Protection Team Leader (General Protection)

DRC has been responding to various humanitarian crises in Lebanon since 2004, working with Palestinian, Iraqi and Syrian refugees. DRC received registration from the Ministry of Interior in 2011, and since then has focused primarily on responding to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon and the resulting impact on Lebanese host community. DRC Lebanon’s focus is to ensure that we are able to respond to critical emerging humanitarian needs whilst improve the living conditions of displacement-affected populations and contribute to the achievement of durable solutions.   With an annual portfolio of $12million, and with approximately 200+ staff,  DRC is focusing its response in protection and economic recovery (Ec-Rec) sector in Bekka, North Lebanon and Beirut. DRC is also contributing to the evidence base and coordination structures in country through our Evidence Generation and referral information management (RIMs) teams.

About the job

The Protection Team Leader (General Protection) has the overall responsibility for managing, supervising and coordinating DRC Protection activities in North Lebanon. The Protection Team Leader (TL) will be responsible for the day-to-day staff management and the management of the protection programming while ensuring quality implementation and donor compliance.

Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

Programming and Operations:

• In collaboration with the Area Protection Manager, provide technical support, supervision and guidance to protection teams;
• In collaboration with the Protection Specialist, supervise PwSN caseworkers and support them through the provision of technical guidance and age/gender appropriate and specialized support to Persons with Specific Needs (PwSN) in need of case management and psychosocial support activities;
• Hold inter-agency case management meetings for high-risk cases when needed;
• Conduct monthly review of open cases using supervision tools and develop systems for regular supervision of case management;
• Hold weekly supervision meetings with case workers and provide constructive feedback and develop plans to improve capacity gaps.
• Conduct group case supervision meetings with case management team to review cases, brainstorm possible responses and options. 
• Provide regular and incremental trainings to build skills and knowledge on PwSN case management to DRC and partner staff; 
• Ensure that staff adhere to best-practices, professional standards and principles, and relevant SOPs and guidelines through capacity-building and on-the-job coaching;
• Develop comprehensive and tailored capacity building plans for protection based on respective needs and ensuring quality services;
• Hold monthly meetings with the protection teams and with protection officers individually to share updates, discuss challenges and successes. Provide constructive feedback and discuss opportunities for improvement;
• Monitor the efficient and accurate updating of all relevant protection data, including referral data. Regularly compile relevant program data and make note of trends observed;
• Develop and maintain effective working relationship with relevant stakeholders including partner agencies, implementing partners, community leaders and service providers;
• Contribute to the maintenance of an up-to-date service mapping of service providers operating in the area and ensure that protection staff are informed about the available services;
• Work closely with DRC local partners and provide the needed field level support, including capacity-building and trainings where needed;
• Oversee and plan the provision of Individual Protection Assistance and cash for protection, assessing protection objectives and follow-up on the impact and quality of assistance;
• Oversee and plan primary data collection and ensure adherence to relevant guidance on data collection methodologies and standards;
• Oversee the management of community focal points, including their selection process and capacity-building;
• Remain abreast of SOPs and best practices at the field, on the national and global level;
• Identify technical gaps in the program and identify/implement solutions to address these gaps;
• Support the monitoring of financial commitments and expenditures against budgets and provide timely feedback on budget follow-up;
• Coordinate proactively logistics and movements of staff from and to different operational areas and Initiate procurements and ensure their execution. 

Staff management

• Maintain updated job descriptions, conduct interviews, orient new staff to the DRC protection program;
• Day to day management and supervision of Protection staff, and ensuring that staff implement and respect best-practice and international standards in protection;
• Prepare and submit weekly and monthly work plans in a timely manner;
• Build the capacity of Protection Officers and Assistants to improve their range of capabilities related to the protection program;
• Maintain positive work relationship within the team, and promote team-building efforts;
• Monitor staff working hours, complete performance review with staff, and ensure respect of DRC Code of Conduct;
• Ensure with the Area Protection Manager, field managers and the Safety team that protection activities are organized in a way that guarantees safety of beneficiary families, partners and DRC staff involved (i.e. confidentiality);
• Provide recommendations to the protection sector and program design based on evolving needs and field experience.

Grant Implementation and Reporting

• Ensure the implementation of protection programming and protection-related grants, including appropriate and timely spending plans of grants to achieve program goals, grants reporting contributions, use and distribution of supplies and resources;
• Understand and follow up on activities and assess progress of implementation, provide solutions and report issues when needed;
• Produce monthly reports and support the Area Protection Manager in the submission of timely, accurate and well-written donor reports and other reporting requirements of protection programming (including Donor reports and Activity info);
• Support the implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools and report on problems in the implementation of the program;
• With the support of Area Protection Manager and Protection Manager at country level, contribute to and provide field-related inputs for protection proposals during the proposal development process;
• Remain abreast of ongoing trends in Lebanon and in the region as related to protection programming, and provide regular updates on these trends and how they affect programming.

Sector Coordination and representation

• Actively participate in relevant field-working groups, and participate in other coordination meetings as relevant;
• Represent DRC Protection sector before relevant donors at field level

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Support the Area Protection Manager in overseeing and ensuring achievements of targets according to DRC and donors’ requirements through overall management of the protection programming (through the use of indicators performance trackers and project MEL tools).
• Ensure implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools and report on problems in the implementation of the program;
• Oversee and ensure analysis of results and guide Protection staff to use these results to enhance program effectiveness and quality.

Accountability

• Ensure that the Protection program is compliant with DRC accountability principles and Core Humanitarian Standards.
• Ensure that Age, Gender and Diversity principles are mainstreamed into all activities and work closely with other DRC sectors (incl. Economic Recovery and MEAL) to ensure that Protection is adequately addressed and mainstreamed across sectors and humanitarian interventions;

Other

Any other duties as agreed with the Country and Area Protection Manager and the Area Manager.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a Master's university degree, preferably related to social work, law, psychology, and development

 Moreover, we also expect the following:

Essential qualifications:

• Thorough understanding of best practices and minimum standards in protection programming; with proven experience in protection case management and protection monitoring and analysis;
• Significant knowledge of International Human Rights and Refugee Law;
• Experience with data collection methodologies and protection information management;
• Proven experience in protection mainstreaming and inclusion, and experience with referral management;
• Experience in training facilitation and inputting to training contents.
• Ability to provide technical support and trainings to protection staff;
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, diplomacy skills, flexibility and pro-activeness
• Strong planning and time management skills
• Comfortable in a multicultural environment, flexible with working hours and able to handle pressure and high workload
• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with external parties.
• Above average computer literacy (incl. Excel)

Essential experience:

• Minimum 3 years of management experience at a mid to senior level, preferably with experience in the field of humanitarian response and refugee protection working for an international NGO, UN agency, relevant ministry, or local authority.
• Minimum 3 years of mid to senior practical experience in protection programming working for an INGO.
• Thorough understanding of best practices and strategies in protection programming (protection monitoring, general protection, community-based protection, Person with Specific needs)
• Proven management skills and competence in people management
• Strong program/technical and budget management skills
• Proven experience working in displacement and emergency settings

• Experience in organizing and facilitating capacity-building initiatives, including trainings for colleagues and partners

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: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

• Contract length: Until 30 April 2023
• Band/Level: G
• Duty Station: North of Lebanon
• Start date: January 2023

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact lbn-jobs@drc.ngo.

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: December 08, 2022

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.