The Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) is a U.S.-registered, health-focused humanitarian organization committed to supporting vulnerable communities affected by the ongoing crisis in Sudan. SAPA works with local partners, medical networks, and international actors to deliver life-saving health interventions, strengthen community resilience, and support emergency response operations.

Due to increasing protection risks in Sudan including displacement, heightened GBV risks, family separation, and restricted access to essential services SAPA aims to ensure that all health and humanitarian programming is safe, inclusive, and aligned with international protection standards. To support this goal, SAPA seeks a qualified Protection Specialist to provide technical leadership, integrate protection principles across programs, and enhance safeguarding systems and risk mitigation mechanisms.

Purpose of the Role

The Protection Specialist will provide technical expertise to ensure SAPA’s interventions uphold international protection standards and contribute to safe, dignified, and equitable access to services. The role focuses on protection mainstreaming, safeguarding compliance, capacity strengthening, risk assessment, and supporting integration of protection-sensitive approaches across all SAPA programs.

Key Responsibilities

A. Technical Protection Leadership

Provide high-level technical guidance on protection risk mitigation, safe programming, and adherence to IASC and Sphere protection standards.

Lead the development and roll-out of SAPA’s Protection Strategy, including tools, SOPs, and minimum standards.

Review program designs, assessments, and tools to ensure protection integration and compliance.

B. Program Design & Implementation Support

Conduct protection and context risk analyses to inform program planning and operational decision-making.

Support the integration of protection components into health and multi-sector interventions, including referrals, safe access measures, and community engagement.

Strengthen linkages between SAPA’s medical programming and protection services (e.g., GBV, CP, MHPSS referrals).

C. Capacity Building

Develop training curricula and deliver capacity-building sessions for SAPA staff, volunteers, and partners on:

Protection principles and humanitarian standards

GBV and Child Protection referral pathways

Safeguarding and PSEA

Community-based protection

Do No Harm and conflict sensitivity

Provide ongoing mentorship and technical troubleshooting.

D. Safeguarding & PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse)

Review and enhance SAPA’s safeguarding policies and reporting procedures.

Lead internal awareness campaigns on safeguarding, ethics, and PSEA.

Provide safe, confidential guidance on case handling, ensuring survivor-centered responses.

E. Coordination & Representation

Represent SAPA in Protection Cluster meetings, technical working groups (GBV, CP, PSEA), and inter-agency coordination platforms.

Strengthen partnerships with local CSOs, protection actors, and service providers to enhance referral pathways and information sharing.

F. Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

Develop protection-specific indicators, monitoring tools, and reporting templates.

Conduct periodic reviews of protection integration across SAPA projects and provide clear recommendations.

Document lessons learned, best practices, and gaps to support continuous improvement.

Key Deliverables

• SAPA Protection Strategy and mainstreaming framework
• Updated safeguarding policy and reporting mechanisms
• Protection risk assessment reports
• Monthly technical reports and recommendations
• Training modules and completed capacity-building sessions
• Inputs to project proposals, donor reports, and strategic planning
• Strengthened referral pathways and coordination mechanisms

Minimum 5–7 years of proven experience in protection roles within humanitarian or conflict-affected contexts.

Demonstrated experience in GBV, Child Protection, safeguarding, and PSEA implementation.

Track record in developing protection tools, policies, assessments, or strategies.

Experience working with INGOs, UN agencies, or national organizations; Sudan context experience is a strong asset.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent coordination and communication abilities.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage complex workload.
• Strong training, facilitation, and coaching skills.
• Fluency in Arabic and English (written and spoken).
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.

Code of Conduct & Safeguarding

The Protection Specialist must adhere to SAPA’s Code of Conduct, safeguarding policy, PSEA standards, child protection commitments, and all confidentiality guidelines. Breaches of safeguarding or ethical standards constitute grounds for immediate dismissal.

Note:

We encourage women to apply