Director, Protection of Civilians Division

About the role

The Director of the Protection of Civilians (PoC) Division leads CIVIC’s technical, strategic, policy and programmatic support on civilian protection across all country programmes and global initiatives. Reporting to the Director of Global & Field Programs, this senior position shapes the division’s strategy, oversees technical advisors and ensures high‑quality field support.

Key responsibilities

• Provide high‑level technical advice to field programmes, aligning them with evolving PoC standards and emerging protection challenges.
• Lead strategic planning for the PoC Division, identifying new thematic priorities, partnerships and growth areas.
• Supervise a multidisciplinary team of technical advisors, fostering collaboration, professional development and integration of expertise across programmes.
• Represent CIVIC in high‑level engagements with donors, governments, multilateral organisations and security actors to strengthen its global positioning.
• Drive organisational learning by capturing lessons, documenting best practices and promoting continuous capacity‑strengthening initiatives.

Required profile

• Minimum 10 years of progressively senior experience in humanitarian protection, civilian‑military engagement or related fields.
• Master’s degree in International Relations, Humanitarian Affairs, Peace and Conflict Studies, International Law or a related discipline.
• Deep expertise in Protection of Civilians, including operational approaches, community‑based protection and civilian harm mitigation.
• Proven experience engaging state and non‑state armed actors, security institutions and government authorities.
• Fluency in English and French; additional languages are an asset.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of international humanitarian law, human rights law and UN PoC frameworks.
• Experience in research, policy development, humanitarian diplomacy and multilateral engagement.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation and diplomatic skills.