Child Protection Coordinator-Local Hire

Position Summary

The Child Protection (CP) Coordinator is responsible for leading and coordinating child protection activities under a funded healthcare project in Gaza. The position ensures safe, ethical, and effective protection services for children, including case management, psychosocial support, and prevention activities. The CP Coordinator will provide technical leadership, oversee program implementation, and strengthen local capacity to protect children in a complex humanitarian and emergency context.

Principal Responsibilities

• Support the development of a child protection program culture that reflects Project HOPE’s humanitarian values, promotes accountability, and ensures high-quality, ethical service delivery.
• Provide technical leadership on child protection programming, including prevention of abuse, exploitation, neglect, and violence.
• Act as a key technical advisor to program and operations leadership on CP strategies, policies, and service delivery models.
• Ensure coordination and collaboration with local authorities, child protection clusters, and partner organizations.
• Contribute to organizational objectives through participation in strategy development, policy formulation, and technical guidance.

Program Planning & Implementation

• Develop technical program designs, implementation methodologies, and field tools.
• Lead the planning, implementation, scheduling, and supervision of child protection activities in line with project objectives and donor requirements.
• Ensure all child protection interventions are inclusive, culturally appropriate, and specifically tailored to meet the needs of children with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
• Ensure all interventions are delivered on time, within budget, and according to monthly workplans and quality standards.
• Establish and maintain robust case management systems, referral pathways, and follow-up procedures for children at risk.
• Proactively identify programming gaps and suggest enhancements to the protection response.
• Track service delivery indicators and recommend corrective actions to ensure project objectives are met.
• Represent Project Hope in coordination meetings and work closely with partners to harmonize efforts.

Technical Oversight, Reporting & Compliance

• Oversee CP services to ensure compliance with Project HOPE guidelines, donor requirements, and national child protection policies.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting on CP activities to Gaza leadership, headquarters, and donors.
• Maintain effective systems for confidential child protection records, data management, and safeguarding.
• Work closely with the M&E department to ensure data are collected, adequate technical tools are in place, and data are analyzed and used to better report on activities and to ensure quality services for beneficiaries.
• Lead assessments, monitoring visits, and quality improvement initiatives for CP programming.
• Support donor monitoring visits and external evaluations related to child protection activities.
• Build capacity of CP staff through training, mentoring, and supportive supervision.

Staff Management & Development

• Ensure appropriate staffing levels and technical competencies within the CP team.
• Lead and mentor CP officers, CP case managers, and community outreach staff, setting clear expectations and monitoring performance.
• Identify training & coaching needs and develop a capacity building strategy.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and professional development of CP personnel.
• Manage staff performance through measurable objectives, continuous feedback, and fair evaluations.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, and continuous learning within the CP function.

Risk Management & Safeguarding

• Support Gaza leadership in applying a risk management approach to child protection programming.
• Identify programmatic, ethical, and operational risks related to child protection services and ensure mitigation measures are implemented.
• Ensure safeguarding, protection, and confidentiality standards are strictly followed in all CP interventions.
• Maintain and regularly update CP risk registers and incident reporting mechanisms.
• Ensure all activities are child-centered and guided by humanitarian principles and ethical standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Child Development, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 3-7 years of progressive experience in child protection programming, preferably in humanitarian or emergency contexts.
• Strong technical knowledge of case management, psychosocial support, and prevention of abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
• Experience with inter-agency child protection standards and tools (e.g., CPMS, CPIMS+).
• Demonstrated experience managing CP teams and supervising service delivery.
• Experience with scalable intervention (PM+, TRT, SH+, EASE).
• Experience working with donor-funded projects.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and coordination skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to collaborate across departments and cultures.
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Physical Demands And Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be mobile in an office environment and able to use standard office equipment.
• Must be able to communicate in verbal and written form and must be able to travel internationally.
• Project HOPE employees may be required to travel or work in countries where working conditions are classified as “hardship.”
• Work Environment: Typical office environment with exposure to a minimal noise level. Emergency deployments may be in resource-deprived environments with austere living conditions. Travel for extended periods may be by air and/or other modes of transportation.