National Protection Officer (South Sudanese Nationals Only)

Job Title: National Protection Officer (South Sudan Nationals)

Function: Programme Implementation

Job Group: Programme

Duty Station: Juba, South Sudan (with frequent travel to the field)

Administrative Line Manager: UCP Advisor

Technical Line Manager: Programme Manager

Line Management Responsibility: N/A

JOB PURPOSE:

The Protection Officer is a member of the programme team responsible for implementing projects with NP and partners in Juba, Mundri and Bentiu. This includes implementing protection and prevention strategies for vulnerable beneficiaries and relationship-building with local communities, community leaders, and government authorities, as well as with all other relevant protection actors such as NGOs and INGOs, and UN agencies. The Protection Officer will assist with training and support of the NP team and partner organizations.

KEY OBJECTIVES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Commitment to NP Principles

• Know and understand the NP mandate, principles and values and actively commit to upholding and advocating for them both inside and outside of working hours
• Serve as a community role model for peaceful co-existence and nonviolence, and maintain a positive image of the organisation in the community at all times
• Be available for emergencies in the office or field

2. Project Implementation / Programming

• Information gathering and contextual analysis
  • Contribute to information gathering & verification, and context analysis of South Sudan socio-political-legal-security environment and it's implications on Civilian Protection
  • Proactively engage with all stakeholders in conflict (local community leaders, government authorities, police, army, non-state armed groups, and NGOs) to identify ongoing and potential issues in the community that may trigger violence
  • Co ordinate with and support NP’s strategic partners to identify ongoing and potential issues that may trigger violence against civilians

• Community and Partner engagement
  • Lead participatory meetings so as to support communities to apply NP principles and UCP mechanisms to improve their own security
  • Conduct check-in calls and follow-up visits with community protection actors to assess their security situation and offer support in case of challenges with the implementation of protection mechanisms and security concerns
  • Support the Program team in coordination efforts for CPT and strategic partners to engage with the Clusters, build national relationships.

• Training
  • Assist with the development of new programming concepts and training modules
  • Co-facilitate trainings and workshops

• Translation
  • Assist with written translation of training materials
  • Provide oral translation during workshops and meetings

• Protective presence, accompaniment and other UCP interventions
  • Provide proactive presence in hotspot areas an incident may occur or has happened and which is a direct threat to peace and stability of the community while upholding the principle of nonpartisanship
  • Provide protective accompanimentto civilians at risk
  • Assist in designing strategic interventions meant to mitigate conflict and protect civilians
  • Attending and contribute in all Protection/Cluster meetings

3. Administration & Operations

• Reporting
  • Report all work activities according to the set procedures and standards of the Line Manager
  • Participate in team meetings, debriefs and strategy sessions, implementing recommendations arising from lessons learnt
• Support NP program team in providing technical advice to partners in order to develop reports and reporting mechanisms and ensuring those are submitted in a timely manner.

• Security
  • Contribute to security assessments and contribute to the of security preparedness of NP staff, CPTs, Strategic Partners NP office and equipment
  • Ensure all project work is consistent with agreed safety and security policies and procedures

• Procurement
  • Assist with procurement of supplies or other logistical matters when delegated by Line Manager
  • Handle operational funds in compliance with financial procedures; account for team cash managed by finance focal person

4. Other

• Perform any other work-related duties that may be assigned by the Line Manager

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:

Education, Knowledge and Experience

• Strong commitment to the safety and security of civilians.
• Degree in social works, with 2 years relevant experience with Nonviolent Peaceforce,

or 3-4 years experience in a similar position with other organizations.

• Good knowledge and understanding of the conflict context in South Sudan.

Skills

Independent Judgement/Analytical:

• Ability to manage information with discretion
• Ability to set priorities, solve problems and analyze data

Interpersonal:

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Proven ability to build relationships
• Genuine commitment and interest in living and working at the community level
• Flexibility, reliability and stress resilience

Languages:

• Ability to interact confidently with and present information effectively to colleagues and external contacts in verbal and written English
• Proficiency in Arabic language required
• Proficiency in Nuer Language is added advantage

Information Technology:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite desirable

Other Specialised Requirements

• Willingness and ability to conduct field visits, during the dry and rainy seasons, including overnighting in the communities. This position is physically demanding.
• This position is only open to South Sudanese nationals.

ANTICIPATED RESULTS:

The following are results which the Protection Officer should aim to achieve, among others:

• team operates efficiently with accurate and efficient translation assistance
• team’s written reports reflect solid contextual analysis and relevant local information
• team makes innovative programming decisions based on daily updates on the local situation
• community members feel confident engaging with the team

Application Process

• Candidates meeting the above requirements are requested to submit a CV (max. 2 pages) and cover letter (max. 1 page), through our website detailing their experience and how they qualify for the role. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• The closing date for applications is Friday, April 3rd 2026
• Candidates may be selected before the closing date; apply early
• As part of the recruitment process, shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a technical assignment before participating in an interview.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Nonviolent Peaceforce is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

Nonviolent Peaceforce acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of employees, contractors, volunteers, interns, communities we work with, and other stakeholders and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance and complies with best practices in the Humanitarian and Development sector.
NP expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We prioritise ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks,
which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. NP also participates in the Inter
Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment or incidents under investigation when the applicant left
employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

NO FEE

We never ask for payment as part of our selection process, and we always contact candidates via our corporate accounts and platforms. If you are approached for payment, this is likely to be fraudulent. Please check whether the role you are interested in is posted here on our website.