Job Purpose

The Protection Officer is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the protection component within the program. In addition to monitoring the compliance of Mercy-USA staff and personnel at contracted hospitals and health centers with protection mainstreaming practices in nutrition and health activities. 

Based in Tripoli Office with frequent field visits to localities within Akkar and North.  

Responsibilities

• Lead on the implementation of Protection activities within the Health program.
• Ensure maintaining of program files and documentation as per program management minimum standards, including maintaining the confidentiality of beneficiaries’ data. 
• Develop comprehensive and tailored capacity building plans for staff and implementing partners based on respective needs and ensuring quality services.
• Monitor the efficient and accurate updating of all relevant protection data, including referral data. Regularly compile relevant program data and make note of trends observed.
• Remain abreast of SOPs and best practices at the field, on the national and global level.
• Ensure that staff adhere to best practices, professional standards and principles, and relevant SOPs and guidelines through capacity-building and on-the-job coaching.
• Provide trainings to the staff on CP/GBV related topics and attend trainings when it's needed for building the capacity of the team and the staff at institutional levels.
• Create and follow-up on trackers for referrals and keep the data updated and well documents while taking into consideration the confidentiality of beneficiaries.
• Conduct and support ongoing monitoring of Protection activities, through frequent visits to field sites, to ensure minimum standards of Protection and progress toward targets. 
• Submit quality reports as scheduled.
• Coordinate closely with relevant stakeholders and other NGOs providing Protection services to ensure the quality of services are provided.
• Attend gender-based violence and child protection working groups meetings on a regular basis and share updates with the relevant colleagues.
• Coordinate with the Project Coordinator to monitor the progress of protection services and identify challenges and gaps for improvement.
• Assist in conducting assessments and MEL tools with the coordination with MEAL department.
• Conduct field visits and community and institutional levels.
• Ensure the proper documentation of data collected (hard and soft copies) during CP sessions… (Attendance sheets, permission slips, consent, referrals etc.)
• Create and maintain trackers for both external and internal referrals, ensuring accurate reporting across various platforms.
• Follow-up on referrals with the relevant institution.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrate integrity and respect to Mercy-USA values and mission.
• Display cultural, religious, racial, gender, age and nationality sensitivity and adaptability along with respect to all.
• Promote vision, mission and strategic plan of Mercy-USA in Lebanon.
• An honest team-player with strong interpersonal skills.

Functional Competencies 

• Accurately completes and organizes multiple tasks by taking into account priorities and deadlines along with potential interruptions.
• Ability to identify program challenges and plan and communicate alternatives for smooth implementation of programs.
• Builds and establishes proper and organized relationships with management, staff, partners and IP’s as required.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to familiarize with new areas and people.
• Ability to deal with day-to-day stresses, complaints and field level security concerns that may arise. 
• Ability to use tools provided with little direction. 
• Ability to build new relations with individuals on the field in a comfortable and safe way. 
• Ability to differentiate between personal and business relations in the field.

Self-Management 

• Self-motivated, quick learner with an initiative to perform well and beyond expectations.
• Calm and well-mannered under pressure. 
• Quick response to urgent requests for information.
• Takes and responds well to feedback. 
• Open to opposing and various opinions. 
• Energetic and positive about the work being conducted. 
• Focused on results and meeting deadlines.

Minimum Hiring Requirements 

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, International Relations, Sociology, Law, Psychology or any other related field.
• At least 2 years of professional experience in the humanitarian field with a similar position.
• Good command (verbal and written) of English Language.
• Fluent in Arabic.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Personal and organizational skills, including time management and the ability to meet deadlines.

Child Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Disclaimer:

Mercy-USA is committed to child safeguarding and PSEA at all operational levels to protect its staff, volunteers and beneficiaries from the harm that arises out of sexual exploitation and abuse.  Mercy-USA conducts background checks on all new hires including requesting police reports. When individuals are terminated from Mercy-USA because of claims related to child safeguarding or PSEA, after investigation, they are reported to relevant authorities and added to relevant criminal/abuser registries to ensure they are not hired again by other INGOs, local NGOs or the UN.

Candidate Considerations: 

Mercy-USA prioritizes protecting employee culture and maintaining the quality of our work. The following documents will be requested if you are considered for hire:

• Police Check/Report
• ID
• References List 

It is possible that as a condition for hiring, Mercy-USA will, with your consent, conduct an International Background Check and/or check national and interagency sex offender registries.