Protection Coordinator

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Protection Coordinator

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Employment Type: Contract

Overall Mission

• The role is accountable for the quality, coherence, and impact of integrated protection programming, including GBV prevention and response, protection monitoring and analysis, protection helpdesks, community-based protection, psychosocial support, and protection and gender mainstreaming across five operational bases.
• The role works closely with the Deputy Protection Coordinator, GBV Advisor, Protection Managers, MEAL teams, Technical Coordinators, and HQ Protection and Gender Advisor to ensure quality implementation and strategic alignment across all protection activities.
• The Protection Coordinator is the Head of the Protection Department and the strategic and technical lead for PUI Nigeria’s protection programming across Borno, Zamfara, and Katsina States.
• The Protection Coordinator serves as PUI Nigeria’s senior protection and gender technical focal point and is responsible for building, leading, and continuously strengthening a high-performing, evidence-driven, survivor-centered, and adaptive protection department.

Key Responsibilities
Context Analysis, Strategy & Programme Design:

• Provide technical guidance to other departments on protection and gender mainstreaming approaches.
• Lead operationalization of integrated protection models including referral pathways and cross-sectoral SOPs.
• Harmonize protection tools, methodologies, and practices across all operational bases.
• Continuously monitor and analyze the protection context to inform program adaptation, advocacy, and strategic decision-making.
• Ensure gender-sensitive and survivor-centered approaches are embedded across all protection programming.
• Lead technical evaluations and ensure findings inform future programming and strategy development.
• Identify program risks and implement mitigation measures to maintain adaptive and responsive programming.
• Monitor national protection policies, humanitarian priorities, and the activities of key protection actors.
• Lead protection needs assessments in collaboration with project and MEAL teams.
• Develop and periodically review PUI Nigeria’s integrated protection strategy in collaboration with HQ Protection and Gender Advisor.
• Promote research, knowledge management, and evidence generation within the protection sector.
• Lead the development and review of SOPs, technical guidance notes, and protection frameworks aligned with international standards.

Program Quality, Adaptive Management & Technical Oversight:

• Strengthen coordination and information flow between protection and other technical departments.
• Oversee monitoring frameworks, monitoring plans, and quality assurance systems.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor program quality and provide direct technical support.
• Review PMTs, grant trackers, and donor reporting outputs to ensure quality and compliance.
• Validate program adaptations, budget revisions, and implementation adjustments.
• Hold overall accountability for the technical quality of PUI’s protection programs.
• Analyze protection and GBV data to guide adaptive program management and strategic decisions.
• Provide strategic leadership and resolve complex technical issues escalated from field teams.
• Ensure do-no-harm principles, safe programming standards, and ethical data management practices are consistently applied.

Reporting, Grants & Partnership:

• Participate in due diligence processes and review partner SOPs and technical documentation.
• Identify funding opportunities and contribute to proposal development, logframes, budgets, and concept notes.
• Support partner capacity assessments and coordinate departmental capacity-building activities.
• Review partner reports and proposal documentation to ensure alignment with project objectives.
• Ensure technical quality and accuracy of donor and program reports.
• Review proposal documents, workplans, implementation schedules, and spending plans for strategic alignment.

External Representation, Coordination & Advocacy:

• Prepare and submit operational reports, briefs, and protection situation updates to HQ and management.
• Drive protection advocacy efforts using field evidence and protection analysis.
• Participate actively in mission-level strategic planning and coordination meetings.
• Lead donor engagement activities including donor visits and technical briefings.
• Represent PUI at Protection Cluster, GBV AoR, and inter-agency coordination platforms.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with UN agencies, INGOs, LNGOs, CSOs, government authorities, and donors.
• Ensure consistent external representation and messaging across all operational bases.

Team Management, Delegation & Capacity Development:

• Design and facilitate protection and gender mainstreaming training for multidisciplinary teams.
• Ensure compliance with PUI policies, procedures, and institutional standards.
• Validate departmental capacity-building plans and ensure continuous mentoring and leadership development.
• Maintain a clear delegation and accountability framework across the department.
• Ensure annual appraisals and staff development plans are completed.
• Line-manage the Deputy Protection Coordinator, GBV Advisor, and Protection Information Management Officer.
• Support organizational structure reviews and development of job descriptions.
• Lead recruitment and technical assessments for senior protection staff.
• Promote staff wellbeing, inclusivity, and supportive team culture.

Logistics, Administration & Budget Oversight:

• Ensure procurement planning complies with PUI procedures and operational requirements.
• Monitor budget performance and propose adjustments where necessary.
• Support cash flow forecasting and financial planning activities.
• Validate departmental budgets, spending plans, and reallocation proposals.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with PUI security regulations across the Protection Department.
• Contribute to mission security planning and risk analysis for protection activities.
• Share security-related information with management and security teams when necessary.

Department Priorities:

• Lead implementation of departmental transition roadmaps and technical systems.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities to expand protection programming.
• Ensure quality, survivor-centered GBV service delivery and integrated protection programming.
• Strengthen protection and gender mainstreaming across Health, Nutrition, MHPSS, and FSL sectors.
• Strengthen evidence-based adaptive program management through GBVIMS and protection monitoring analysis.
• Enhance national partnership capacity through technical oversight and accompaniment.

Qualifications & Required Skills
Mandatory Requirements:
Education:

• Master’s degree in Humanitarian Project Management, Political Science, Social Sciences, Psychology, Law, Gender Studies, or related fields.

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in senior protection program management or technical coordination within humanitarian contexts.
• Experience managing multi-base or multi-state protection programs and senior national teams.
• Experience in Northeast and/or Northwest Nigeria is an added advantage.
• Experience working in high-security-risk and access-constrained environments.
• Demonstrated experience in GBV programming, integrated protection, Cash for Protection, and protection monitoring in conflict settings.

Knowledge & Technical Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in strategic program design, needs assessment, proposal development, budget management, and donor reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and external representation skills.
• Experience designing and delivering protection and gender mainstreaming training.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Strong knowledge of international protection frameworks and humanitarian standards.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Familiarity with Kobo, GBVIMS, PowerBI, and protection information management systems is an advantage.

Core Competencies:

• Strong commitment to humanitarian principles, gender equality, and safe programming standards.
• Ability to mentor and develop high-performing teams.
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and communication skills.
• Strategic leadership and operational management skills.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in complex humanitarian environments.
• Strong delegation and accountability practices.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and discretion.