Lebanon: Protection Manager (Head of Department)

DRC has been responding to various humanitarian crises in Lebanon since 2004, working with Palestinian, Iraqi and Syrian refugees. DRC received registration from the Ministry of Interior in 2011, and since then has focused primarily on responding to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon and the resulting impact on Lebanese host community. DRC Lebanon’s focus is to ensure that we are able to respond to critical emerging humanitarian needs whilst improve the living conditions of displacement-affected populations and contribute to the achievement of durable solutions. With an annual portfolio of $12million, and with approximately 200+ staff, DRC is focusing its response in protection and economic recovery (Ec-Rec) sector in Bekka, North Lebanon and Beirut. DRC is also contributing to the evidence base and coordination structures in country through our Evidence Generation and referral information management (RIMs) teams.

About the Job: 

The Protection Manager position is the highest-level protection staff in country, with technical responsibility for the overall country level protection sector. The Protection Manager is technically responsible for ensuring quality protection programming and is the overall country level technical lead within the protection sector. The Protection Manager provides day-to-day management of the Protection Technical Unit, including supervision and technical capacity building.

The Protection Manager is responsible for leading country level protection analysis and strategy development and implementation; providing protection sectoral technical advice, support, and has the authority to instruct; leading and overseeing Protection sectoral technical line supervision responsibilities for protection staff and interventions that contain protection, throughout the programme / project cycle; ensure quality protection sectoral programming and compliance with protection sector standards, including leading monitoring and evaluation efforts, staff capacity building and training, development of protection tools and approaches; and technically lead protection sectoral coordination and representation efforts. The Protection Manager will represent DRC in relevant internal and external coordination forums ensuring high-visibility of DRC Lebanon’s protection portfolio and providing technical leadership among peer organizations and the Protection Consortium.

DRC’s protection programming consists of: Legal Aid, Community-Based Protection, Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, Protection Information Management, and non-specialized Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Protection Sectoral Technical Responsibility: 

• Lead protection analysis efforts and the development and implementation of the country level protection strategy.
• Technically responsible for the overall protection portfolio.
• Oversee and lead the development, harmonization, adaptation and rollout of internal policies, and guidelines, protection related tools, Standard Operating Procedures, related to DRC’s protection interventions.
• Act as a reference point for other sectors’ colleagues for Protection Mainstreaming.

Technical Supervision: 

• Manager directly 3 staff as part of the Technical Unit in Beirut.
• Technically supervise, provide technical advice and guidance to protection sectoral staff, and authority to instruct – including issuing instructions and providing strategic direction on issues related to the protection sector.
• Responsible for participating in human resource processes, including the recruitment of protection sectoral technical staff in country, establishing minimum technical requirements for protection positions, and setting performance objectives and performance appraisals.
• Responsible for identifying protection sectoral technical gaps and establishing capacity building plans for protection sectoral staff.
• Work closely with relevant protection staff in the development and delivery of capacity building efforts.
• Provide regular technical support and guidance to protection teams and other relevant (protection, other sectoral, and others) staff in both a structured and on a case-by-case basis.

Protection Programme Development and Oversight: 

• Lead and contribute to the design and finalization of all protection sectoral interventions in proposals and projects.
• Provide technical review of all proposals and reports that include protection interventions.
• Oversee compilation of project related internal and external reports and communication.
• Maintain oversight of overall protection programme implementation, including budgets and indicators, in close collaboration with HoP, area managers and protection managers.
• Participate in protection programme / project review meetings, including grant opening, grant review and close out meetings.
• Actively contribute to design and implementation of integrated programmes/projects.
• Lead the protection working group of the DRC-led SPEAC Consortium, and ensure harmonization between partners.

Quality Assurance: 

• Lead, in collaboration with MEAL Specialist, on the development of quality assurance systems and ensure they are applied throughout the programme / project cycle.
• Undertake regular quality review, site monitoring, and field visits to ensure protection interventions are provided according to established policies, guidance, and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Identify, document, harmonize, and disseminate standard best practices among field offices.
• Lead the self-assessment based on the Protection Minimum Operating Procedures (P-MOPs) once a year and contribute to the annual Protection Survey.
• Oversee knowledge sharing across protection teams, partners, and sites.

Coordination and Representation: 

• Represent DRC and actively contribute to protection sector coordination fora at the country level.
• Lead DRC’s protection sector coordination and collaboration efforts with relevant stakeholders including government, civil society, NGOs, and UN.
• Actively engage with the Advocacy Coordinator and contribute to DRC protection related advocacy efforts.
• Promote integrated programming and ensure internal coordination and harmonization of DRC protection interventions across sites and with other core sectors, as relevant.
• Act as the main sector level point of contact with donors.
• Be a resource for other sectors’ protection mainstreaming efforts.

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• Proven experience of at least 5 years working in the protection sector and management of protection programmes.
• Master degree in one of the following: International development, social sciences, international relations, human rights.
• Expert knowledge of International Refugee Law, International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law.
• Strong understanding of global protection sector standards, protection analysis, and Results-Based Protection.
• Knowledge and experience designing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating protection intervention within two or more of DRC’s Protection sector components: Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, Protection Information Management, Community-Based Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, and/or Legal Aid.
• Proven communication, interpersonal, representation, negotiation, promotion, and diplomacy skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to quickly develop good insight and understanding of humanitarian, political and human rights situation in the relevant context.
• Proven strong analytical thinker and problem solver.
• Experience with technical management of teams.
• Experience in providing technical guidance and developing and providing learning activities.
• Sound understanding and experience in protection mainstreaming and Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) mainstreaming, conflict sensitivity, and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
• Experience in project development (including proposal writing), implementation and MEAL for protection programmes.
• Experience in advocacy and policy development, and cluster / working group coordination in the humanitarian sector.
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability.
• Ability to manage a high workload and manage stress.
• Fluency in English, knowledge of Arabic languages is an advantage.

We Offer: 

• Contract length: 12 months.
• Band: F
• Designation of Duty Station: Beirut
• Start date: August 2024

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact lbn-jobs@drc.ngo

How to Apply: 

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

Closing date for applications: 24th of July 2024.

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