Protection Mainstreaming Referent

Over the past few years, Afghanistan has witnessed a relative improvement in security and stability across much of the country. This has allowed humanitarian actors like INTERSOS to maintain uninterrupted access and expand services in areas that were previously hard to reach. Despite this progress, the humanitarian situation remains critical, with millions of Afghans continuing to face acute vulnerabilities due to prolonged economic hardship, natural disasters, and limited access to essential services.

In 2025, more than half of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, with food insecurity, child malnutrition, and displacement remaining key concerns. Natural disasters, such as floods and recent earthquakes, have further compounded the needs of already struggling communities.

INTERSOS continues to operate through a community-based approach with field bases in Kabul, Kandahar, and Zabul, delivering primary healthcare, nutrition, and protection services with a focus on women, children, and persons with disabilities. The organization enjoys strong community acceptance and collaborates closely with relevant national authorities, including maintaining the full participation of female staff in all activities.

While the operational environment is largely stable and conducive, funding shortfalls and systemic barriers such as restrictions on financial flows and administrative bottlenecks continue to impact the scope and scale of humanitarian response. Sustained support is crucial to ensure the continuity of life-saving services and to address the urgent needs of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable populations.

In close collaboration with the Protection Coordinator, the purpose of the position is to contribute to building the capacity of the INTERSOS team and its partners in protection mainstreaming, mainstreaming the protection principle in the non-protection sectors/programmes.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Develop existing tools to ensure up to date and technically sound mechanisms are in place for the protection mainstreaming program;
• Identify and train Protection Mainstreaming and Gender Focal Points for each team to conduct protection mainstreaming on a regular basis;
• Deliver training to INTERSOS staff members on protection principles, protection mainstreaming, accountability to affected populations, and other relevant topics;
• Conduct field visits to INTERSOS-supported health facilities, MHNTs, areas of operation, centres, and other areas where INTERSOS conducts activities;
• Provide technical guidance and oversight to ensure protection principles—including safety, dignity, non-discrimination, and meaningful access—are systematically mainstreamed throughout all phases of the INTERSOS projects (especially those in the Central Region), with a focus on inclusive participation, risk mitigation, and accountability to affected populations.
• Compile information from protection mainstreaming focal points and provide weekly reports to the Protection Coordinator and the relevant thematic manager with observations and recommendations to enhance the protection environment;
• Assist in reporting for general protection programming;
• Assist the Team Leaders and Coordinator in participating working group and cluster meetings;
• Assist in writing regular narrative and quantitative reports when requested;
• Writing regular narrative reports for the donor for each field site visited;
• Liaise with relevant authorities and service providers in order to foster effective collaboration and encourage a conducive protection environment for affected populations and encourage national interest and ownership in protection of beneficiaries;
• Maintain and promote a positive image of INTERSOS and its activities by explaining the activities INTERSOS conducts and why INTERSOS operates in the way it does;
• Any other duties assigned by the Protection Coordinator.

• BA in relevant field (Social Science, Psychology, Social Work, Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law or other fields related to social development and humanitarian work)
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant working experience in protection-related sectors, preferably within an INGO, and two years for higher education degree (Masters/LLM)
• Strong theoretical, technical and practical background in protection
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work and integrate in a multicultural team
• Ability to work under pressure, flexibility
• Problem solver, dynamic, mature, proactive
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage efficiently multiple priorities, deadlines and tasks
• Solid time-management skills, resourcefulness and attention to details.
• Diplomatic skills in networking with partners, authorities and donors
• Experience in complex emergency setting involving internal displacements
• Reporting skills, experience with monitoring tools and systems, data collection and analysis
• Capacities in developing training program in specific thematic areas
• Excellent computer literacy (word, excel and internet)
• Fluency in English, Pashtou and Dari

Respected Applicants, please visit the link below and fill in the required information.

https://forms.gle/uhbWCJscoqJNexrp6

Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted with and called for a test/Interview.

Qualified People with Physical Disabilities and Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.