VPRU Emergency Preparedness Specialist at International Rescue Committee

Job Description

BACKGROUND/IRC SUMMARY: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The IRC is one of the first humanitarian organisations to bring together specific disciplines involved in violence prevention and response (VPR) in conflict affected settings to ensure collaborative and still specialized support to survivors and those at risk of violence. Over the past 20 years, the IRC has pioneered and implemented programs that prevent and respond to violence against women and children, as well as other vulnerable groups in refugee settings and in other conflict-affected contexts, making the IRC a global leader in this field. The IRC presently implements programming in partnership with local communities to meet the safety, health and psychosocial needs of women, children and others experiencing violence, exploitation and abuse in contexts of conflict and displacement. The IRC manages VPR programmes in 26 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Haiti, with funding from governments, the UN, foundations, and private donors. Since 2010, the IRC has been building its work with local partners to advance emergency preparedness and emergency response capacity in the field, specific to the response to gender-based violence (GBV).

The VPRU Emergency Preparedness Specialist oversees a three-year strategic project focused on strengthening the capacity of local organizations and networks to lead response to gender-based violence (GBV) in emergencies. This includes responsibility for technical resources developed through the project, capacity strengthening carried out in the field and remotely, and network-building for partners engaged in project outcomes. In this capacity the VPRU Emergency Preparedness Specialist travels to East Africa and other to-be-determined regions to support civil society networks.

The VPRU Emergency Preparedness Specialist is a member of VPRU and reports to the VPRU Deputy Director for Emergencies.

Major Responsibilities: Supporting local GBV expertise and emergency response to GBV

• Organize and lead GBV Emergency Preparedness and Response Training of Trainers (ToT) for NGO network staff and member organizations;
• Oversee the further evolution of the IRC's GBV Emergency Preparedness and Response training package to include materials covering inclusivity and diversity, ensuring that training participants are equipped to design and lead programming for women and girls of different age groups and abilities, ethnic or religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc.;
• Using new materials on inclusivity and diversity, as well as IRC materials on context-responsive approaches to GBV programming in emergencies (e.g., mobile service provision, urban approaches, etc.), organize and carry out deep dive workshops for NGO Network staff and members;
• Establish strong eye-to-eye collaboration with NGO Networks and support their work cascade the trainings and deep dives out to network member organizations operating in refugee recipient locations and conducting programming for women and girls, and/or providing GBV prevention and response services;
• Ensure the monitoring, documentation and dissemination of learning on supporting local GBV expertise and emergency response to GBV.

Accountability to women and girls in humanitarian response

• Ensure - through program design and practice, team capacity and behavior - that the people the IRC serves drive our action, are part of the design and implementation of programs, and that their access to services and programs is meaningful and safe;
• Support the IRC's Women at Work in Emergencies Network, in close collaboration with the Emergency Unit and the Gender Equality Unit.

VPRU emergency preparedness and response priorities

• Work with VPRU in the development of emergency preparedness and response strategies and tools;
• Communicate new approaches and best practices in the localization of emergency response work.

Compliance and grant management

• Ensure compliance with IRC policy and procedures throughout the program team and activities;
• Prepare high quality and timely donor and management reports on grants and sector activities;
• Contribute to the development of VPRU proposals and budgets for international donors, and work in close collaboration with IRC grants and finance staff to finalize proposals and respond to any requests for additional information.

Key Working Relationships: Position reports to: VPRU Deputy Director for Emergencies Position directly supervises: N/A Indirect reporting: N/A Other Internal and/or external contacts: Internal: Regular relationships with VPRU country support TAs; VPRU Ops team; the Emergency Unit Deputy Director for Emergency Preparedness, and his team; and Regional and Country teams, as relevant; and the Gender Equality Unit.

External: Relationships with local and regional civil society networks, including three NGO Networks: GBV Prevention Network, the Strategic Initiative for the Horn of Africa (SIHA), and Protection in Practice, which will collectively represent over 580 organizations and individuals from across the Horn, East and Southern Africa, the Middle East and East and South Asia.

Qualifications

• University degree and technical accreditation or equivalent
• At least 3-6 years of experience developing and managing GBV programming in humanitarian contexts
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with agencies, local governments and community leaders and develop multi-stakeholder support for humanitarian priorities and advocacy initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to identify creative and appropriate solutions for the populations affected by crisis, considering factors including the context and an individual client's developmental stage, gender and status
• Experience managing large, complex donor funded programs and grants, including staff management, budget oversight, monitoring and evaluation systems, and technical input to proposal-budget development and donor reports
• Experience working directly or in partnership with other VPRU technical fields - Child Protection and Protection/Rule of Law - is not required but is an advantage.