ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Technical Oversight

• Lead strategy development and vision for protection within the North Syria program.
• Provide technical inputs and oversight to the design of protection interventions.
• Take ownership of integration and mainstreaming of protection, with an emphasis on enhancing program quality.
• Conduct workshops and trainings for Mercy Corps staff to promote and institutionalize protection principles.
• Participate in cross-departmental collaboration and coordination in order to ensure that protection is mainstreamed into all program activities.
• Support the roll out of protection best practices based on the operational context of North Syria.
• Contribute to the development of assessments, monitoring and analyses that better understand and analyze protection risks.
• Ensure the effective design and integration of gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation systems and protection monitoring methodologies into all stages of the project; that output and impact data are captured, and data is used to optimize program quality.

Capacity Development:

• Identify gaps in current protection capacity within the Mercy Corps team.
• Lead the development of protection capacity within the Mercy Corps team in Turkey and North Syria, particularly focusing on Do No Harm principles and other relevant industry standards.
• Work with Partnership Manager to identify suitable methods for supporting protection capacity building among partners working in North Syria.
• Recommend and implement a capacity building/development plan for staff; provide continuous support to ensure the targeted capacity building of staff.
• In collaboration with the Regional Protection Advisor, support capacity building initiatives across the region for Mercy Corps staff.

Program Development and Quality:

• Collaborate with the Director of Programs, Grants Manager, Sector Managers and to provide protection input on proposals for other sectors to ensure protection is mainstreamed across Mercy Corps programming.
• Work with North Syria Programs team and Monitoring & Evaluation Manager to support proper beneficiary needs identification through improved vulnerability assessments and targeting.
• Lead discussions on vulnerability assessments and targeting to ensure inclusiveness of basic protection standards.
• Develop Protection SOPs; ensure staff follow and understand procedures and policies.
• Stay abreast of and analyze protection trends and develop/adjust program strategies to meet needs.
• Identify opportunities for the design and development concept notes and proposals for further protection programming.
• In collaboration with the Programs Team, Security and Access Team, and the Information and Analysis Unit, design and conduct protection needs assessments.

Program Management:

• Oversee the design, planning and implementation of protection activities to ensure that protection activity objectives are met.
• Supervise protection staff directly, providing ongoing leadership to the project team and overseeing the implementation and coordination of activity plans to ensure targets are met.
• Prepare internal and external reports on protection activities within agreed deadlines as required.
• Assure appropriate and timely spending of allocated funds for protection activities to achieve program goals, grant reporting contributions, use and distribution of supplies and resources.

Representation:

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders - including NGOs, clusters, UN agencies, community based organizations, the Mercy Corps Regional Protection Advisor and other Mercy Corps sectors to enhance cooperation and coordination.
• Attend protection coordination meetings and/or represent Mercy Corps in other relevant forums.
• Ensure that information from coordination meetings is shared internally and with other sectors, as appropriate.
• Serve as the focal point for regional and agency wide protection and gender policies.

Team Management

• Act as the focal point for female field staff to relay protection concerns
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor degree or equivalent in relevant field is required. Master’s degree is a plus
• 3-5 years of professional experience in protection programming, mainstreaming or equivalent combination of education and experiences
• Strong understanding of protection principles and likely protection concerns arising in the Syria context as well as conflict sensitivity; commitment to renewing and maintaining currency with best practices
• Experience in staff management in a cross-cultural environment and budget management
• Demonstrated training and facilitation experience
• Ability to work under pressure
• Demonstrated strengths in analytical skills, monitoring and evaluation, and report writing required
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills
• Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills.
• Fluency in English required; fluency in Arabic is highly desired