Protection Officer at Finpact Development Foundation (FINDEF)

Finpact Development Foundation (FINDEF) is an indigenous non-governmental organization. Our focus is on delivering lasting value through the work we do, making us trusted advisors to all our partners. We are actively involved in the food security, livelihood and education projects, as well as government-led NGO coordination committee platform. Our local presence, capacity, experience, relationships, understanding of local culture and context are all major factors that enable us deliver humanitarian response. We are guided by humanitarian principles and our working philosophy with partners includes commitment to transparency, accountability, shared goals, honesty and trust. We keep a fast paced environment where self-motivated and independent Individuals who are looking to constantly develop themselves thrive well. We pride ourselves in working at hard to reach communities while maintaining keen focus on culture and management structures that support excellent interaction with partners and stakeholders.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Protection Officer

Location: Katsina
Reports to: Program Manager

Job Summary

• The Protection Officer will be responsible for supporting and implementing the minimum measures for mainstreaming protection as outlined by the Humanitarian Principles, the SPHERE Standards and other relevant protection policies and guidelines.
• S/he will also support the establishment and management of complaints and feedback mechanisms.
• The Officer must demonstrate strong communication skills, the ability to multitask under tight deadlines, be a team player, and act as a problem-solver.

 Key Responsibilities

• Conducting joint protection risk and gender analysis with partners and donors.
• Conduct safety audits of the site of operation and final distribution points.
• Monitoring and communicating changes in the protection environment.
• Document barriers faced by certain groups in accessing safe and meaningful assistance (child headed households, people with disabilities, separated and unaccompanied minors, women headed households) and provide appropriate adjustments to ensure inclusion of most vulnerable and at-risk categories.
• Mapping and communicating protection (including gender-based violence and child protection) referral pathways and on-site help and feedback desk.
• Ensure safe and confidential referrals of protection cases for the provision of food assistance.
• Translate protection mainstreaming into concrete, practical actions (awareness-raising, training and on the job mentoring) of food security colleagues.
• Lead the delivery of the protection and gender components of the social behavioural change communication.
• Conduct training and/or awareness raising for food security teams on mainstreaming protection and integrating gender.
• Support to implement good practice in data protection and privacy.
• Support awareness-raising of the food security team and the affected population on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of approaches related to information provision, community consultation, feedback and complaints mechanisms.
• Establish and consult Project Management Committees.
• Prevent incidents of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment through ensuring appropriate safety nets.
• Strengthen mechanisms to receive and refer all SEA incidents through appropriate channels for immediate action.
• Facilitate accountability and investigations in a prompt, safe, and survivor-centered way.
• Engagement with and support of local community population - Ensuring that in the system-wide PSEA policies, practices, and processes the affected communities.
• Ensure communities receiving assistance are treated appropriately as rights-holders and provide regular updates on PSEA key issues.
• Establish and enforce a whistle-blower mechanism – to empower, encourage and protect staff who report cases of sexual exploitation and abuse
• Inform staff members and beneficiaries on a regular basis on how to file a complaint/ report and the procedures for handling protection issues.
• Disseminate no excuse cards/messaging on PSEA, rights of beneficiaries and avenues for reporting at various community entry and intervention activities and platforms.
• Conduct mapping and assessment of existing Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms (CFMs) to ensure they are SEA friendly.
• Provide mentorship and capacity building for staff.

 Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in relevant field with at least 3 years’ technical experience on emergency programming in Northeast/Northwest Nigeria.
• Practical experience managing staff and programs in insecure locations.
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills.
• Excellent analytical and data management skills, strong coordination and organizational skills.
• Fluency in English, Kanuri, and Hausa
• Additional qualities: ability to multi-task, ability to handle pressure well, ability to improvise, flexibility, adaptability to transition.

 Disclaimer:

• This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, efforts, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
• Our organization procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We are an equal opportunity employer.
• We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities.

Application Closing Date
16th September, 2024.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a Cover Letter detailing their relevant experience and qualifications to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.

Note

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and only qualified candidates will be contacted. FINDEF is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disabilities. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• FINDEF does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. FINDEF's recruitment process is transparent, and merit based. Lobbying of any form is not allowed and can lead to disqualification.
• FINDEF has zero tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of beneficiaries. Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is everyone’s responsibility, and all staff are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct, that enshrines principles of PSEA, at all times (both during work hours and outside work hours).
• Familiarization with, and adherence to FINDEF’s Code of Conduct is an essential requirement for all staff, in addition to related mandatory training.
• Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.