Overall purpose of the role:

The Protection Manager is responsible for the overall management, quality assurance, and strategic direction of DRC’s protection programming in Tawila. This includes direct oversight of Gender-Based Violence, Protection Case management, Protection Information Management, and Psychosocial Support interventions, as well as capacity strengthening and technical support to local partners engaged in protection programming.

The role requires a professional with extensive experience in both protection and GBV case management, including the supervision of complex and sensitive cases, and demonstrated expertise in psychosocial support to individuals and groups affected by conflict, displacement and violence. The Protection Manager ensures that all case management and PSS services are survivor-centred, rights-based, and aligned with DRC’s and international standards.

In addition, the Protection Manager leads the day-to-day implementation of protection projects across the full project cycle, ensures effective capacity development and mentoring of protection staff and partners, and upholds DRC’s standards for accountability, quality assurance, and safeguarding. The role also involves fostering strong internal and external coordination, providing technical guidance and representation, and ensuring sound financial and operational management of the protection programme.

Responsibilities:

Management

• Oversee and ensure the effective implementation of all protection projects within the area of responsibility, in line with DRC’s strategies, principles, implementation plans, and donor requirements.
• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight to ensure high-quality delivery of protection activities, including Gender-Based Violence, Protection Case Management, and Psychosocial Support (PSS).
• Lead planning, coordination, and quality assurance of DRC’s protection interventions, ensuring coherence and alignment across all sub-sectors and operational sites.

Technical Support

• Provide strong technical support, supervision, and guidance to protection and GBV staff to ensure consistent adherence to case management standards, protection principles, and trauma-informed approaches across all interventions.
• Offer direction and instruction on strategic and operational protection issues within the area of responsibility.
• Lead the capacity strengthening and on-the-job coaching of staff and partners, fostering advanced skills in protection and GBV case management, complex case handling, and trauma-informed care.
• In collaboration with the Country Protection Manager, develop and roll out programme tools and Standard Operating Procedures for protection interventions, ensuring alignment with global best practices and DRC standards.
• Serve as a reference point for Protection Mainstreaming, ensuring protection principles are integrated across all sectors and activities.

People Management

• Supervise, mentor, and provide direction to protection staff, ensuring effective performance management and quality implementation of assigned activities in line with work plans and standards.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, supervision, and performance appraisals of protection staff within the area of responsibility.
• Set clear objectives and work plans for protection teams and promote professional development through regular capacity-building opportunities, including training on trauma-informed programming and survivor-centred approaches.

Programme Development and Quality Assurance

• Contribute to the strategic direction of protection sector at the area level through active and ongoing participation in and contribution to strategic planning processes, including protection analysis and strategy development.
• Contribute to the development of proposals, budgets, concept notes in coordination with relevant DRC colleagues.
• Ensure robust quality assurance of all protection interventions, including both DRC- and partner-led implementation, by developing and applying monitoring, evaluation, and accountability tools to maintain programme quality and coherence with DRC and donor standards.
• Responsible for ensuring Age, Gender and Diversity and Accountability to Affected Populations is mainstreamed into protection projects and programmes under their area of responsibility.
• Prepare internal and external reports within agreed deadlines, in line with DRC and donor formats, as required.

Coordination and Representation

• Ensure effective coordination and collaboration with other DRC sectors and promote complementarities of programme intervention.
• Actively participate in and represent DRC protection sectoral interventions in relevant protection interagency coordination.
• Liaise, coordinate, and foster professional relationships with relevant stakeholders, including government, local authorities and institutions, UN, civil society and NGOs.
• Actively engage and contribute to DRC protection related advocacy efforts.
• Promote integrated programming and ensure internal coordination and harmonisation of DRC protection interventions across sites and with other core sectors, as relevant.

Finance and Administration

• Responsible for budget management, including monitoring, forecasting, and performing budget holder responsibilities for protection projects in area of responsibility.
• Ensure resources are effectively utilised and programmatic priorities are met in alignment with financial planning and donor requirements.

Qualifications, experience and technical competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in law, social sciences, humanitarian studies, or related field (relevant experience may substitute).
• A minimum of 4-5 years of proven protection experience and management of protection programmes or projects.
• Proven experience in Protection Case Management and GBV Case Management, including supervision of complex and high-risk cases and application of trauma-informed and survivor-centred approaches.
• Demonstrated experience in Psychosocial Support programming, including designing and overseeing structured and unstructured PSS activities at individual and group levels.
• Knowledge of International Refugee Law, International Human Rights Law, and International Humanitarian Law.
• Knowledge and experience designing, implementing and monitoring and evaluating protection intervention within two or more of DRC’s Protection sector components: Gender-Based Violence, Protection Case Management, Protection Information, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.
• Proven ability in capacity development, including preparation and delivery of training materials, mentoring, and on-the-job coaching for staff and partners
• Strong cultural sensitivity and experience working with persons from various backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, plan and manage own time effectively, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Sound understanding and experience in protection mainstreaming and Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) mainstreaming, Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and abuse (PSEA)
• Demonstrated experience in team management, including previous experience in the direct line management of staff.
• Ability to multi-task and oversee interventions in different field locations concurrently.
• Solid experience in project cycle management, including proposal writing, budget management and donor reporting.
• Strong work ethic and ability to take responsibility for own actions.

Languages:

• Ability to communicate and write clearly in English and Arabic

About you

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

Conditions

Contract: Seven months’ contract with possibility of extension, subject to funding and performance. Salary and conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for International staff. This position is graded at M.F

Start Date: March 2026

Duty Station: Tawila, North Darfur

Reports to: Area Manager

Application and CV

All applicants must submit a cover letter and updated CV in English via our online application form

on www.drc.ngo under Vacancies

Applications close on 5 March 2026.