The International Assistance department is responsible for all Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) international support for victims of disasters and conflicts and for vulnerable people exposed to hazards.
The International Assistance department has opened a vacancy for a Regional Protection Delegate:
Position title: Regional protection Delegate Overseas Branches
Duty station: Aruba (Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Time period: 10 months
Starting Date: asap
Status: Single posting
Purpose of the position
The Regional Protection Delegate will support and advice the Red Cross branches in the Dutch Caribbean to enhance the impact, reach and efficiency of response operations through the integration and coordination of PGI activities and approaches. This includes specialised Protection activities (such as those regarding migration, trafficking in human beings, immigration detention and Restoring Family Links RFL), Protection Gender and Inclusion mainstreaming, advocacy and humanitarian diplomacy and capacity building. The delegate will strengthen relationships with key stakeholders incl. government and coordinate with IFRC and ICRC plus Movement partners where relevant in light of RFL and the IFRC ‘Emergency Appeal Americas: Population Movement’.
Background
The Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) has overseas branches (OSBs) on 6 Caribbean islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius). These branches are part of the NLRC and focus on direct emergency aid after disasters and the provision of assistance to vulnerable groups on the island. One of these groups consists of vulnerable migrants. In Aruba and Curacao, countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an estimated 40.000 migrants have arrived since 2017 due to the regional population movement in the Americas. Others have arrived in smaller numbers on Bonaire and Sint Maarten. According to estimates of the Red Cross and UNHCR, a large percentage of this group is in a vulnerable position. Due to minimal protection policies and restrictions on the possibility to apply for regular stay, many migrants do not have access to basic services. On top of these circumstances, the COVID pandemic and resulting restrictions negatively impacted the economies of the islands. Already vulnerable groups amongst the local population are hit the hardest and the branches address the basic needs of both vulnerable residents and migrants.
Position in the organization
The Regional Protection delegate reports hierarchically to the Protection and Migration Program Manager Caribbean branches (PMPM) of the NLRC Caribbean desk. The position requires close linking with local branch managers, volunteers and (regional) staff, especially Red Cross Aruba, Red Cross Curacao, Red Cross Bonaire and Red Cross St Maarten, with relevant regional partners (like IFRC, ICRC and other humanitarian actors) and with the NLRC Response Preparedness delegate based in the region.
Summary statement and key responsibilities
- · Protection mainstreaming: Ensure that branch activities and policies meet Movement minimum Protection standards (including emergency response)
- · Ensure understanding and implementation of the ‘do no harm principle’ across all services of the OSBs
- · Promote the minimum protection approach (while remaining focused on service provision, the NS is able to identify and address the protection needs identified through service provision and community engagement) in all branches through:
- Establishing and maintaining internal escalation pathways and protection focal points. This requires creating internal leadership support and understanding, as well as training and capacity building of OSB staff and volunteers on protection;
- Establishing and maintaining an effective and safe external referral mechanism (with protection actors) for individual cases and issues ensuring informed consent of the individual(s) concerned;
- Supporting OSBs in dialogue and advocacy with authorities and other interlocutors on individual or systemic protection concerns where possible and appropriate;
- Directly meeting individuals’ needs arising from protection concerns through service provision
- Ensure updated mapping of other actors (for referral, information and lobby on protection concerns)
- Perform or contribute to data gathering and needs analyses from a protection perspective
- Support, advise on, and monitor the quality of specialised protection activities performed by volunteers and staff (prevention of trafficking in human beings project, immigration detention visits, eligibility criteria for (cash) support to vulnerable individuals)
- Integrate data protection safeguards (in collection, storage and analysis of disaggregated data), in coordination with information managers and support the development and proper use of case management systems and tools by the OSBs
- Coordinate Protection activities of the OSBs under NLRC supervision and proactively communicate with HQ about new protection needs with a focus on Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire and St Maarten but not excluding Saba and Sint-Eustatius.
- Support the roll-out of the OSB strategy, in particular the outputs related to Protection, Gender and Inclusion (PGI)
- Support the development of lobby and advocacy messages of the OSBs for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations on the islands, in coordination with the PMPM Caribbean Branches
- Maintain contact with ICRC Caracas ABC protection delegate and IFRC Migration team/advisors in Panama on (regional) activities and protection concerns, in coordination with the PMPM Caribbean branches
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Requirements/Qualifications**
Key qualifications
- Academic qualification or equivalent professional training in migration law, human rights, gender studies, or related field
- 3-5 years of experience in a protection, migration, human rights, (RFL), social inclusion related role, with minimum of 1-year fieldwork experience
- Previous experience in a delegate or advisory role
- Demonstrated experience in an organisation within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement or in an international humanitarian organisation
- Demonstrated facilitation skills
- Demonstrated experience in applying humanitarian protection/migration/gender/accessibility standards and guidelines
- Experience in developing and delivering training courses
- Experience in reporting
- Knowledge of the Red Cross Movement tools
- Fluency in English and Spanish required, Papiamentu is an advantage **
- Experience in working with volunteers
- Willingness to travel between the overseas branches
- Experience in working in politically sensitive environments
- Practical computer skills (including excellent command of Excel spreadsheets, Windows, Word processing, internet and email)
- Affinity with the Caribbean Regio
Key competencies
- Able to work in a team
- High degree of integrity, discretion, and personal conduct
- Strong communication and training / coaching skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Flexible and adaptable to changing working conditions
- Self-motivated, with good judgment and initiative
- Ability to manage broad responsibilities with attention to detail
- Good interpersonal skills
- Stress resistant
- Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
- Hands-on mentality
The Netherlands Red Cross is looking for talented employees who are motivated to fulfil this position, regardless of cultural background, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation or age.
We offer
- A full-time appointment (based on 40-hour work week) for 10 months on one of the leeward Caribbean islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (preferably Aruba)
- A flexible and human centred working environment in an international environment with a variety of local and regional organizations.
- Well balanced employment conditions with space for initiative and development.
How to apply:
Please send your resume in English and a letter of motivation with reference to Rob Vugs before 12 July 2021, through the following link: https://werkenbij.rodekruis.nl/nl/Vacature/Solliciteren/194501/job
Interviews will start as soon as applications come in, with the aim to start deployment as of 1 August 2021.
For more information about the position, please contact Joke Reijven at jreijven@redcross.nl
An assessment and reference check are part of the selection procedure
For more information of the work of the Netherlands Red Cross please go to www.rodekruis.nl
NLRC on Facebook: Facebook.com/rodekruis and Twitter: Twitter.com/rodekruis
Acquisition for this vacancy will not be appreciated*