The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking a Protection Officer to join our team. In this role, you will provide direct support for implementing protection monitoring, case management, and information services across several refugee settlements. You will be responsible for supervising the activities of Protection Assistants in the field to ensure timely and successful program implementation.
What You'll Do
- Lead protection program activities and provide technical support and guidance to the protection team.
- Ensure the quality of the planning, implementation, and follow-up of all technical aspects of protection program activities.
- Develop and maintain good relations with forcibly displaced and stateless persons, relevant stakeholders, and other humanitarian actors.
- Conduct protection monitoring, identify protection concerns, and facilitate access to services through the referral system.
- Contribute to project planning and implementation on the field level, monitoring activities to ensure alignment with plans and quality standards.
- Document case studies, best practices, and lessons learned from cases handled by protection staff.
- Ensure protection case management is done according to established standards while respecting confidentiality, and manage referrals.
- Carry out protection monitoring, data collection, and document the needs of forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
- Develop mitigation strategies for potential challenges affecting project operations.
- Contribute to proposal development to ensure project continuity and innovation.
- Plan and participate in awareness-raising sessions and information campaigns.
- Participate in joint assessments, identifying protection concerns and reporting.
- Support mapping of services and development of effective referral pathways.
- Draft protection monitoring reports and provide input in designing protection monitoring tools and formats.
- Plan and conduct interviews with beneficiaries, focus group discussions, and key‐informant interviews.
- Provide regular reporting of activities implemented and planned.
- Oversee Persons of Specific Needs (PSN) assessments and provide appropriate responses, including targeted assistance.
- Ensure the protection team manages information according to established procedures and respects confidentiality principles.
- Ensure good coordination with refugee leadership structures.
- Provide technical and programmatic leadership for IRC’s staff under supervision.
- Supervise and provide feedback to the protection team, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
- Proactively contribute to quality and timely drafting of weekly and monthly reports.
- Contribute to the daily quality implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects and interventions.
- Identify, document, and disseminate relevant project success and challenges.
- Assist in participatory needs/vulnerability and capacity assessments of affected communities.
- Ensure timely completion of the protection working group’s 4W matrix.
- Collaborate with relevant internal and external technical experts on sector-relevant issues.
- Represent IRC in protection meetings as required and draft relevant minutes.
- Ensure integration with other IRC sectors.
- Maintain strong relationships with local partners, government authorities, and humanitarian actors.
What We're Looking For
- University degree, preferably in Social Work, Sociology, Law, Human Rights, or a related field.
- 3-5 years of experience in protection programming, including GBV, Child Protection, or Protection Monitoring.
- Experience working with vulnerable populations, such as refugees, IDPs, returnees, and migrants, in displacement settings.
- Proven ability to manage teams, budgets, and multi-stakeholder coordination.
- Demonstrated experience in Program Cycle Management (PCM) and understanding of monitoring, evaluation, and accountability practices.
- Strong knowledge of protection principles, safeguarding practices, and durable solutions.
- Proficiency in designing and delivering training programs for staff and stakeholders.
- Excellent report and proposal writing, organizational, and leadership skills.
- Financial acumen, including budget development and expenditure monitoring.
- Ability to represent the organization effectively in meetings with local authorities and stakeholders.
- Strong communication, representation, and people-centered management skills.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and make sound decisions.
Nice to Have
- Post-graduate qualifications in Social Work, Sociology, Law, Human Rights, or a related field.
Team & Environment
You will supervise Protection Assistants in the field and work in close cooperation with the Protection Senior Officer.
Work Mode
This is a local-country position located in the Kiryandongo, Palorinya, Palabek, and Adjumani refugee settlements.
IRC is committed to taking all necessary preventive measures to create an environment where people feel safe and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs.
