Director, Protection of Civilians – PoC Division

Center for Civilians in Conflict

. Lead CIVIC's technical, strategic, policy, and programmatic support on Protection of Civilians across country programs and global initiatives .

Posted 10/14/2026full-timeGeneva • SwitzerlandLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates deep expertise in Protection of Civilians, including operational approaches and community-based protection, while providing strategic leadership and technical guidance across humanitarian and security sectors. Proven ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and translate field evidence into impactful policy and operational frameworks.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Protection Of CiviliansHumanitarian ProtectionCivilian-Military EngagementInternational Humanitarian LawStrategic Planning

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Program DesignImplementationMonitoringEvaluationResearchPolicy DevelopmentHumanitarian DiplomacyCommunity-Based ProtectionCivilian Harm MitigationMultilateral Engagement

Soft Skills

Interpersonal SkillsCommunication SkillsNegotiation SkillsDiplomatic SkillsTeam Leadership

Certifications & Qualifications

Master's Degree in Relevant Field

Industry Keywords

Humanitarian AffairsPeacebuildingSecurity Sector EngagementInternational NormsDonor Engagement

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead CIVIC's technical, strategic, policy, and programmatic support on Protection of Civilians across country programs and global initiatives
Serve as a key member of the Senior Management Team
Ensure technical excellence, drive innovation, strengthen organizational capacities, and reinforce CIVIC's global positioning on Protection of Civilians
Oversee the team of technical advisors and ensure coherent, high-quality support to field programs throughout the programme cycle
Translate global policy and normative frameworks into practical operational guidance
Ensure field evidence, lessons learned, and emerging protection trends inform research, policy development, humanitarian diplomacy, and multilateral engagement
Provide high-level technical advice and oversight to field programs
Lead strategic planning and evolution of the PoC Division, identifying thematic priorities, partnerships, and organizational growth areas
Directly supervise technical advisors across Gender & Children, MEAL, Community-Based Protection, Military Engagement, Research, and other thematic areas
Foster collaboration, accountability, professional development, and integration of technical expertise
Strengthen CIVIC's global positioning through technical leadership, policy engagement, strategic partnerships, and external representation
Represent CIVIC in high-level engagements with donors, governments, multilateral organizations, security actors, academic institutions, and policy forums
Lead organization-wide capacity strengthening and continuous learning initiatives
Support country teams in strategy development, proposal design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive learning
Promote knowledge management by capturing lessons learned, documenting good practices, and strengthening organizational learning
Identify cross-cutting protection trends and translate them into organizational priorities, policy products, advocacy initiatives, and technical guidance
Drive innovation on civilian harm mitigation, community-led protection, new technologies, artificial intelligence, misinformation, and evolving conflict dynamics
Promote interdisciplinary collaboration across humanitarian, peacebuilding, development, defense, and security sectors
Serve as CIVIC's technical lead on Protection of Civilians, guiding programmatic strategy, design, implementation, and learning across country programs

Requirements

What you’ll need

Minimum 10 years of progressively senior experience in humanitarian protection, protection of civilians, civilian-military engagement, peacebuilding, security sector engagement, or related fields
Master's degree in International Relations, Humanitarian Affairs, Peace and Conflict Studies, International Law, Human Rights, Political Science, Security Studies, Development Studies, Public Policy, or another relevant field required
An advanced degree or equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered
Deep expertise in Protection of Civilians, including operational approaches, community-based protection, civilian harm mitigation, and relevant international norms and best practices
Proven experience engaging state and non-state armed actors, security institutions, and government authorities
Experience promoting protection of civilians, international humanitarian law, and improved civilian outcomes in conflict settings
Demonstrated experience providing strategic, technical, and programmatic support to field operations throughout the programme cycle
Experience in strategy development, programme design, implementation, and learning
Proven experience leading multidisciplinary and multicultural technical teams
Strong experience in research, policy development, humanitarian diplomacy, and multilateral engagement
Ability to translate field evidence into policy influence and operational guidance
Proven track record of strategic thinking, innovation, organizational learning, and external representation at senior level
Strong understanding of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, UN Protection of Civilians frameworks, civilian harm mitigation, and other relevant international policy and normative frameworks
Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and diplomatic skills
Experience engaging governments, donors, multilateral organizations, security actors, and civil society
Demonstrated experience contributing to business development, including technical input to proposals, donor engagement, and programme growth
Fluency in English and French required; additional languages are an asset
Valid authorization to work in Geneva at the time of application without current or future visa sponsorship

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equal Opportunities Employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment
Travel as required