International Protection Officer (Talent Pool)

Dept/Field Office: Programmes

Duty Station: Different locations, Ninewa governorate, Iraq

Reports To: Team Leader (based on the duty station)

Staff Supervised: None

ABOUT US

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is a dynamic, international non-governmental organization. We work to reduce and prevent violence and protect civilians in countries affected by violent conflict and its aftermath by implementing unarmed civilian protection programming. NP implements programming by deploying civilian protection teams to the field and is continuing to scale up to meet the growing needs of the communities we serve. Programming is founded on unarmed civilian protection and is thematically focused on protection in displacement, child protection, gender-based violence protection, inter-communal violence reduction, social cohesion, and civic engagement.

JOB PURPOSE

The International Protection Officer (IPO) will implement community-based violence prevention programming for those affected by the violent conflict and its aftermath in Iraq. The IPO will support field teams in implementing programming as per UCP methodologies concerning thematic areas relevant to violence prevention, social cohesion, peacebuilding, and direct protection needs as they are identified through engagement with the community.

By applying for this position, you are expressing your interest in joining our talent pool, which allows us to proactively reach out to candidates whose skills and qualifications align with our future needs. If you have a passion for our mission and believe you can contribute to our organization’s success, we encourage you to apply, as you may be considered for various positions in the future.

KEY OBJECTIVES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Context monitoring and analysis

• Work and live within conflict-affected communities to build trust, establish deep contextual understanding, and to effect nonpartisan position;
• Continuously monitor local conflict situations to track violence and conflict trends and identify protection needs;
• Assess security risks and develop conflict mitigation strategies for both host and IDP communities and returnees;

Community Engagement

• Facilitate inclusive participation and leadership of all community groups in peace and security strategies;
• Build relationships with key stakeholders, including government, security, and tribal leadership;
• Establish and support community protection mechanisms, including intensive follow-up and support;

Training

• Provide technical skills training for the community in conflict analysis, nonviolent conflict resolution, and community-based protection strategies or other technical areas based upon previous experience with UCP;
• Develop training materials and tailor existing training materials to field-level contexts to be used with local communities;

UCP interventions

• Design and implement direct protection interventions appropriate to the context and need within the parameters of mandate and projects;
• Provide protective presence and accompaniment to groups and persons with specific needs, with particular focus on combating gender-based violence;
• Facilitate communications and relationships between communities or individuals in conflict, providing proactive engagement to mitigate potential conflict, including facilitated dialogue and shuttle diplomacy;
• Manage cases of individuals who are vulnerable or under threat, including working with other service providers and managing a follow-up process.

Reporting

• Produce activity, weekly, and quarterly reports, and support the Team Leader in internal and external reporting as needed;

Other

• Perform any other work duties assigned by the Team Leader;
• Be available to work in any field site as needed by the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• 2+ years of work experience in conflict and violence reduction, human security, protection, social cohesion, and/or peacebuilding;
• Strong communication, coordination and interpersonal skills;
• Demonstrable ability to analyze conflict, security, and political contexts, identify entry points and design violence prevention and protection strategies;
• Demonstrated experience in engagement and building relationships with armed groups, military and government officials, and NGOs;
• Demonstrated ability to live, work and solve problems independently and effectively;
• Preferred experience in complex and volatile locations.

Context/Specific skills

• Good interpersonal and cross-cultural communication and team-working skills;
• Good analytical and communication skills, written and oral;
• A positive problem-solving approach;
• Enthusiasm to learn and apply new skills;
• Ability to work under pressure and difficult conditions;
• Ability to manage information with discretion;
• Knowledge of the context in Iraq;
• Good skills in Microsoft Office applications;
• Fluency in English;
• Spoken Arabic is highly preferred.