Poland: Child Protection Officer (Country Level)

The Danish Refugee Council is currently looking for a skilled and experienced Child Protection Officer to join our team in Krakow, Poland.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a leading protection agency whose mandate is 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 neighboring countries of Poland, Romania and Moldova, and wider Europe. DRC has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, following previous operations in the 1990’s and between 2007-2013. Over the years, DRC successfully maintained its presence in the government-controlled areas (GCA) and adapted its programs to provide early recovery and durable solutions to people affected by the conflict including IDPs and communities living along the contact line, as well as reduce the threats of explosive ordnance with a growing humanitarian mine action program.

Due to the ongoing conflict that began on Feb 22, DRC opened offices in Poland, Moldova, and Romania to provide support to displaced populations through a partnership with civil society organizations and national NGOs, duty bearers, and other actors. DRC continues to implement in these three countries through partnerships, technical assistance and capacity exchange, and direct implementation in some cases.

About the Job: 

You will be supporting the Child Protection (CP) Specialist in developing and designing child protection interventions as part of DRC Poland’s protection programming (implemented directly or in partnerships). You will be based in the Krakow field office (preferably Krakow, Wroclaw/Rzeszow/Przemysl/Lublin/Gdynia could be considered) but will provide support and/or technical guidance to country operations. The role will require regular travel to other parts of Poland (primarily Wroclaw, Rzeszow, Przemysl, but also Warsaw, Gdynia and Lublin).

Overall Purpose of the Role:

• Ensure the quality of the planning, implementation and follow up of technical aspects of the child protection activities being implemented by DRC
• Develop and maintain good relations with the persons of concern, relevant stakeholders and other humanitarian actors, to support adequate implementation and coordination of DRC’s child protection activities

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Ensure efficient and effective program implementation while following the budget and work plan;
• Assist in the design of recreational activities for children and youth and child and youth-friendly engagement and outreach activities;
• Support the regular assessment of child protection risks and strategies;
• Develop child-friendly messaging;
• Regular mapping of child protection systems and services at the area level;
• Support the implementation of child protection-sensitive protection monitoring;
• Regular field visits to monitor the implementation of programs and to provide technical guidance;
• Support CP Specialist in capacity building and training for Child Protection staff;
• Assist in the implementation of the Child Safeguarding Policy and procedures;
• Support area teams (particularly in Krakow, Wroclaw, Rzeszow and Przemysl) in utilising child protection referral pathways and keeping them up to date;
• Represent DRC at meetings, collaborate with relevant internal and external technical experts on child protection relevant issues as requested by CP Specialist;
• Participate in preparing monthly/quarterly/annual highlights/reports and proposals and budgets for donors.
• Support the CP Specialist in other relevant tasks upon request.

About You: 

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of 2 years of proven experience working with vulnerable children and child protection programs. Moreover, we also expect the following:

• Master's degree in social sciences, psychology, international development, pedagogy, economics or other relevant field
• Knowledge of Polish formal child protection mechanisms;
• Understanding of the psychosocial support needs of refugee and refugee children;
• Understanding of international standards related to child protection in emergencies/humanitarian action would be an asset;
• Excellent communication, presentation, teamwork, and cooperation skills; ability to listen and express opinions sensitively; high work ethic;
• Ability to work in a multicultural context as a flexible and respectful team player;
• Problem-solving, analytical, and writing skills, with the ability to produce reports for internal and external use;
• Experience of working in refugee/displacement programs will be an advantage;
• Excellent skill in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint;
• Advanced English proficiency;
• Fluency in Polish, Ukrainian and/or Russian is an advantage.

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: until December 31st, 2023
• Band: H
• Base salary range: from 11,995 to 13,225 PLN gross per month, based on experience
• Duty station: Kraków
• Start date: Asap
• We offer competitive salary and benefits in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national staff.

How to Apply: 

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

All applicants must already have the legal right to live and work in Poland without visa sponsorship or be EU/EFTA/Ukrainian citizens.

Please apply via: job.drc.ngo/jobs/job?id=167703

Closing date for applications**: September 8th.**

Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted 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.

DRC as an Employer: 

By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of around 8000 employees in 40 countries. We pride ourselves on our:

• Professionalism, impact & expertise
• Humanitarian approach & the work we do
• Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
• Culture, values & strong leadership
• Fair compensation & continuous development

DRC’s capacity to ensure the protection of and assistance to refugees, IDP’s and other persons of concern depends on the ability of our staff to uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. DRC conducts thorough and comprehensive background checks as part of the recruitment process.

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please visit drc.ngo/about-us/job-and-career/support-for-job-seekers.

Danish Refugee Council is an equal opportunity employer and we consider all applicants regardless of race, age, ability, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or marital status. We have a strong ambition to further enhance the diversity of our workforce and our goal is to achieve 50% gender balance and at least 50% representation of national staff in management roles. We acknowledge the importance of fostering a diverse and inclusive team to successfully achieve our organizational goals and positively impact the communities we serve.