Regional Protection Coordinator for Latin America and North Africa (maternity cover)

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

1. Background

DRC has been operating in West Africa since 1998 and in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2011. The DRC West-North Africa & Latin America (WANALA) Regional Office is based in Dakar, Senegal, and covers several countries. Led by the Regional Executive Director, the DRC WANALA oversees, supports, and provides strategic directions for DRC’s Country Offices within the abovementioned regions. The region covers legal entities in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Libya, Mali, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Venezuela. The Regional Program Team has a range of technical capacities.

2. Purpose

This position is for a 4-month Maternity Cover (from mid-January to mid-May 2024) for the Regional Protection Coordinator (RPC) for Latin America and North Africa. Under the direct supervision of the WANALA Regional head of programmes, the Regional Protection Coordinator (RPC) for Latin America and North Africa is responsible for supporting DRC’s Country Offices in quality protection programming at country level and at regional level (Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Multi Country operations in Latin America and North Africa - ALT). This includes providing support, advice, and quality checks on protection aspects of country and regional strategies as well as on programming initiatives and concrete projects, and to support DRC’s Protection Cluster Co-leads (Venezuela, Colombia) in the coordination and quality of the Protection analysis and response.  The LANA RPC will also contribute to raising DRC’s profile and involvement when it comes to relevant policy and advocacy initiatives.

3. Duties and Responsibilities

Main responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance and support to country programmes to ensure the highest level of quality in protection analyses, strategies and responses, in adherence with global standards and principles, and ensuring the harmonization of protection approaches across the different countries in the region;
• Lead the development of the LA Regional Protection strategy and support country offices/ Legal entities to elaborate quality strategic protectiondocuments , guidelines, advocacy papers, SOPs, capacity-building tools;
• Provide inputs and guidance for integrating programs, in particular in coordination with the other regional technical leads, and for mainstreaming protection in proposals and interventions and provide technical expertise and support on protection proposals;
• Formalize and develop programme related operational tools (SOP) and training modules.
• Lead the development and deployment of the LA Protection Strategy and other key documents for the sector

Programme Management

• Ensure that Protection programmes in CO respect the sector’s standard objectives and indicators
• Conduct regular field visits to identify and address programme quality concerns and gain a solid first-hand understanding of protection risks and trends at the level of the different countries.
• Follow up on relevance, outcomes and impact of DRC protection related activities to provide lessons learnt and to identify best practices.
• Support the regional protection monitoring project (PROLAC) through technical support and representation.

Program development and strategy

• Reinforce viable and relevant Protection Information Management system(s) for gathering, processing, analyzing and sharing protection-relevant data, if necessary also involving research-related components;
• Oversee knowledge sharing across teams and ensure that monitoring and evaluation results are understood and used to improve programs.
• Support protection analysis at the regional and country level
• Contribute to the elaboration of regional strategic documents, and revise the CO strategies and protection strategies

Accountability and reporting

• Ensure quality and compliance for projects, proposals and reports.
• Ensure that quality assurance systems are applied in NALA region, with particular reference to upholding Core Humanitarian Standards and Age Gender and diversity throughout the protection programme   

Coordination:

• Ensure the coordination with relevant protection actors in LA in the areas of intervention.
• Representation of DRC and active participation in protection sectors/working groups in LA.
• Contribute to DRC advocacy and policy influencing in the region, externally as well as internally, and representing the organization in relevant fora;

4. Required Qualifications

Required experience and competencies

• Minimum 5 years of practical experience in at least three of the components of DRC’s protection sector;
• Experience working in a regional or global office;
• Strong understanding of protection principles and likely protection concerns for the context as well as conflict sensitivity;
• Technical skills in protection monitoring and analysis
• Fluency in English and Spanish;
• Experience with capacity building of CSO, and in the facilitation of training events and workshops; experience working with national partners, local/government authorities, and INGO;
• Experience in community-based protection activities and protection analysis;
• Documented skills in project planning and design, drafting, calculation and technical writing;
• Excellent skill in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint;
• Experience in Project Cycle Management.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in a conflict or forced displacement context.

5. Required Skills & Qualities

• Core Competencies of DRC:
  • Striving for excellence
  • Collaboration
  • Taking the lead
  • Communication
  • Demonstrating Integrity
• Ability to work in a multinational and multicultural environment
• Proactivity, with a sound commitment to teamwork and with a spirit of genuine collaboration
• Excellent communication skills, as well as patience and politeness, are required
• Multi-tasking and Organizational skills are necessary
• Adaptable and Flexible
• Proven analytical and critical thinking skills
• Exemplary sense of ethics in the workplace
• Team-oriented & good sense of humor

6. General Regulations

• The employee shall follow DRC instructions on safety, confidentiality and ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework
• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC or the implementation of any project during the DRC contract period
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request

7. Application Process

All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) on DRC website. Both must be in English.

DRC provides equal opportunity in employment and prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

DRC encourages all applicants to apply and does not practice any discrimination in any recruitment process.

However, all applicants shall take into consideration that DRC cannot offer an international work contract to a citizen of the country of assignment (in this specific case, Nigeria)

Applications close on the 22nd of  November 2024 at 11:59pm  (GMT-time). Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

Due to the urgency of the position, DRC has the right to recruit a candidate who matches the required profile before the above deadline.