About CIVIC

Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) is an international non-governmental organization with offices around the world working to improve protection for civilians in conflict zones. CIVIC envisions a world in which no civilian is harmed in conflict. Our mission is to support communities affected by conflict in their quest for protection and work with armed actors to strengthen their capacity and resolve to prevent and respond to civilian harm. We are humanitarian protection advocates who believe that no civilian caught in conflict should be ignored, and we provide practical solutions to preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian harm. Learn more at
civiliansinconflict.org.

About the Position

In Somalia, CIVIC supports the government and security actors to integrate civilian harm mitigation and protection strategies into military and security operations, while strengthening community-level protection mechanisms. Somalia continues to face protracted armed violence, recurring climate-induced displacement, food insecurity, and a fragmented security landscape shaped by federalism, political transitions, and non-state actors. As a result, the need for coordinated, technically sound, and locally grounded civilian protection programming is more critical than ever.

The Senior Programs Manage (Civilian Protection Technical Lead) will provide strategic, technical, financial, and operational leadership for the design, delivery, and expansion of CIVIC’s protection programming in Somalia. The role combines high-level technical advisory, program management, budget oversight, capacity strengthening, and stakeholder engagement to ensure effective implementation, learning, and sustainability.

Location: Mogadishu, Somalia (with frequent travel to federal member states and field locations and Nairobi, Kenya)
Reports to: Country Director – Somalia and Kenya
Duration: 12 months (renewable, based on performance and funding)

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership and Program Quality

• Lead the design and delivery of evidence-based civilian protection programs, ensuring contextual relevance, strategic alignment, and measurable impact across operational areas.

• Spearhead the development of national civilian protection policies and strategic frameworks, embedding International Humanitarian Law (IHL), International Human Rights Law (IHRL), Protection of Civilians (PoC) standards, conflict sensitivity, and Do No Harm principles.

• Provide high-level technical guidance to government institutions, security actors, and humanitarian stakeholderson Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM), including Civilian Casualty Tracking, Analysis, and Response Mechanisms (CCITRM), community-based protection models, and integrated response strategies.

• Oversee the development, contextualization, and dissemination of technical tools, training curricula, and operational guidance materials, tailored to diverse audiences including military actors, civilian authorities, and frontline protection partners.

2. Strategic Program Delivery and Oversight

• Lead day-to-day program delivery, ensuring alignment with work plans, donor contracts, and strategic goals.

• Monitor progress through results-based management and adaptive learning approaches.

• Lead coordination with field teams and partners for timely and quality implementation in complex environments.

• Ensure alignment across program components: community engagement, security actor training, and policy advocacy.

3. Budget Management and Financial Oversight

• Collaborate with the Country Director and Finance team to develop, manage, and monitor program budgets.

• Ensure responsible use of funds and compliance with donor regulations, internal policies, and procurement procedures.

• Track budget performance and provide regular updates, forecasts, and variance analyses.

• Support proposal budget development and donor financial reporting in coordination with the Grants and Finance teams.

• Ensure cost-effectiveness and accountability across all operational and programmatic expenditures.

4. Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening

• Mentor and build the capacity of national staff, local partners, and relevant stakeholders in civilian protection principles and best practices.

• Lead assessments of institutional and community capacities, designing tailored technical assistance accordingly.

• Support training delivery for the Somali National Army, police, local defense forces, and civilian actors.

• Contribute to national protection systems and policy development through structured engagement.

5. Business Development and Fundraising

• Identify new funding and partnership opportunities in coordination with the Country Director and global programs team.

• Lead or contribute to concept notes, full proposals, and engagement with donor representatives.

• Provide technical inputs to logframes, theories of change, and narratives for protection- related opportunities.

• Map emerging trends and opportunities linked to climate-security, forced displacement, and stabilization.

6. Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Influence

• Represent CIVIC at national and regional coordination platforms, including the Protection Cluster, Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord), donor roundtables, and inter-agency forums, ensuring protection priorities are embedded in collective strategies and decision-making.

• Establish and sustain strategic relationships with Somalia’s security actors, relevant government authorities, the African Union (AUSSOM), and UN missions, to promote principled engagement and collaborative protection efforts.

• Lead and contribute to national policy and reform processes, including the development, adoption, and implementation of the National Civilian Protection Policy, civilian harm accountability frameworks, and transitional justice dialogues.

• Advocate for the integration of civilian protection into Somalia’s security, stabilization, and peacebuilding agendas, influencing national and international actors to adopt conflict-sensitive, strategic protection approaches.

7. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Oversee development of protection indicators, learning agendas, and data collection systems.

• Ensure learning feeds into program adaptations, donor reporting, and global knowledge sharing.

• Produce and disseminate case studies, success stories, and lessons learned.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree in International Relations, Human Rights, Peacebuilding, Public Administration, or a closely related field, with specialized knowledge in civilian protection and conflict transformation.

• Over 10 years of progressive experience leading complex civilian protection, peacekeeping, and protection governance programs, including 5+ years of field-based leadership in fragile and conflict-affected environments.

• Recognized technical expertise in the design and implementation of Protection of Civilians (PoC) strategies, including application of IHL/IHRL frameworks, engagement with security sector actors, and development of community-based protection mechanisms.

• Robust experience in managing multi-million-dollar program portfolios, ensuring full donor compliance (UN, EU, FCDO, USAID, etc.), budget integrity, and operational accountability across humanitarian and stabilization contexts.

• Proven success in business development and resource mobilization, with a strong track record of securing institutional and bilateral donor funding in politically sensitive and high-risk environments.

• Exceptional leadership, coordination, and capacity-strengthening skills, with experience managing multi-disciplinary teams, inter-agency partnerships, and cross-sectoral protection interventions.

• Fluent in English; proficiency in Somali is a strong asset for operating in local contexts and enhancing community trust and localization strategies.

Desirable Attributes

• Familiarity with Somalia’s federal system, political dynamics, and security sector architecture.

• Experience working with armed actors and sensitive political environments.

• Strong understanding of humanitarian architecture and donor landscape (e.g., Netherlands, FCDO, EU, USA, AU, UN).

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under pressure.

Additional Details

Application deadline: August 18, 2025

Preferred start date: As soon as possible

Position is contingent upon the availability of funding.

Due to the high volume of applications, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

CIVIC seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool in the belief that employees from diverse backgrounds are critical to achieving our goals. We strongly encourage applications from persons with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

CIVIC is not able to sponsor employees at this point, therefore, please ensure that you can legally work in this location when applying.

Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: CIVIC does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. CIVIC does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.

How to apply

https://civilians.bamboohr.com/careers/296

Additional Details

Application deadline: August 18, 2025

Preferred start date: As soon as possibl

Position is contingent upon the availability of funding.

Due to the high volume of applications, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

CIVIC seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool in the belief that employees from diverse backgrounds are critical to achieving our goals. We strongly encourage applications from persons with diverse backgrounds and experiences