Responsibilities: 

Program Design and Management

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical management of IRC’s direct and partner-led protection response, ensuring high program quality; based on areas of highest impact, highest needs, emerging risks, and IRC’s added value; and alignment with minimum standards and approaches.

• Ensure technical program quality and alignment with global and minimum standards, including the Inter-Agency Minimum Standards for GBV in Emergencies Programming and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

• Lead and directly contribute to the start-up, implementation, and coordination of IRC’s emergency protection programming, focusing on Child Protection, and Women’s Protection and Empowerment interventions. Ensure quality program design and implementation, with a specific focus on identifying and mitigating obstacles to inclusive access across all intervention areas.

• Ensure that partnership considerations are incorporated in program design and proposal development and that partners are proactively engaged in program development efforts. Ensure appropriate budget resourcing for partner projects.

• Oversee IRC’s partnerships, ensuring co-design, regular exchange, and project performance monitoring to achieve program objectives

• Directly participate in Partner Capacity Analysis (PCAs) and the subsequent development of partner support plans for emergency program activities

• Ensure – through program design and practice, team capacity and behavior – that clients, especially the most marginalized and hard to reach, participate in the design and implementation of IRC programs, and that their access to services and programs is meaningful and safe

• Develop and/or adapt technical tools and approaches, and deliver creative solutions to mitigate challenges in the operating context, to facilitate response start-up and day-to-day implementation

• Develop and deliver training packages to IRC staff and partners on programming models, including case management, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, and child protection and GBV risk reduction

• Adapt IRC direct implementation tools and systems for partner use in line with identified needs and requests.

• Support emergency protection teams to implement and monitor work plans ensuring that activities reflect the commitments IRC made to the donor and the community

• Design and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems ensuring consistent reporting and analysis of results to improve program effectiveness and quality

Equitable Partnerships

• Champion a culture of effective and respectful partnerships. Promote partner-led programming in line with IRC’s “why not partner?” and “partner as equals” approach.

• Develop health staffing structures with the appropriate number of staff to effectively manage partnerships and ensure quality.

• Ensure that partnership considerations are incorporated into health components of all proposals and that local partners are actively engaged response design and program delivery.

• Participate in the identification of potential partners and stakeholder analysis process.

• Actively contribute to the relevant sections of Partner Capacity Analysis (PCA) and the subsequent development of partner support plans.

• Manage the implementation of action items in the health sections of partner support plans.

• Lead and/or support collaborative project and budget design with partners.

• Ensure each program design defines IRC’s emergency approach based on how we can best support, reinforce and complement local actors.

• Work collaboratively with partners to ensure that project budgets reflect fair market value.

• Ensure appropriate budget allocation for IRC to support partners in alignment with the overall response / program design.

• Review and provide feedback on partner technical tools, reports, and data as required. Collaborate with partners on recommended adaptations or process improvements.

• Actively participate in the Partnership Working Group (PWG)

Grants and Financial Management

• Manage emergency grant/program implementation including recruitment and training, work plan development, procurement and inventory planning, budget management, and M&E plans

• Conduct stakeholder and partner analysis: continually review existing actor mappings with a view to identifying key actors and establishing partnerships focused on the delivery of protection services

• Develop high-quality technical proposals and reports with relevant program and partner staff in line with IRC and donor requirements

• Oversee the development and delivery of all internal and external reports in collaboration with the grants, programs, finance, and MEAL departments.

• Review partner technical tools, reports, and data; recommend adaptations or process improvements as required.

• Collaborate with IRC grants and finance staff to finalize proposals and respond to any requests for additional information.

Staff Management

• Recruit, onboard, and supervise emergency protection staff, and provide targeted capacity building and professional development as needed, including technical guidance, on-the-job coaching and supervision, and capacity development plans on technical and managerial skills

• Comply with and ensure that new protection staff understand the IRC Code of Conduct and policies related to Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Child Safeguarding. This includes ensuring that staff and communities have knowledge of and safe, confidential access to reporting mechanisms and support services

• Coordinate performance management within the department and ensure a culture of high performance through staff engagement and accountability.

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions

Coordination and Representation

• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key actors, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors

• Regularly attend emergency protection and other relevant coordination and task force meetings, at appropriate levels to feed in IRC priorities from the field

• Ensure protection concerns and challenges are brought to relevant fora to advocate for standards and procedures that systematize how integrated protection programming is implemented and coordinated at the field level

Other

• Other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor to further IRC programs.

Requirements:

Education: Education experience in social work, psychology, other related field, AND / OR equivalent work experience.

Work Experience: At least five years’ experience working in the field of child protection, GBV and women’s protection, and / or protection rule of law programming, with consistent track record of leading and managing multi-donor portfolios in acute emergency response, program and project start-up.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Experience working with IRC and an understanding of IRC’s systems and processes is strongly preferred

• Genuine interest in and commitment to collaborating with local and national NGOs and government partners in emergency programs.

• Familiarity with key donor regulations such as ECHO, BHA, and UN.

• Experience in working with and coordinating with the UN, donors, INGOs and other humanitarian actors.

• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision, capacity building, project design and budget management.

• Able to draft and edit detailed documents for donor submission with minimal oversight.

• Previous experience in a conflict-affected or protracted crisis setting is preferred.

• Exceptional advance planning and organizational skills.

• Able to effectively prioritize and follow multiple activities and deadlines simultaneously.

• Highly organized with close attention to detail.

Language Skills: Fluency in English and French are required.