Protection Officer 232 views1 applications

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is a dynamic, international non-governmental organization. We work to reduce violence and protect civilians in countries affected by violent conflict and its aftermath. NP implements programming through the deployment of civilian protection teams to the field.

South Sudan’s civil war is nearing its second anniversary. The war has forced 2.27 million people to flee their homes and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. The people of South Sudan are facing a humanitarian emergency and are in the midst of a conflict that is often described first and foremost as a protection crisis – hundreds of thousands of people have been separated from their families and lost their homes, livelihoods and access to basic services like food, medical care and education.

NP is continuing to scale up to meet the growing needs. In South Sudan, NP has a mobile protection response team and 10 field teams providing emergency protection programme for communities affected by violent conflict. Programming is founded on unarmed civilian protection and is thematically focused on protection in displacement, child protection, gender based violence protection and inter-communal violence reduction.

We are looking for experienced protection officers to implement community-based violence reduction and prevention programming in various locations in South Sudan, in the context of an on-going civil conflict and extremely high levels of displacement. You will be a person with a genuine commitment to working at the community level, someone who is skilled at building trusting relationships in an extremely polarized political climate. You are someone who is not deterred by the complexity of conflict; you are able to analyze conflict dynamics; you are motivated and unendingly persistent in finding and implementing protection and prevention strategies. You will be responsible for working together with other international and national colleagues to directly implement the project and to participate in reporting and documentation. You are comfortable living and working in a remote, physically demanding environment, living full-time in a shared compound environment while enjoying a simple diet.

The successful candidate combines creativity, innovation and demonstrated knowledge of protection, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. S/he is experienced and skilled at converting protection, violence reduction and conflict analysis theory into practical, locally appropriate solutions that effectively increases safety and security of civilians affected by violent conflict. S/he has excellent interpersonal skills and flair for connecting and building trust with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. S/he is solutions focused, strategic and is driven by a keen interest and personal commitment to civilian protection.

KEY OBJECTIVES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Provide protective presence and accompaniment to vulnerable groups and persons with specific needs, with particular focus on improving child protection and combating gender-based violence.

* Assess security risks and implement mitigation strategies for both host and IDP communities.

* Continuously monitor conflict situation in order to track conflict trends and identify protection needs.

* Work and live within conflict affected communities to build trust, to establish deep contextual understanding and to effect nonpartisan position

* Design and implement protection interventions appropriate to context and need within parameters of mandate and projects

* Identify and flag communities or individuals in need of specialised support services, maintain updated referral pathway, ensure effective dissemination of information

* Establish and support community protection mechanisms, provide technical skills training in conflict analysis, nonviolent conflict resolution and community based protection strategies

* Facilitate active participation and leadership of women in community peace and security strategies

* Monitor all protection issues and coordinate with concerned local authorities and NGOs to ensure that relevant protection partners are fully informed on the situation in the region;

* Facilitate communications and relationships between communities in conflict, providing proactive engagement to mitigate potential conflict including facilitated dialogue, shuttle diplomacy and the development of specific implementable agreements

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:

A. Education, Knowledge and Experience

* 3 -5 years’ work experience in human security, child or civilian protection.

* Demonstrated successful experience in working in complex security environments

* Demonstrated experience working with state authorities, negotiation and mediation

* Demonstrated ability to live, work and solve problems independently and effectively in remote, highly challenging locations

* Demonstrated ability to analyse conflict, security and political contexts

* Post secondary education in law, human rights, international human rights law, international humanitarian law, negotiation, mediation, human security or related, or equivalent experience

B. Skills

Independent Judgment/Analytical: Ability to set priorities, solve problems and analyse data Ability to manage information with discretion * Demonstrable conflict analysis skills, identify entry points and design prevention and protection strategies

Interpersonal: Ability to communicate effectively with individuals and motivate and provide leadership to team and to work and live in a multi-cultural environment Solutions focused, creative problem solver Proven ability to build relationships with the full range of actors including government, chiefs, military, police and non state actors Genuine commitment and interest in living and working at the community level * Flexibility and adaptability

English Language: * Ability to interact confidently in English with colleagues and external contacts, to write documents and reports, and to present effectively relevant information

Information Technology: * Good skills in Microsoft Office applications.

C. Other Specialized Requirements

* This posting can be physically demanding. Some teams work in remote areas, live in tents, and during field visits there is limited access to electricity or running water. Many of the field visits will require driving through rough terrain or walking long distances.

* This field site is a complex security environment where conditions change rapidly – experience in insecure environments is essential to success in this position.