Protection Officer

About Mercy Corps

The program

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004, working in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas in five regional states - Somali, Oromia, Afar, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples, Amhara - and the capital city of Addis Ababa. We engage in both development and humanitarian work, and seek to integrate approaches, programs, and geographies as much as possible.  Our partners include government, academic institutions, development and private sector actors, civil societies, and communities.

Position Title: Protection Officer

Duty Station: Negele Gumi Eldelo

Open Position:  1

General Position Summary

The Protection Officer is responsible for leading, coordinating, and implementing Wereda -based protection interventions, psychosocial support services and training activities. The Protection Officer will be responsible for coaching and technical supervision of Community volunteers and safe space facilitators in operation sites. The position holder works to strengthen the psychosocial protection of Internal Displaced Peoples (IDPs), IDP returnees and host communities in particular children (in family or unaccompanied), women, and other vulnerable groups, through the implementation of Gender-based violence (GBV), child protection (CP), and dissemination of Psychological First Aid (PFA) and other PSS protocols, under the technical supervision of Protection Advisor /Protection and GBV specialist /. The Protection Officer will also be responsible for all the PSS activities.

Key Areas of Accountability/Duties

• Oversee and coordinate field activities to ensure quality and timely delivery Lead, organize and supervise the protection activities, develop the detailed work plan, and implement the project activities as specified in the work plan.
• Provide continuous support on GBV and CP activities, including regular monitoring visits to all program sites.
• Monitor beneficiary data collection, compilation and periodic (monthly) reporting to Protection advisor/ Protection and GBV specialist.
• Familiarize him/herself with existing referral pathways or, where necessary, develop a system for referral of cases needing further support or other services.
• Assist Protection volunteers and safe space service providers in setting referral pathways.
• Assess the Protection (GBV and CP) needs of IDPs in the target location by identifying, documenting, and analyzing the needs of children, women and other vulnerable groups using specified checklists and tools.
• Organize basic Case management, GBV, child protection and psychosocial support skills training for government service providers and community volunteers.
• Develop and maintain positive relations with local implementing actors, local authorities and other local stakeholders through information sharing and coordination.
• Attending or lead regular Protection Cluster meetings, and other relevant meetings, workshops as required.
• Contribute to the organization of wereda level protection meetings as identified in the activity plan.
• Contribute to the development, testing and dissemination of IEC materials and intake forms related to child protection, gender, GBV, psychosocial support and services for effective protection of IDPs.
• Monitor and follow up timely and quality implementation of all activities.
• Prepare and submit regular reports to wereda Protection Cluster, Protection adviser and protection and GBV Specialist and other relevant bodies on regular basis as required.
• Develop detailed work plan and implement the project activities as specified in the work plan.
• Collect, verify, and analyze protection information to evaluate the effectiveness of the project activities and process of the services provisions.
• Design and implement responses for the social, psychological and Protection needs of IDPs, returnees and host communities.
• Assist and guide evidence-based action by relevant actors to ensure the full respect and protection of the rights of beneficiaries.
• With the support of protection adviser and Protection and GBV specialist, advocate and provide training on child protection, PSEA and GBV issues for Protection Government service providers.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

Team management

• Build effective relationships with component team implementing protection activities.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values always and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility

Accountability: EHF protection stands alone program

Reports Directly to: Protection Specialist

Knowledge and Experience

• BA degree in Psychology, Counseling, sociology, or social work, at least four years of experience in the same/similar role in international organization.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in protection sector that include Child Protection, PSS, GBV etc.
• Experience in working with women, children, People with Specific Needs.
• Expertise in Psychosocial support, child protection & GBV protection principles.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken (English, Amharic, and local
• language (Afaan Oromoo is mandatory)