Assistant, Community Based Protection (Baidoa)

Country: Somalia Organization: Center for Civilians in Conflict Closing date: 29 Oct 2026 Duty station: Baidoa Field travel: Baidoa — Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle including high-risk frontline locations, subject to CIVIC security procedures. Expected start date: 1 December 2026, to be confirmed and subject to project funding. Contract duration: 12 months, to be confirmed and subject to project funding. Project and funding status: Anticipated project. Funding has not yet been secured; recruitment and appointment are contingent on confirmed funding and approval to proceed. 1. Background Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international non-governmental humanitarian protection organization that works to protect civilians affected by armed conflict. CIVIC works with communities, governments, security actors, civil society, and other partners to prevent, mitigate, and respond to civilian harm. In Somalia, CIVIC supports community-based protection, civilian harm mitigation, community-security and civil-military dialogue, engagement with security institutions, evidence and research, and policy and institutional efforts to strengthen civilian protection. A central part of CIVIC’s approach is supporting conflict-affected communities to identify and prioritize protection concerns, develop locally led responses, engage relevant authorities and security actors, and follow up on actions intended to improve civilian protection. CIVIC supports Community Protection Groups (CPGs) and Community Protection Champions as locally rooted mechanisms for community engagement, protection analysis, advocacy and dialogue. CIVIC works with these structures to strengthen their capacity to identify and document protection concerns, conduct Protection of Civilians (PoC) awareness and engagement activities, engage authorities and security actors, participate in community-security dialogues, follow up on protection concerns and agreed actions, and monitor changes affecting civilian safety. To strengthen the capacity, leadership and sustainability of community-based protection structures, and to sustain CIVIC’s field presence and accompaniment alongside them, the Somalia Programme anticipates recruiting an Assistant Community-Based Protection based in Baidoa. These positions are planned for an anticipated project for which funding has not yet been secured. Recruitment and appointment are contingent on confirmation of project funding and approval to proceed. 2. Position Summary The Assistant, Community-Based Protection will support implementation and day-to-day follow-up of CIVIC’s community-based protection and civilian harm mitigation activities within an assigned geographic area. Through sustained support to Community Protection Groups (CPGs) and Community Protection Champions and direct engagement with local authorities, security and armed forces and conflict-affected communities, including in high-risk frontline areas, the Assistant will strengthen community leadership, facilitate safe, inclusive dialogue and follow up on commitments to reduce civilian harm. The Assistant will support community consultations and protection analysis, PoC workshops and community-led activities; prepare communities and security actors for structured dialogue; and follow up on protection concerns and agreed actions. Central to the role is strengthening CPGs’ and Champions’ ability to independently convene discussions, conduct PoC awareness and workshops, engage authorities and security actors, raise protection concerns, facilitate or participate in dialogue, and follow up agreed actions. The Assistant will maintain regular community and stakeholder relationships, monitor community protection mechanisms and document changes resulting from community-led action and CIVIC-supported engagement. The role requires sustained field presence and regular travel, including to high-risk frontline and conflict-affected areas under CIVIC security procedures. This position is based in Baidoa, covering Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle. All travel and activities depend on programme priorities, access assessments, security clearance and CIVIC duty-of-care requirements. 3. Key Responsibilities Across all responsibilities, strengthen the capacity, ownership and sustainability of CPGs and Community Protection Champions to increasingly lead protection activities independently of CIVIC. A. Community Engagement and Protection Analysis • Maintain continuous, inclusive community engagement beyond workshops and dialogues, involving women, youth, elders, persons with disabilities, displaced communities, minority groups and others facing heightened protection risks. • Support consultations and joint analysis with communities and CPGs to identify and prioritize protection concerns, determine community-led responses, and distinguish issues requiring authorities, security, humanitarian or other actors. • Identify emerging protection concerns and promptly communicate significant developments through CIVIC programme and management channels. B. CPG and Community Protection Champion Capacity Strengthening • Provide structured accompaniment, mentoring, training, refresher sessions, coaching and peer learning to build CPGs’ and Champions’ capacity, confidence and independence in PoC, civilian harm, community-based protection, conflict sensitivity, early warning and locally led approaches, including developing and updating protection action plans. • Support CPGs and Champions to prioritize issues, prepare objectives and increasingly plan, organize and lead PoC workshops, consultations, awareness and protection engagements. Accompany activities, progressively transfer facilitation and leadership, coach engagement with decision-makers, and support documentation of issues, decisions and agreed actions. • Follow up and document agreed actions and examples of independent activities, authority or security engagement, and resolution or escalation of protection concerns.Promote meaningful participation of women, youth and groups facing heightened risks, and exchange learning across programme locations where appropriate. C. Engagement with Security and Armed Forces and Frontline Dialogue • Prepare communities, CPGs, authorities and security and armed forces for structured civil-military and community-security dialogue, including in frontline areas. Conduct separate consultations to prioritize concerns, agree discussion points and assess participation, confidentiality and retaliation risks. • With CIVIC staff and CPGs, organize and facilitate safe, inclusive dialogue with security and armed forces, including commanders and liaison officers, supporting community representatives to raise concerns and agree practical civilian harm prevention and mitigation measures. • Record commitments, focal points and timelines in an action tracker; follow up implementation with communities, authorities and forces, and provide community feedback. Maintain district, state and field-level security relationships under CIVIC protocols; support recurring dialogue, safe communication and PoC awareness with colleagues, raise emerging harm concerns and encourage improvements. Engagement must exclude operational intelligence gathering or sharing. D. Protection Concerns, Referrals and Follow-Up • Support safe identification, confidential documentation and records of protection concerns under CIVIC policies and programme approaches, avoiding unnecessary risks to community members. • Help CPGs and Champions identify safe pathways to raise concerns with authorities, security and armed forces or other stakeholders. Support specialized referrals through established protection service providers, with informed consent and confidentiality, within CIVIC’s mandate and procedures. • Follow up concerns, document actor responses and monitor unresolved issues requiring programme, advocacy or management attention.Immediately escalate sensitive, serious or urgent concerns through appropriate CIVIC channels. E. Monitoring Community Protection Systems • Monitor CPG and Champion functionality, effectiveness and progress toward independent leadership, including regular meetings, identification of concerns, action plans, decision-maker engagement and follow-up. Assess participation and representation of women, youth and other relevant groups, and identify additional mentoring, training or support needs. • Maintain updated membership, Champion activity, community-led initiative and follow-up records; contribute to periodic reviews of functionality, sustainability and readiness for greater ownership or transition. F. Monitoring Outcomes, Evidence and Learning • Document changes from community engagement, CPG advocacy, workshops, dialogue and other interventions; track whether commitments change security-force practices, authority responses, community behaviour or other protection outcomes. • Conduct or support focus groups, key informant interviews, perception surveys and other monitoring and learning activities. Collect feedback on intervention relevance and perceived changes in safety, access and relationships with authorities and security actors. • Identify successful community-led approaches, recurring barriers and lessons for adaptation. With programme and monitoring colleagues, ensure accurate, documented evidence for decision-making, programme and donor reports, learning products and advocacy. G. Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination • Maintain constructive relationships and updated stakeholder mapping with community leaders, district and state government institutions, relevant security structures, civil society, women’s and youth groups, humanitarian and protection actors and other stakeholders. • Safely connect CPGs and communities with appropriate stakeholders to address protection concerns; attend local coordination meetings when requested, provide timely programme feedback and support CIVIC and partner field missions. H. Programme Implementation and Reporting • Support activity planning and implementation with CPGs, Champions, communities and stakeholders, including logistical and administrative arrangements. • Prepare timely activity reports, field updates and meeting notes; maintain accurate participant records, required sex- and age-disaggregated data, and a tracker of CPG activities, concerns, dialogue commitments, community-led actions and outstanding follow-up. • Update the Community Engagement Officer on progress, emerging issues, stakeholder dynamics, risks and opportunities; contribute field evidence, outcomes, challenges and lessons to monthly, quarterly and donor reporting. I. Frontline Travel, Conflict Sensitivity, Safeguarding and Duty of Care • Apply conflict-sensitive, inclusive and do-no-harm approaches; maintain strict confidentiality and avoid exposing participants, CPG members or Champions to retaliation or other risks through engagement, documentation or advocacy. • Avoid expectations or commitments outside CIVIC’s mandate or authority.Immediately report safeguarding, security and serious protection concerns through established procedures and comply with CIVIC’s Code of Conduct, safeguarding requirements and organizational policies. • Coordinate travel with programme and security focal points, obtain clearance, follow approved movement, communication and check-in arrangements, and promptly report access or security changes. Postpone, relocate or suspend travel or dialogue when CIVIC procedures require it or participant safety cannot be adequately addressed. 4. Geographic Responsibilities Duty station: Baidoa. Geographic coverage: CIVIC programme locations across Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle, including Baidoa and Hudur, as prioritized by the Somalia programme. The Assistant will travel regularly from Baidoa to support community-based protection, engagement with relevant security and armed forces, and dialogue in conflict-affected and high-risk frontline locations. Provide sustained accompaniment to CPGs and Champions across assigned locations; strengthen their ability to identify protection concerns, implement community protection action plans, lead PoC awareness activities, engage authorities and armed forces, and follow up on dialogue commitments. In Hudur and other locations, tailor mentoring to the capacity and needs of each community protection structure and promote progressive community ownership. Field visits and frontline activities require CIVIC authorization, security and access assessments, movement planning and compliance with duty-of-care procedures. 5. Qualifications and Experience • Bachelor's degree in social sciences, human rights, international relations, development studies or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. • Minimum 6 years of relevant experience in community engagement, protection, humanitarian, human rights or peacebuilding programming, preferably in Somalia or a comparable context. • Demonstrated experience working with community-based structures or similar participatory community protection mechanisms. • Familiarity with Protection of Civilians (PoC), civilian harm prevention and mitigation, community-based protection, and civil-military and community-security dialogue approaches. Experience working in frontline or other high-risk conflict environments is an asset. • Demonstrated skills in community-based protection, inclusive facilitation, conflict-sensitive communication and community liaison, including experience engaging security and armed forces and facilitating dialogue with conflict-affected communities. • Fluency in Somali required; working proficiency in English is essential. • Willingness and ability to undertake regular field travel from the assigned duty station, including to high-risk frontline and conflict-affected locations, subject to CIVIC access conditions including travelling on road where necessary. • Strong written and spoken communication skills, including experience preparing activity reports, meeting notes and field updates. • Commitment to CIVIC's mandate and values, and to conflict-sensitive, inclusive and do-no-harm approaches. 7. Safeguarding and Code of Conduct CIVIC is committed to safeguarding the people it works with and maintains a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, and to any other conduct that undermines its mission. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and background checks. The successful candidate will be required to sign and adhere to CIVIC's Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy. Additional Details Application Deadline: October 29, 2026 Due to the high volume of applications, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will receive an email invitation from TestGorilla to submit their resume. Please complete this step promptly to ensure your candidacy is fully considered. CIVIC is an Equal Opportunities Employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: CIVIC does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by agencies other than its approved partners. How to apply Click here to apply via CIVIC's careers website.