Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator, Sudan

About the role

DRC co-leads the Sudan Protection Cluster in partnership with UNHCR, the Cluster Lead Agency, in line with IASC and Global Protection Cluster standards. The Co-Coordinator provides strategic and operational coordination to strengthen an inclusive, evidence-based protection response, amplify the voices of NGOs (especially national and local actors) and turn protection risks and response gaps into collective action, advocacy and resource prioritisation.

Key responsibilities

• Co-chair national Protection Cluster and SAG meetings with UNHCR, connect national and subnational structures through field missions and mentoring, and represent cluster positions in the ICCG, HCT engagements and donor dialogues
• Co-develop the cluster strategy, workplan and contingency plans, and lead protection inputs to the HNRP (needs, severity, people-in-need analysis, indicators, targets, financial requirements)
• Liaise with donors, support rapid-onset emergency coordination and preparedness, and contribute to inter-cluster advocacy and situation reporting
• Provide technical guidance and capacity building on protection standards, risk analysis, safe referrals, protection monitoring and SOPs, and advance protection mainstreaming across sectors
• Coordinate protection monitoring, key informant interviews, field assessments and the Protection Analytical Framework, and produce protection analysis updates, alerts and advocacy briefs
• Facilitate evidence-based advocacy on attacks against civilians, unsafe displacement, movement restrictions and denial of essential services
• Maintain 5W/service-mapping, referral and response-monitoring tools, applying data responsibility, confidentiality and informed consent
• Strengthen accountability to affected populations, referral pathways and community feedback mechanisms

Required profile

• Postgraduate degree in international law, social sciences, humanitarian studies or a related field
• At least three years of humanitarian protection experience in complex emergencies, with substantial inter-agency coordination experience, preferably in a Protection Cluster/Sector leadership role
• Experience in Sudan or a comparable conflict-affected context, with field coordination, localisation and capacity strengthening, is strongly desirable
• Advanced written and spoken English; fluency in Arabic is strongly desirable

Required skills

• Protection risk analysis, monitoring and the humanitarian programme cycle
• Strong understanding of IASC/GPC guidance, thematic group mandates, protection principles and international humanitarian and human rights law
• Ability to engage senior humanitarian leadership and donors, and to draft concise strategic and analytical products