Protection Coordinator at Premiere Urgence Internationale (PUI)

Overall Mission

• 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 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 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.
• 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.

Key Responsibilities
Context Analysis, Strategy & Programme Design:

• Continuously monitor and analyze the protection context to inform program adaptation, advocacy, and strategic decision-making.
• 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.
• Ensure gender-sensitive and survivor-centered approaches are embedded across all protection programming.
• Lead operationalization of integrated protection models including referral pathways and cross-sectoral SOPs.
• Harmonize protection tools, methodologies, and practices across all operational bases.
• Identify program risks and implement mitigation measures to maintain adaptive and responsive programming.
• Lead the development and review of SOPs, technical guidance notes, and protection frameworks aligned with international standards.
• Provide technical guidance to other departments on protection and gender mainstreaming approaches.
• Promote research, knowledge management, and evidence generation within the protection sector.
• Lead technical evaluations and ensure findings inform future programming and strategy development.

Program Quality, Adaptive Management & Technical Oversight:

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

Reporting, Grants & Partnership:

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

External Representation, Coordination & Advocacy:

• 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.
• Lead donor engagement activities including donor visits and technical briefings.
• Drive protection advocacy efforts using field evidence and protection analysis.
• Ensure consistent external representation and messaging across all operational bases.
• Participate actively in mission-level strategic planning and coordination meetings.
• Prepare and submit operational reports, briefs, and protection situation updates to HQ and management.

Team Management, Delegation & Capacity Development:

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

Logistics, Administration & Budget Oversight:

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

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:

• Ensure quality, survivor-centered GBV service delivery and integrated protection programming.
• Strengthen evidence-based adaptive program management through GBVIMS and protection monitoring analysis.
• Lead implementation of departmental transition roadmaps and technical systems.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities to expand protection programming.
• Strengthen protection and gender mainstreaming across Health, Nutrition, MHPSS, and FSL sectors.
• 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.
• Demonstrated experience in GBV programming, integrated protection, Cash for Protection, and protection monitoring in conflict settings.
• Experience managing multi-base or multi-state protection programs and senior national teams.
• Experience working in high-security-risk and access-constrained environments.
• Experience in Northeast and/or Northwest Nigeria is an added advantage.

Knowledge & Technical Skills:

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

Computer Skills:

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

Core Competencies:

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