Protection Manager – Tibú (Norte de Santander) At Danish Refugee Council

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, working in more than 40 countries to provide adequate assistance with a rights-based approach to refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees, and migrants.

DRC established operational presence in Colombia in 2011 with focus on Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and providing support to conflict-affected population in the south of the country. With the onset of the large mixed migration flows into Colombia due to the Venezuelan crisis, DRC started up an integrated humanitarian response in 2018 to meet the urgent needs of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, Colombian returnees, and host communities in some of Colombia’s most vulnerable areas such as the Caribbean coastal areas (Riohacha and Barranquilla), urban centres (Bogota, Cundinamarca, and Medellin), and Caquetá. In 2021 DRC opened a new field office in the south-pacific coast in the department of Nariño.

Context
Despite a peace process signed in 2016, armed groups and criminal gangs continue to be present and active in the country and internal displacement has increased in recent years. Colombia continues to be one the countries with the highest number of internally displaced people in the world and the most affected areas is the department of Norte de Santander. In 2021, DRC will open a new field office in The Catatumbo Region in Norte de Santander to respond to the protection needs of the internally displaced population and persons affected by the armed conflict. DRC will implement an ECHO-funded integrated humanitarian response in the area with a strong protection component.

About the job: The Protection Manager will be based in Tibú supporting DRC´s emergency response in Catatumbo Region in Norte de Santander. The Protection Manager will work directly with the Area Manager and the country Protection Coordinator to develop DRC´s protection strategy in the area of intervention. This will include hiring and training of staff, developing related SOPs and ensuring that persons most in need are assisted and protected.

The Protection Manager will also be responsible for the overall management and supervision of DRC´s protection activities including direct supervision of 2 protection staff and 1 legal officer and provide technical support and coordinate directly with the Emergency Team Leaders and ensure protection mainstreaming in all activities. The Protection Manager will be directly supervised by the Area Manager based in Tibú and technically by the country Protection Coordinator based in Bogotá.

Main responsibilities

• In close collaboration with the Protection Coordinator, develop the protection strategy and ensure protection mainstreaming of all humanitarian assistance activities in the area of intervention.
• Hire Protection Focal Points and provide continuous capacity building and on the job training for protection staff.
• Supervise the implementation of the protection activities in the area of intervention.
• Ensure effective implementation of DRC protection monitoring, including drafting of bi-monthly analytical reports and dissemination of key findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Support field activities to deliver humanitarian assistance.
• Coordinate closely with other humanitarian actors and participate in the local humanitarian coordination team (ELC).
• Establish working relationships and liaise and advocate with key humanitarian actors and local national State institutions and authorities such as the Gobernación, Defensoría del Pueblo, UARIV, Registraduría, Migración Colombia and community organisations in the area of responsibility.
• Ensure compliance with monitoring and evaluation (MEAL) and donor reporting activities for all protection activities and ensure progress towards project objectives and indicators.
• Provide project support and inputs to donor reports.
• Supervise the overall protection budget, including financial management and expenses control for the project activities.
• Stay abreast of humanitarian developments and displacements in the area of intervention.
• Ensure compliance with minimum DRC and donor requirements for finance, HR and supply chain.
• Ensure effective coordination with support staff at the field office and DRC´s national office.
• Work closely with the Area Manager and Security Coordinator to gather security-related information to ensure the safety of DRC staff.

Program development and strategy

• Oversee knowledge sharing across teams and ensure that monitoring and evaluation results are understood and used to improve programs.
• Contribute to national and local level protection strategies.

Accountability and reporting

• Guided by the DRC Programme Handbook, continuously monitor and develop relevant accountability initiatives within relevant project program as well as strengthening the effort to document the impact of activities.
• Ensure compliance with internal and external reporting requirements including procurement and financial reporting.

People Management.

• Supervise and Manage protection staff including coaching, ensuring coordination, recruitment, and capacity development, in line with DRC HR policy and guidelines.
• Provide on the job training as required and adapt trainings/coaching to specific staff needs.

As a manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility.
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions, and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources.

Roles reporting to this position: Protection Project Staff.

Reports to: Area Manager, Tibu. Technical line: Country Protection Coordinator.

Required experience and competencies
(Candidates who do not meet these requirements will not be considered for the position)

• A minimum 5-6 years of experience in implementing protection activities in humanitarian contexts, with at least 2 years in complex IDP emergencies.
• Experience of working on legal issues related to internal displacement.
• Experience in protection information management, in particular protection monitoring; Excellent reporting and protection analysis skills.
• At least 3 years’ experience of people management in the humanitarian sector, preferably in complex humanitarian emergencies with difficult security conditions.
• Experience in capacity building of protection staff.
• Excellent people and diplomatic skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and to meet deadlines.
• Effective team-player and problem solver.
• Fluent oral Spanish and advanced English skills.
• Excellent writing and editing skills in both Spanish and English.

Desired:

• A good understanding of the legal framework and protection issues related to internal displacement in Colombia.
• Experience in in implementing protection activities related to IDPs in Colombia and/or Latin America context.
• Experience and knowledge of the protection cluster coordination system.
• Experience of ensuring protection and AGD mainstreaming for humanitarian projects.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes;
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback;
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation;
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly;
• Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC’s vision and values.

Required education

• Master’s degree in Human Rights, Political Science, Forced Migration, Refugee Law, or any other relevant field. A relevant combination of academic qualifications and extensive experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

We offer

Contract length: Expat contract for 5 months with possible for extension pending funding.

Staff salary level: F2.

Estimated Start date: 1/11/2021

R&R: Every 8 weeks