Protection Coordinator

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 8,000 employees and also 8,000 volunteers, while managing a turnover of over 400 million Euro. 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. The Danish Refugee Council is Denmark’s largest humanitarian NGO and has been ranked the 3rd best NGO in the world in 2018 (for six consecutive years, the organization is among the top five of the NGO Advisor Annual List).

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.

Background

The Danish Refugee Council initiated its activities in the island of Lesvos in November 2015 due to the unprecedented influx of asylum seekers. Following new political developments and displacement dynamics in early 2016, DRC expanded its activities to the mainland to support the people living in several sites across the country. With offices in Athens, Larissa and Thessaloniki, it currently implements a wide range of activities, including Site Management Support, legal assistance, identification of individual needs and protection of highly vulnerable persons, access to services within and outside the hosting sites through cultural mediation, and non-formal education. DRC works closely with the refugee communities, the Greek authorities and other humanitarian actors to ensure a protective environment for refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.

Purpose

DRC Greece is looking to recruit a qualified, flexible and enthusiastic professional to work for its Country Office in Athens, Greece as a Protection Coordinator. The Protection Coordinator reports to the Head of Programme and works in close collaboration and coordination with the respective Protection Managers and Area Managers of each sub-office (Attica, North and Central Greece), the Programme Technical Unit and with relevant Global Specialist Leads in DRC HQ. S/he provides technical support to the protection teams of DRC Greece and oversees coordination of protection activities, with regular travel among the three DRC sub-office operations.

Duties & Responsibilities

Programme Development and Quality

• Lead and ensure effective implementation of DRC Greece’s protection programme strategy;
• Harmonize DRC Greece protection programme’s tools, methods, and approaches with DRC’s international strategy, develop and/or adapt protection tools for interventions specific to the DRC Greece protection programme;
• Participate in the development and implementation of induction training for protection staff with a special focus on humanitarian principles, code of conduct and safeguarding;
• Ensure the mainstreaming of protection and child protection components in the DRC portfolio and ensure that DRC’s protection interventions adhere to international standards for protection work and in accordance with DRC standard regulations and operational procedures (e.g. Code of Conduct, CHS principles, DRC Assistance Framework, and DRC Programme Handbook);
• Support site/programmatic/sectoral management in ensuring a high-quality protection programming and protection mainstreaming through the provision of technical support in legal assistance, child protection, GBV support, community services and other support to Persons of Concern (PoC);
• Support DRC Greece to uphold safeguarding and PSEA standards and obligations, through training, mentoring, as well as offering oversight to embed safeguarding into DRC Greece policy, procedures and practice;
• Assist in developing new programme initiatives and fundraising related to protection and emergency response through development of concept papers, implementation of needs assessments and preparation of creative, realistic, cost effective and relevant project proposals;
• Closely co-ordinate project implementation with partners (UN agencies and national/international NGOs), including referrals, protection gap analysis and advocacy;
• Support with the development of advocacy initiatives based on sound protection evidence.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Ensure that activities/projects are implemented in accordance with agreed strategies, objectives, principles, implementation plans, indicators and donor requirements;
• Contribute to the ongoing development of MEAL plans and tools for protection, and ensure the use of appropriate qualitative and quantitative protection indicators
• Foster and participate in impact evaluation exercises as needed;
• Contribute to the submission of high-quality project narrative reports to donors and other key stakeholders on time and in line with the donors’ specifications;
• Oversee regular field monitoring and consolidate protection reports received from the sub-offices to contribute to the development of relevant national-level protection analysis;
• Provide technical oversight of protection-focused implementing partners’ activities, to ensure they are implemented in accordance with agreed strategies, objectives, principles, implementation plans, and donor requirements

Representation and Partnerships

• Maintain strong relations with the relevant stakeholders, including government counterparts, donors, IOM, UNHCR and other relevant UN agencies, regional partners, implementing partners, international and national NGOs;
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships, supporting compliance and visibility in line with agreed partnership arrangements;
• Cultivate robust relations with key local and international humanitarian actors – including government authorities and non-state actors, INGOs and NGOs engaged in protection programming and donors, through regular attendance at technical and coordination meetings;
• Represent DRC in the national protection sector and relevant sub-sectors/working groups as well as to donors, UN agencies and visitors at the national level

Operational Support

• Support the hiring, appraisal and development of DRC protection staff by identifying clear technical deliverables and providing training as needed;
• Offer technical guidance and mentoring to protection field staff and management;
• Monitor protection project expenditures and support sub-office level implementation in line with protection objectives/targets, and in compliance with DRC and donor requirements related to administration, finance and procurement

In addition to the above, the Protection Coordinator may be asked to carry out other duties requested by the Head of Programme.

Required Qualifications

• At least 5 years’ prior experience in protection management, coordination or advisory roles.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English.
• Working knowledge of Greek is an added advantage
• University degree in development and humanitarian studies, international relations, management, social science or related field

Required Skills & Qualities

• Core Competencies of DRC:

• Striving for excellence

• Collaboration

• Taking the lead

• Communication

• Demonstrating Integrity
• Extensive knowledge of protection approaches, systems, standards and technical frameworks, including for key sub-sectors of protection, including child protection, GBV and legal aid.
• Experienced trainer and mentor in protection and protection mainstreaming theory and practice.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation approaches and ability to produce timely project proposals and high-quality reports.
• Experience in representation and networking.
• Excellent analytical, strategic and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations with colleagues and other stakeholders.
• Excellent negotiation, advocacy and communication skills.
• Knowledge of displacement issues and local context in Greece is a clear asset.

Terms & Conditions

• The contract will be under the Greek Labor Law (this is a national position); national terms and conditions apply.
• All allowances will be provided to the employees (Christmas, Easter, Vacation bonus)
• DRC provides training opportunities to develop and strengthen the quality of its services as well as its staff members’ professional and personal development.
• The position will be based in Athens (Greece), with travel to DRC Greece project locations in Greece.