Especialista de Protección (VBG)

The Especialista de Protección (VBG) leads the technical quality of VBG programming in Venezuela, working mainly through local partners. Provides technical leadership, quality assurance, and capacity development for prevention, risk mitigation, and response in VBG, including survivor-centered case management and psychosocial support. Coordinates with Protection Coordinator to ensure programming aligns with VBG prevention and response principles and represents DRC in VBG coordination spaces.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical supervision, guidance, and accompaniment in VBG prevention, risk mitigation, and response, including survivor-centered case management and structured psychosocial support to local partners and DRC protection staff.
• Support partners and DRC teams in safe and ethical use of VBG information management system and compliance with Information Sharing Protocol, ensuring data protection, confidentiality, and informed consent.
• Ensure prevention, risk mitigation, and psychosocial support activities by partners and DRC are survivor-centered and age- and gender-appropriate; strengthen referral pathways including clinical management of sexual violence with urgency criteria.
• Develop and adapt technical tools, standard operating procedures, guidance notes, and case management, referral, and data protection systems for partners and DRC programming; advise on complex cases; contribute to VBG assessment, design, strategy, action plans, and quality of proposals and concept notes.
• Promote integration of VBG in partner and DRC programming and other sectors (Child Protection, Psychosocial Support, Protection, WASH, Shelter, Economic Recovery/Livelihoods).
• Supervise integration of gender-transformative approaches and promote VBG risk mitigation and protection mainstreaming in partner and DRC programming and other sectors.
• Provide technical inputs for donor and management reports; support partner participation in coordination; represent DRC in VBG coordination and Protection Cluster; build relationships with VBG actors, women's organizations, UN agencies, and relevant ministries.
• Support country office information management priorities as requested by Protection Coordinator and Head of Programs.
• Promote survivor-centered approach and VBG guiding principles; perform other relevant tasks as requested by supervisor.
• Conduct capacity assessments of partners and DRC teams; develop and monitor tailored capacity development plans.
• Design and deliver training, accompaniment, and mentoring for VBG teams of partners and DRC, including induction of new staff; support supervision of cases, quality review, and strengthening of incentivized staff/community volunteers.

Requirements

• University degree or master's in Social Sciences, Human Rights, Psychology, Gender Studies, Law or related field (preferably master's).
• Specialized training in VBG (e.g., VBG case management, survivor-centered approach, safe information management) is expected.
• At least four years of experience in protection with advanced knowledge in VBG programming, including case management, psychosocial support, and supervision.
• Strong knowledge of VBG guiding principles, survivor-centered approach, IASC case management guidelines, and Minimum Inter-Agency Standards for VBG in emergencies.
• Familiarity with safe data handling.
• Proven experience in capacity development and technical mentoring to local partner organizations; experience in starting new VBG programming is an advantage.
• Understanding of gender equality and intersectional approaches in humanitarian action.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish and English.

Skills

• VBG Case Management
• Survivor Centred Approaches
• Safe Information Management
• Psychosocial Support
• VBG Programming
• VBG Guiding Principles
• IASC Case Management Guidelines
• Minimum Inter-Agency Standards for VBG
• Safe data handling
• Capacity Development
• Technical Mentoring
• Gender Equality
• Intersectional Approach
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint

Languages

Spanish, English