Protection Assistant - Community-Based Protection

PROTECTION ASSISTANT - COMMUNITY-BASED PROTECTION Danish Refugee Council ABOUT THE ROLE Danish Refugee Council is seeking a dedicated Protection Assistant to strengthen gender-based violence prevention and response efforts within refugee and host communities. In this pivotal role, you will work directly with community members, local leaders, and humanitarian partners to mobilize awareness, facilitate referrals, and implement protection interventions that safeguard vulnerable populations. Your primary focus will be connecting survivors and at-risk individuals with critical support services while building the capacity of community structures to address protection challenges. You will serve as a bridge between refugee communities and humanitarian agencies, ensuring that protection concerns are heard, documented, and acted upon with dignity and care. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Community Mobilization and Engagement Organize and participate in community forums, meetings with local leaders, and dialogue sessions with GBV support groups to raise awareness and encourage community dialogue on protection issues. Coordinate with refugee-led organizations, community-based organizations, youth groups, and persons with disabilities groups to ensure inclusive engagement. Case Referral and Support Receive and document all gender-based violence cases, ensuring timely referral to the response team for management and to other agencies addressing broader protection needs. Maintain accurate follow-up records to ensure survivors receive appropriate care. Work closely with community structures to guarantee survivors have access to support at the grassroots level. Capacity Building Collaborate with the GBV Officer and assistants to deliver training sessions to community members and agency staff on gender-based violence prevention, response, and trauma-informed support. Build the technical and advocacy capacity of community protection networks, including establishing and mentoring support groups. Prevention and Intervention Implement community-driven prevention activities and interventions using recognized approaches such as EMAP and SASA! Identify and mobilize community members to form advocacy and mentorship groups. Support commemorative events including the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, International Youth Day, World Refugee Day, and the 16 Days of Activism campaign. Coordinate and facilitate youth engagement activities across refugee camps. Data Management and Reporting Use appropriate data collection tools to draft, consolidate, and submit weekly and training reports with accuracy and timeliness. Document quarterly lessons learned, success stories, and best practices to drive continuous improvement in GBV programming. Submit quality weekly reports with photographic evidence of project implementation. Age, Gender, and Diversity Mainstreaming Ensure that all protection activities prioritize an Age, Gender, and Diversity approach. Mainstream Persons with Specific Needs issues—including youth, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities—throughout GBV programming. Disseminate assessment findings and GBV trends during community forums and meetings with Development Impact Committee structures. Partnership and Coordination Maintain and strengthen referral networks and systems with other service providers at camp and community levels. Coordinate closely with government departments, UNHCR, humanitarian partners, and local organizations to ensure effective case management and protection service delivery. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Experience and Competence Minimum of two years' work experience in capacity building, community mobilization, and engagement with community structures and relevant stakeholders. Demonstrated knowledge of community-based protection models and approaches such as EMAP and SASA! Practical experience providing psychosocial counseling in refugee contexts. Track record in partnership engagement and capacity development work. Ability to mainstream protection issues affecting persons with specific needs into broader programming. Skills and Attributes Strong team player with the ability to take direction and collaborate effectively with diverse partners. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate professionally with clients, community members, and institutional partners. Commitment to documenting and sharing learning from implementation. Flexibility and adaptability in dynamic humanitarian environments. Education and Languages Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Social Work, or a related Social Science field. Fluent in English and Somali. CORE COMPETENCIES As a member of the Danish Refugee Council team, you will embody our five core competencies: striving for excellence through results-focused work, collaborating by involving stakeholders and welcoming feedback, taking the lead with ownership and innovation, communicating with honesty and effectiveness, and demonstrating integrity in alignment with our vision and values. KEY STAKEHOLDERS Government of Kenya departments at national and county levels, law enforcement agencies, UNHCR, Danish Refugee Council sectors and partner agencies, women-led and refugee-led community organizations, camp management structures, religious leaders, youth groups, and donor representatives. POSITION DETAILS Contract Duration: Four months with possibility of extension based on performance and funding availability. Duty Station: Danish Refugee Council Dadaab Office, Dadaab refugee camp