Protection Legal Consultant at Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a Danish international non-governmental organisation, which promotes and supports durable solutions to the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced people all over the world. DRC is present in more than 30 conflict territories around the world assisting displaced people with shelter, food, income-generating activities, and a wide range of other assistance. It is of utmost importance for DRC to work in compliance with the DRC Accountability and Quality Management system and national legislations. Smooth, reliable and effective operational systems are preconditions for DRC to maintain its position as a trustworthy and reliable partner for our donors and an accountable organisation towards our beneficiaries.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Protection Legal Consultant

Location: Sokoto
Employment Type: Contract
Employment Period: Seven months
Type of Contract: National
Supervised by: Country Level Protection Coordinator
Reporting to: Country Protection and Partnership Manager
Subordinates: NA – technical capacity building/overview/advises of all Legal staff from local partners and of any DRC Area Level Protection Manager.

Overall purpose of the role

• The Legal consultant provides technical oversight to all DRC and partners’launch of legal activities and collaboration on the legal component especially in the Northwest, including legal awareness, legal counseling and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
• S/he guides the strategic development of DRC’s legal aid programme in Nigeria through local partnerships.
• The role also provides support and/or technical guidance to all field staff and partners working on projects with one or more legal components for a few months of the project.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Legal consultant will:

• Provide technical oversight of all legal activities within the DRC Nigeria Protection and Livelihoods programmes especially related to links to social registers.
• Mapping all the legal services in the North West (private/traditional/others…) and suggest best ways of collaborating with them.
• Takes the lead on strategic decisions regarding the Legal Aid Programme, in collaboration with the Country Level Protection Coordinator Manager and Area Level Protection Manager and the partners
• Provides regular technical supervision of all partners legal staff including oversight of case documentation and give them feedbacks and trainings.
• Provides capacity building for DRC staff and partners working on projects with a legal component, including the development of capacity building plans and training materials and how to better use referrals.
• Develops SOPs and tools for all new legal activities carried out with local partners
• Develops outreach material with a legal focus, and supports on coaching and supervision delivering awareness session, as required during the consultancy
• Ensures inputs on relevant legal matters through legal research insights in Nigeria and close collaboration with PIM Analyst Specialist and Country Level Protection Coordinator/Manager on legal analysis to complement the PAF especially for North West Nigeria although some insights for the North East might be required too
• Ensures all legal activities have relevant MEAL tools for assessing impact and quality, in collaboration with the Protection and MEAL Managers and a toolbox of legal indicators is developed to support DRC/Local Partners in the legal interventions
• Conducts regular field visits to ensure that all legal activities are of a high quality including HLP/Access to Justice and other forms of legal support.
• Develops technical oversight for all partners with a legal component, including supporting on capacity assessments, trainings of trainers
• Develops legal needs assessment tools to inform program design and strategic direction, in collaboration with the Protection and MEAL Managers.
• Participates in relevant coordination legal meetings, as agreed with the Country Level Protection Manager.

Education and professional experience

• Degree in Law; Masters would be an advantage.
• Bar-registered Lawyer (Nigeria Bar Association)

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• Minimum of 5 years experience working for an INGO in the protection sector, with a focus on legal programming
• Experience of implementing alternative dispute resolution would be an advantage.
• Experience working in an advisory role would be an advantage.
• Experience providing training on legal topics
• Experience working with national partners, local/government authorities, and UN organizations
• Excellent skill in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Languages:

• Full professional proficiency in English and Arabic.

Key stakeholders (internal and external)

• Protection Staff in the TU and the field offices
• Economic Recovery and MEAL TU
• Partners with a legal focus or component

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities):

• Computer literacy (Word, Excel)
• Respect and a non-discriminatory attitude
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Good reporting skills
• Ability to show empathy
• Ability to work under pressure
• Fluency in Hausa, Kanuri, and any other spoken languages spoken.
• Working knowledge in English (written and spoken).

General Regulations:

• The employee shall follow DRC instructions on safety, confidentiality, and ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework.
• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization.
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC or the implementation of any project during the DRC contract period.
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization.
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request.

Salary and Benefits
NM-G2.

Application Closing Date
7th July, 2025.