Lublin, Warsaw and Wrocław and support them in the planning, implementation and monitoring of project activities 

About you 

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of 3 years of professional experience related to child protection for NGOs or formal child protection mechanisms, ideally in an emergency setup. Moreover, we also expect the following: 

• Understanding of international standards related to child protection in emergencies/humanitarian action  

• Experience working with national partners, local/government authorities, and UN organisations   

• Proven experience in program/project management and monitoring;  

• Documented skills in project planning and design, drafting, calculation and technical writing    

• Excellent analytical capacities; excellent ability to synthesize information and relate action to results;  

• Excellent communication, presentation, teamwork and cooperation skills; ability to listen and express opinions sensitively; high work ethics;  

• Excellent skill in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint   

• Full professional proficiency in English      

• Working knowledge of Polish and Ukrainian and/or Russian will be an asset 
   

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 uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment 

We offer 

Contract length: 6 months (until February 28th 2023) 

Band: Non-Management, G 

Geographic scope: Poland - roving Gdansk, Lublin, Warsaw, Wroclaw 

Start date: ASAP 

We offer competitive salary and benefits in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for National Staff.  

Application process 

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered. 

Closing date for applications: August 4th 2022 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we therefore encourage you to apply as soon as possible. 

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact Anna Geller a.geller@drc.ngo