Career Opportunities at International Rescue Committee

Purpose/Objective

Working under the supervision and guidance of the Deputy Director Programs (IRC Somalia), and technical oversight from headquarter (HQ) based Technical Advisor, the Women's Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator is a key member of the Somalia country Senior Management Team (SMT). The WPE Program Coordinator is the senior most technical and program expert on WPE programming within the Somalia program, and provides leadership, guidance, coordination and technical support to IRC's GBV programs throughout Somalia. As a member of a larger research team, the WPE Program Coordinator also is responsible to ensure safe and effective implementation of current and subsequent research projects in the WPE program.

The WPE Program Coordinator will provide regular technical support and field-based monitoring visits to WPE teams working in Mogadishu, Garowe, Dhusamareeb and Galkayo to ensure that all interventions are technically sound, take into account international best practices, and are appropriately meeting the needs of survivors in target communities. S/He will be required to work in collaboration with other technical coordinators, the Grants unit, field-based teams, and local partner to ensure that program activities are implemented according to approved work plans, congruent with the Somalia country program strategic plan, and in accordance with the IRC program framework.

Reports to: Deputy Director of Programs, IRC Somalia

Provides supervision to: Senior GBV Manager, WPE Manager

Areas of Responsibilities:

Program Management

• Work with the program staff to design programs, develop proposals and work plans to guide implementation of approved WPE grants. Support the field teams in the implementation and monitoring of the work plans ensuring that activities are in line with the IRC strategy and theories of change, and reflect the commitments IRC made to the donor and the community;
• In collaboration with WPE program staff, the Technical Advisor and the Deputy Director - Programs, oversee WPE programming in Somalia through regular monitoring and evaluation;
• Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place with associated information sharing protocols for GBV analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy
• Ensure effective team communication and support between team members based in Nairobi and the three field sites, including opportunities for debriefing and staff care;
• Provide guidance and technical support to sector-specific design and implementation through regular field visits.
• Work with the program teams to ensure that field experiences are documented and used to advocate on behalf of the communities with which we work;
• Support partnerships on GBV programming with Local Non-Governmental Organizations

Human Resource management:

• Assist with the recruitment of GBV staff, in coordination with HR and the field and program management
• In collaboration with the respective Field Coordinators (FCs), provide technical performance management (setting of objectives, appraisals and development plans) Work with the respective FCs in ensuring transition planning and capacity building of WPE staff.

Finance, Budget and Grant Management:

• Work with the field teams in the development of WPE program budgets and spending plans and any other grants as may be required;
• Overall responsible for WPE program budgets. Monitor budget spending in line with the spending plans and develop remedial plans where necessary to ensure budgets are optimally utilized.
• Work closely with the field teams to ensure diligence in grants utilization
• Work with the Grants Coordinator to ensure all WPE grants are in compliance with donor guidelines and contracts/ agreements including budget flexibility and reporting requirements.

Strategy and Business Development:

• Oversee the finalization of the WPE sector strategy and subsequent reviews;
• Identify gaps in existing WPE programs and work with the team to develop innovative approaches and mechanisms to address them.
• Work on new and potential opportunities for programming in WPE in line with country program strategic plan and IRC theories of change.
• Participate in the design and development of new programs or initiatives within the country program as required

Required qualification /experience & Competencies:

• Masters or equivalent in health (MPH), social science, humanities or other related degree;
• At least 2 years experience in direct service provision for survivors of GBV with a focus on case management and clinical care;
• Experience with remote management;
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building and mentoring of national and international staff
• Knowledge, skills and experience in participatory methods, community development and partnership
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated effective coordination and networking skills
• Proven experience managing multiple funding sources, producing donor proposals and reports
• Excellent written and oral English skills
• Excellent computer skills in programs such as: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Preferred

• Previous experience in emergency preparedness and response,
• Experience working with Somalia populations in the region
• Experience working with UN cluster structures and GBV sub-clusters

We consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.

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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.

Job Requirements:

• 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

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.