The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:  Protection Technical Lead

Organisation: ALIGHT

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Reports to:  Head of Programs

About US:

ALIGHT, formerly the American Refugee Committee (ARC), is an international non-profit, non-sectarian organization that has provided humanitarian assistance and training to millions of beneficiaries over the last 40 years. In 2011, Alight helped nearly 2.5 million people get essential services to regain their health and take back control of their lives. Alight works with its partners and constituencies to provide opportunities and expertise to communities of refugees and internally displaced persons in seven countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, including Iraq, Kosovo, and in the Darfur region of Sudan and is currently providing for emergency relief and recovery in Haiti. Alight provides shelter, clean water and sanitation, health care, skills training, microcredit education, protection to help survivors of war and natural disasters to rebuild their lives with dignity, health care, security and self-sufficiency.

Job Summary:   The Protection Technical Lead will provide overall strategic direction and management for the integrated protection program in Uganda. S/he is mainly responsible for providing technical support, supervision, and capacity building and mentorship of the protection team. Working with the Head of Programs and sector leads S/he will lead in developing standard operating procedures for prevention and response to GBV and Child Protection services, conduct needs assessments and provide technical input for the design of prevention and response to GBV and Child Protection program proposals that can be funded by key donors. The Protection Technical Lead will also be expected to monitor the quality of Child Protection and prevention and response to GBV implementation in the field, report on activities carried out and provide strategies to address challenges during implementation. S/he will lead on designing a comprehensive implementation plan for integrated protection approach, including but not limited to Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Child Protection, GBV Legal support, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support and Community Based Protection. The Protection Technical Lead will have the main responsibility for the development of the technical team and strategic partner relationships; for ensuring effective collaboration and integration among Alight teams and with partners based on principles of equality, transparency, responsibility, and complementarity; and for ensuring that ongoing technical capacity strengthening of the Protection team and support to partners, effectively addresses their priority needs. The Protection Technical Lead will represent Alight at various strategic levels ensuring visibility of Alight and demonstrate highest level of competency and understanding of the Protection environment specifically for Child Protection, prevention and response to GBV and Community based protection.

The key areas of responsibility will include.

• Protection programme strategy and development
• Quality Assurance and technical expertise
• Capacity strengthening of protection staff.
• Business Development
• Partnerships and representation

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Protection Programme Strategy and Development

• Provide overall leadership and management to Alight Uganda Protection programmes and portfolio growth, identifying value opportunities and establishing new strategic donors and Partnerships.
• Lead in the design of and implementation of Alight Uganda Protection programming, providing technical guidance ensuring alignment with country strategy regional and global strategies and priorities for programmes quality.
• Coordinate with protection managers in strategic program design and the implementation of multi donor integrated protection projects including Child Protection, prevention and response to GBV, Legal, MHPSS and Community Based Protection
• Lead country teams in delivering quality protection and case management services by developing and/or improving Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and tools for all Protection programming.
• Provide oversight, guidance, and leadership on all aspects of protection programmes design, development, compliance, and quality assurance.
• As Lead Implementing partner for UNHCR refugee response in Southwest Uganda, provide compliance oversight accountability mechanism including PSEA prevention and safeguarding as focal point for programme teams. In collaboration with Protection team members and the Senior Management Team, develop and implement Child protection and GBV prevention and response interventions that adhere to inter agency standards.
• Lead on developing Child Protection and GBV prevention and response plans and master budgets and contribute to Alight’s overall refugee response strategy.
• Engage teams to ensure gender and protection mainstreaming is accounted for in all programming.
• Lead in the management of the protection technical team to ensure responsible delivery of their respective pillars.
• Working closely with other sector leads, ensure Alight’s ongoing integrated protection program reflects standards for best practice, quality, and innovation, and are responsive and adapted based on monitoring data to ensure implementation modalities remain context- and need-appropriate.
• Liaise with Global Technical Unit advisors to ensure relevant support, tools and resources are being provided and integrated into programming.

Protection programme implementation and quality

• Provide oversight, guidance, and leadership on all aspects of Programme design, development, and quality assurance.
• Provide technical and implementation oversight for CP and GBV programmes ensuring teams adherence to inter agency minimum standards for CP and GBV cases management.
• In close collaboration with the MEL Team, ensure the implementation of effective and participatory Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning strategies at all levels of the country Protection programme, including through the systematic documentation, and sharing of lessons learnt.
• Develop TORS for quality programme intervention and ALIGHT SOPS to ensure survivors receive timely confidential case management and referrals.
• Ensure smooth management and integration of Protection leads’ work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, development of spending plans and budget follow-up), and accurate reporting in accordance with Alight and donor regulations.
• Conduct regular technical support visits to teams to check on implementation quality and adherence to standards.

Protection Programme Design for Business Development

• In collaboration with the Head of Programmes and Donor Engagement Lead, take the lead in timely development of quality integrated protection proposals and concept notes ensuring proposals are in line with Alight’s Strategic Plan, Country Refugee Response Plan, and Sector Strategies and Priorities.
• Working with the Head of Programmes and the Finance Manager, ensure effective and transparent budgeting, planning, and follow-up in compliance with policies and priorities as well as donor rules and regulations.
• Work collaboratively with protection staff at field level in the development and design of protection interventions and activities in line with interagency standards and sector strategies and priorities; and in line with contextual and community needs.
• Deliver protection components in grants opening, review, and closure meetings.
• Ensure quality control of all protection donor reports and authorize the submissions.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:

• Proactively lead team structure review and restructure for effective delivery of protection outcomes
• Technically manage and supervise the Protection Managers and GBV, Child Protection and Legal Officers, and Managers and ensure that they have clear and realistic performance-based management goals.
• Supervise, and build the capacity of Protection team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented mid-year and-annual performance reviews.
• Participate in the objective setting and mid-year and annual performance reviews of technical protection staff.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least monthly.
• As required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
• In collaboration with Human Resources, promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the Alight HR Policies and Procedures and communicates through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.
• Representation, Coordination & Stakeholder management:
• Responsible for liaison/representation with key protection sector coordination, local authorities and UN agencies and maintain agreed profile of Alight at country level.
• Advocate about Alight protection programme in Uganda with government, donors, and humanitarian stakeholders, in cluster meetings, workshops, and in other relevant fora.
• Conduct regular stakeholder analyses donor mapping to ensure that ALIGHT has good understanding of dynamics/ relationships and establish Strategic Partnerships
• Represent Alight at protection national level task force, working groups and other interagency fora.
• Ensure effective, collaborative protection partnerships with other organizations that result in more effective, responsive and durable assistance that reaches more people.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree in international development, law, human rights, social work or a related field.
• A minimum of 7 years’ professional humanitarian/development experience, including specific experience in protection programming (inclusive of general protection, Gender Based Violence, women’s protection and empowerment and/or child protection) in emergency or post conflict settings.
• A minimum of 5 years program and team management experience; preferably in humanitarian setting
• Demonstrated experience using international human rights standards in protection programming.
• Prior experience working in remote-management situations preferred.
• Prior experience in East Africa and Refugee Response is preferred.

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

• Strong Protection expertise and skills, particularly in Child Protection and/ or Prevention and Response to GBV (desirable is strong technical expertise in both protection areas)
• Strong program/technical management skills, planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills.
• Strong written skills in articulation of protection technical sectors, strategies and approaches
• Strong oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with external parties.
• INGO experience required; experience working with the interagency coordination mechanisms desirable.
• Strong technical and operational knowledge of Protection programming in refugee response context.
• Proven experience in implementing programs under grants, including high quality donor reporting and proposal development; experience of US Govt (BPRM, USAID, BHA/OFDA) and UNHCR Funding required.  Other government, UN, and private/foundation is a plus.
• Proven experience in designing and delivering capacity-building activities.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively represent Alight at forums and with donors.
• Strong negotiation skills essential with experience in conflict resolution desirable
• Strong leadership skills, proven experience in strategic planning, overseeing large programs and ability to effect and manage change effectively.
• Direct knowledge of how to run a quality Program team that respects Do No Harm, protection and gender mainstreaming, evidence-based outputs, and effective program budget development and implementation.
• Superior oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of working successfully with local stakeholders such as local and international NGOs, government, etc. with sensitivity and diplomacy.
• Proven ability to design and lead training engagements with staff and partners to enhance skills and adapt to changing program demands.
• Mature and structured approach to team management and project delivery.
• Positive attitude to work, self-reflective, motivated, inspired, collegial.
• Proven ability to work well in and promote teamwork, thrive in a multi-cultural environment, be flexible and handle pressure with professional grace.
• Languages: Professional fluency in spoken and written English is required.
• Computer/Other Tech Requirements: Excellent computer skills and full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Benefits

• Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.
• Learning & Development – Access thousands of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested applicants should apply online at the link below.

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