Protection Officer

Etcareers is announcing a new humanitarian career opportunity with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Ethiopia for 2026. NRC is recruiting a full‑time Protection Officer to be based in Jijiga, Somali Region. This role is central to ensuring effective protection monitoring, case management, legal counselling, and psychosocial support for displacement‑affected individuals and communities. The position also involves supervising social workers and technical assistants, coordinating with partners, and strengthening integrated programming. Candidates with legal or social science backgrounds and experience in humanitarian protection are encouraged to apply for this impactful role in Ethiopia.

Responsibilities

1. Role and responsibilities

Generic responsibilities:

1. Adherence to NRC policies, guidance, and procedures.
2. Ensure that Protection projects target beneficiaries most in need of Protection and contribute to new approaches for assisting target populations. 
3. Any other tasks assigned by the line manager. 

Specific responsibilities:

Supervision 30%

4. Oversee the day-to-day implementation of protection activities, including protection monitoring, case management, and psychosocial support, to ensure the quality and accountability of services provided to displacement-affected individuals and communities in accordance with the Protection strategy, project documents, and relevant humanitarian standards.
5. Manage and supervise Protection- social workers, and TAs, ensuring proper planning, guidance, and performance oversight. 

Legal Counselling and Assistance 40%

6. Support Protection- social workers and TAs in identifying and assessing persons with specific needs or individuals at risk through established referral pathways and vulnerability criteria.
7. Organize and conduct community awareness and information sessions on protection issues, rights, and available services in line with project objectives.
8. Provide individual protection counselling to beneficiaries with various protection risks.
9. Ensure timely and appropriate case management, including documentation, follow-up, and referrals to relevant internal and external service providers.
10. Conduct protection assessments, protection monitoring, and data collection to identify risks, trends, and gaps in assistance.
11. Organize and facilitate capacity-building sessions and mentorship for local authorities, community structures, and humanitarian partners. 
12. Provide on-the-job training to Protection TAs

Staff Capacity Building 10%

Integrated Programing 10%

13. Work closely with other core competencies in finding touching points for Protection integrated programming.
14. Working with Protection- social workers, and Tas on creating co-ownership for integrated programming.
15. Supervise, monitor, and ensure his/her team’s data entries in the electronic database each month and verify and organize hard copies of sources of verification.  
16. Look out for advocacy, access, and Protection needs from the field and report regularly to the coordinator. 
17. Raise a PR and follow up with the logistics department as needed. 
18. Liaise with governmental, non-governmental organizations, and UN agencies to establish and maintain networks for referrals.
19. Updating the M&E matrix regularly and sharing with the Protection PC promptly. 
20. Send weekly and monthly reports on her/his team’s progress to the line manager. 

Administrative and Reporting 10%

Qualifications

Professional competencies 

These are skills, knowledge, and experience that are important for effective performance. 

Generic professional competencies: 

• Experience working as a Legal/General protection Project Officer in a humanitarian/recovery context.
• Previous experience working in complex and volatile contexts.
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities.
• Good knowledge of English 

Context-related skills, knowledge, and experience: 

• University degree in law, or a related social science field, and a thorough knowledge of Ethiopian law. 
• Experience working in a Protection or legal assistance implementation position 
• At least 1-2 years’ experience in project management, including supervision of staff and ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on project activities
• Prior experience of representing an I/NGO, and advocating on behalf of beneficiaries, in public forums (e.g., Protection Sector)
• Willing to travel to the “hard to reach areas” covered under Protection projects in the Somali region  
• Fluency in the Somali language is a must for the position holder, who will interact/engagement with the community 
• Advanced computer skills, especially in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook