Protection Officer - Community-Based Protection and PSS

About the role

This role leads community-based protection and group psychosocial support (PSS) activities in Ayod, strengthening community capacity to identify, analyse and address protection risks. It plans and delivers inclusive activities through the Protection Desk and mobile response, and provides technical guidance and coaching to General Protection Assistants under the supervision of the Protection Team Leader.

Key responsibilities

• Community-based protection: reactivating and supporting five existing Community-Based Protection Networks, training and mentoring members on protection principles, safeguarding, confidentiality and safe referral pathways, and ensuring confidential case management is handled only by trained, authorised staff.
• Support networks to identify and analyse community-level protection risks, develop action plans and monitor mitigation measures, while strengthening existing community structures and maintaining regular engagement with community representatives.
• Group PSS: plan and deliver structured and unstructured group sessions for women, men and adolescents, coach General Protection Assistants and observe their delivery, encourage voluntary participation and positive coping without pressuring disclosure, and refer participants needing individual or specialised support through approved pathways.
• Information and outreach: use protection-monitoring findings and community feedback to share timely, accessible information on protection risks, services, safe movement and help-seeking options; lead outreach and information sessions with General Protection Assistants and community networks; coordinate with the GBV Prevention Officer on overlapping concerns.
• Activity planning: develop and maintain community-activity plans for Ayod Town and mobile response locations, agree staff assignments with the Protection Team Leader and ensure continuity across deployments.
• Quality assurance and coordination: give day-to-day technical guidance to General Protection Assistants, escalate training needs, safeguarding concerns, access constraints, security risks and workload challenges to the Team Leader, keep accurate and confidential activity records, coordinate with the MEAL team on PSS outcome monitoring, follow up community concerns through feedback and complaint mechanisms, and prepare activity plans, movement and supply requests within delegated authority.

Required profile

• Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences, Community Development or a related field; a relevant diploma with substantial directly relevant experience may be considered.
• At least two years of relevant humanitarian protection experience, including community-based protection and facilitation of group psychosocial support.
• Experience training and mentoring community networks, coaching facilitators and working with displaced and host communities in remote, resource-constrained or emergency settings.
• Willingness and ability to travel to remote locations under approved security procedures.

Required skills

• Competence in Microsoft Word, Excel and email.
• Strong planning, facilitation, communication and reporting skills.
• Sound understanding of confidentiality, informed consent, safeguarding and protection risk analysis.