Protection Coordinator

General Purpose of the Position:

The Protection Coordinator is responsible for leading the implementation and quality oversight of the protection and mental health and psychosocial support programs within the Migrant Centre, ensuring that interventions are responsive to the evolving needs of migrant communities and aligned with organizational policies, procedures, and relevant local regulations. This role ensures strong coordination with internal teams and external stakeholders to support effective, integrated, and community-based programming. The Protection Coordinator directly supervises a team of social workers and a clinical psychologist, providing technical guidance and operational support to ensure high-quality interventions. Working in close collaboration with the Project Manager, the role contributes to the overall functioning of the Migrant Centre and supports its broader mission of accompanying and serving migrant communities. In the current context of the ongoing war, the Protection Coordinator will serve in JRS’s Emergency Migrant Shelter, overseeing daily operations and supervising protection and MHPSS interventions. The role will transition back to the Migrant Centre upon the closure of the shelter.

Main Responsibilities of the Position:

1. Programme Coordination and Quality Oversight

• Lead the planning, implementation, and monitoring of all protection and MHPSS activities at the Migrant Centre and, in the current context, within the Emergency Shelter.
• Ensure that all interventions are aligned with project objectives, organizational policies and standards, protection and MHPSS principles, and relevant ethical guidelines, including the principles of confidentiality, dignity, participation, non-discrimination, and do no harm.
• Work closely with the Project Manager and the Country Protection Coordinator to assess programme effectiveness, identify gaps and challenges, and implement improvements to strengthen the quality, relevance, and impact of interventions.
• Support programme adaptation in response to contextual developments and operational changes, including the transition from Emergency Shelter operations back to regular programming within the Migrant Centre.

2. Community Engagement and External Coordination

• Maintain strong proximity and active engagement with migrant communities and community networks in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, ensuring that programmes remain grounded in their realities, priorities, and evolving needs.
• Actively participate in Protection Working Group meetings and other relevant mechanisms to contribute to sector-level coordination, information sharing, and alignment with broader protection and MHPSS strategies and responses.
• Establish and maintain strong operational relationships with organizations and stakeholders supporting migrant communities to strengthen collaboration at case and service level, enhance complementarity between interventions, and ensure effective referral pathways for migrants across their different protection, psychosocial, and basic needs.

3. Reporting, Documentation, and Compliance

• Prepare and submit comprehensive reports on programme implementation, progress, challenges, and key outcomes to the Project Manager.
• Contribute to the development of internal and external reports, assessments, and communication materials that accurately reflect the realities and needs of the migrant communities served, highlight programme achievements, and document lessons learned and good practices.
• Ensure that all programme documentation and means of verification are properly completed, organized, updated, and readily accessible for reporting, monitoring, audit, and compliance purposes.
• Ensure the timely reporting of any safeguarding concern or incident to the Country Safeguarding Officer, in full compliance with JRS safeguarding policies and procedures.

4. Team Management and Technical Supervision

• Line-manage and support the Protection team, including social workers and clinical psychologist, through regular supervision, guidance, performance follow-up, and constructive feedback.
• Provide technical oversight and support to the team, ensuring that protection and MHPSS interventions are implemented in line with organizational standards, ethical principles, and the Do No Harm approach.
• Promote a collaborative, respectful, and supportive work environment that encourages staff wellbeing and professional development.
• Contribute to recruitment, onboarding, and capacity-building processes for protection and MHPSS staff, as required.
• Carry out any other relevant responsibilities assigned by the Project Manager within the scope and objectives of the position.

Qualifications, Skills, and Attributes:

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Social Work, Social Sciences, or a related field (master’s degree is an asset).
• At least 3 years of experience in a similar role, preferably within the humanitarian or NGO sector.
• Proven experience in Protection programming for migrant communities in Lebanon
• Experience in case management and handling high-risk cases
• Proficiency in software applications such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with monitoring and evaluation tools.
• Strong problem-solving skills, excellent listener, and an ability to approach complex situations with creativity and flexibility.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders and work collaboratively with team members.
• Fluency in both written and spoken Arabic and English is required; good command of written and spoken English is highly desirable.
• Compassion and strong commitment for migrant workers, refugees and other displaced people.

Core Values and Ethics

• Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision, and values; ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
• Trustworthy and good listener.
• High sense of discretion in always dealing with confidential matters.
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as core values.
• High integrity and honesty; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations, and information.