Women's Protection and Empowerment Coordinator

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee is a prominent international organization working in relief, rehabilitation, protection, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression.

Working in coordination with the humanitarian community, the IRC currently addresses the needs of war-affected Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs), Iraqi refugee returnees and Syrian refugees from several operational bases in the country with activities focused on education, protection and rule of law, women's protection and empowerment, child protection and livelihoods activities.

SCOPE OF WORK: The Women's Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator will be responsible for overall leadership, coordination and providing technical oversight and support for an expanding women's protection and empowerment portfolio in Iraq including community based women's protection/GBV prevention and response programming targeting Iraqi displaced persons and vulnerable host communities in central Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, as well as the IRC's Syrian refugee response programming in northern Iraq that is based in refugee camp settings and urban areas. This includes collaboration with and mentoring of local partners in the implementation of 1) case management; psychosocial support; legal support; and empowerment activities to GBV survivors and vulnerable women and girls through the operation of Listening Centers; 2) GBV prevention activities, including engaging men and boys in IDP, refugee, and host communities; 3) training and capacity building activities with other NGO actors to improve the quality of case management and psychosocial support to GBV survivors; and 4) access to justice programming that includes legal training, awareness, advocacy and representation to GBV survivors. The WPE Coordinator will also be responsible for business development and strategic positioning of the WPE programming in Iraq.

The position will be based in Erbil (Kurdistan) with frequent travel throughout the Kurdistan Region including Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah as well as Baghdad and possibly other central governorates as the security situation permits. S/He will report to the IRC Iraq Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and coordinate closely with the WPE technical unit based in New York or the Regional Office.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Technical Quality

• Provide guidance on program design from the outset of business develop to implementation phases of project life cycles;

• Provide clear technical support, supervisory guidance, training and mentoring to all WPE programs, activities and teams in Iraq and in close coordination with the Senior Protection Coordinator, the DDP as well as the Country Director (CD) to ensure consistent, harmonized and quality program design and implementation across programs and regions;

• Ensure IRC and its partners' program staff adheres to best-practice WPE/GBV professional standards and principles through technical support and mentoring by the WPE management team.

• Strategic Planning

• Provide cohesive leadership to WPE programming in Iraq, ensuring that priorities and opportunities identified are in line with IRC Iraq's strategic plan and goals;

• Working closely with the DDP and the CD, lead the development of new business concepts for the expansion and strengthening of WPE programming in Iraq;

• Remain abreast of ongoing trends in Iraq and in the region as related to WPE programming, and provide regular updates on these trends and how they affect programming to the Senior Management Team;

• Participate in the Strategic Action Planning process as needed.

• Representation & Advocacy

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with donors and potential donors in Iraq and the region;

• Actively participate in GBV Sub-Working Groups and other coordination mechanisms both in central and northern Iraq;

• Maintain strong relationships with relevant government partners involved in WPE activities throughout Iraq;

• Work with IRC Iraq's advocacy focal point on the development of advocacy messages around women's protection and gender-based violence focusing on both Iraqis and the Syrian refugee population in Iraq.

• Staff Supervision & Development

• Directly recruit and technically supervise WPE management team in northern and central Iraq, including WPE Senior Managers; directly supervise Managers based in Erbil;

• Provide on-the-job training and coaching to the WPE team to promote harmonized program approaches and strategies;

• Overall responsible for program organizational chart, staff workplans, work and vacation schedules, and staff training/development activities;

• Ensure timely completion and submission of monthly timesheets, and probation and annual performance reviews;

• Work with the staff to ensure performance objectives are regularly reviewed and met;

• If/as required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies;

• Deliver and execute a plan to hire, train and build capacity of staff;

• Build capacity of the team under his/her supervision in the different selected program methodologies, and provide ongoing coaching and support of staff to ensure high-quality program implementation;

• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures;

• 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.

• Grant Monitoring

• Working closely with the DDP and the WPE management team to develop, adapt and implement harmonized monitoring and evaluation systems; analyzing results to ensure program effectiveness and quality, with a focus on the impact of IRC WPE programs throughout Iraq;

• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

Professional Standards The IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the 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.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Deputy Director, Programs
• Position directly supervises: Erbil-based WPE Program Managers (currently one)
• Position technically supervises: Field-based Program Managers and Senior Program Managers (currently two)

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

• Internal: Country Director, Senior Management Team; WPE Technical Unit, WPE Coordinator, Cross border, other program coordinators, Grants team
• External: Regional government and Iraqi Government officials, public and private donor agencies, international and national NGOs, UN agencies, partner organizations, foreign governments

REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced degree in Social Work, Women's Studies, or other related field
• Minimum 5 years professional experience developing, managing, and evaluating GBV prevention and response programs in emergency and community-based settings; strong project planning and organizational skills
• Thorough understanding of best practices and evidence-based strategies in GBV response (case management, psychosocial support, legal support) and GBV primary prevention and risk reduction
• Experience implementing GBV response and prevention programs in collaboration with local partners and providing direct technical support to local organizations
• Proven experience supervising and providing case management services and psychosocial support services
• Previous experience managing programs financed through US, EU, UN and private foundations, with strong program/technical and budget management skills, planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Successful experience in developing new programs in line with strategic goals
• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and advocacy with external parties
• Experience managing, supervising, coaching and mentoring staff
• Interpersonal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well
• Successful experience working within a volatile security environment is a must, as is ability to work in a potentially unstable security environment
• Fluency in spoken and written English required, knowledge of Kurdish or Arabic a plus; and a sense of humor.

Working Environment: This position will be based in Erbil with travel to the Kurdistan Region. IRC provides shared guest housing with internet connection, electricity, amenities, and an on-call driver. Movement in Erbil is flexible but may be restricted at times due to the security situation.

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