Protection Officer – GBV (Emergency)

Danish Refugee Council, one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, is currently looking for a highly qualified candidate for the Protection Officer – GBV position in Pibor. If you are a skilled and motivated professional ready to make a difference, we want you on board! Together, we’ll work to deliver impactful humanitarian solutions in challenging environments.

About the job

The Protection Officer – GBV will lead the planning, implementation, supervision, and monitoring of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response activities within the Mobile Response Team (MRT). The officer plays a key role in emergency GBV case management; in mitigating GBV risks; in strengthening community-based prevention and referral mechanisms; in conducting rapid protection assessments; and in coordinating with humanitarian actors in newly affected and hard-to-reach areas.

The Protection Officer – GBV will ensure full adherence to survivor-centered principles, confidentiality, safeguarding standards, and the DRC Code of Conduct throughout all interventions. The position is part of the Mobile Response Team (MRT) operating across South Sudan in hard-to-reach locations and areas affected by conflict and/or natural disasters.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the implementation of emergency GBV prevention and response activities within the Mobile Response Team across hard-to-reach and shock-affected locations.
• Provide direct GBV Case Management for complex and high-risk cases in line with inter-agency GBV Case Management Guidelines and DRC SOPs, ensuring safe identification, assessment, documentation, follow-up, and closure.
• Ensure safe and confidential referrals to health, MHPSS, legal, and other specialized services in coordination with relevant actors and service providers.
• Conduct rapid protection assessments, safety audits, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and community mapping with a focus on GBV trends and emerging risks, and contribute to updating event trackers, trigger tools, and alert monitoring systems.
• Strengthen and support community-based protection mechanisms, including women- and girl-led groups, to enhance community-level identification, referral, prevention, and risk mitigation of GBV.
• Monitor GBV trends, harmful practices, community perceptions, and access barriers, and adjust programming in coordination with the Protection Team Leader and relevant partners.
• Update and disseminate referral pathways in newly affected or underserved locations to ensure timely and appropriate services for survivors.

• Develop and adapt GBV tools, IEC materials, awareness content, and training modules for emergency response and provide capacity building to assistants and community structures.
• Prepare work plans, movement plans, procurement requests, and required financial and logistical documentation in line with MRT procedures.
• Compile timely activity reports and contribute to donor reporting processes, including documentation of lessons learned, operational challenges, and success stories.
• Participate in daily mission planning and debriefing sessions, represent DRC in GBV coordination forums when requested by the Protection Team Leader, and support integrated protection risk mitigation across MRT interventions.
• Participate in the recruitment, orientation, training, and direct supervision of Assistants, Translators, Mobilizers, Peer Educators, Crowd Controllers, and distributors (casual labourers).
• Ensure strict adherence to survivor-centered principles, safeguarding standards, data protection requirements, humanitarian standards, and DRC Code of Conduct.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Protection Team Leader to support effective mobile emergency operations.

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• Minimum 2 years of experience in implementing GBV prevention and response activities, including in hard-to-reach areas of South Sudan.
• Experience in emergency case management and working in hard-to-reach areas in South Sudan is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience working in women- and girl-friendly spaces or centers.
• Strong knowledge of IASC Guidelines on GBV case management and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in emergency settings.
• Demonstrated understanding of survivor-centered approaches and GBV ethical standards.
• Strong reporting and documentation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Commitment to women’s rights and humanitarian principles.

Desirable qualifications

• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills; able to engage effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Prior experience working under donor-funded emergency protection projects.
• Experience in Mobile Response or Rapid Response programming.
• Able to work collaboratively in a team, maintain productivity under pressure, and manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines.
• Strong mentoring and supervisory skills.
• Ability to work in remote locations for extended periods with limited amenities.
• Remains productive under pressure and respects deadlines.
• Positive attitude and strong interpersonal skills.