Women’s Protection and Empowerment Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to the displaced and refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. 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.

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues to intensify. Venezuelans face hyperinflation, which puts them out of reach of basic goods and services, including health care and food. A shortage of medical supplies means that it is difficult to diagnose and treat communicable diseases and sexual and reproductive health needs, among other services. The lack of food has resulted in hunger and malnutrition. From 2015-2018, over three million Venezuelans left to seek goods and services in primarily neighboring countries.

The IRC has responded to the crisis by supporting Venezuelans who cross the arc of the migration pattern, including Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. In Venezuela, the IRC has been developing programs since 2018 through the support of local partners, having a presence in Caracas, Zulia, Barquisimeto and Valencia. The IRC works to strengthen the capacity of local partners to provide access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, nutrition, and Child Protection. In Colombia, the IRC works in the areas of health, protection, education, and multipurpose cash assistance in Cucuta, Medellin, Cundinamarca, and Norte de Santander, with funding through various donor, including OFDA/USAID, ECHO, SIDA, GFFO, among others. Ecuador is IRC’s most recent program intervention which will be done through local partners in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and protection for women and children.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic vision, coordination and technical support to maintain and expand IRC's WPE programming in Colombia working closely with colleagues from other sectors and organizations towards the best outcomes for women and girls. The WPE Coordinator is a member of IRC Country Leadership Team and responsible for the overall management of the WPE team to ensure successful implementation of WPE projects.

The WPE Coordinator plays a key role in program development through contributions to new concepts and proposals, including design and writing of technical proposal sections, with support from the IRC Technical Unit and relevant departments of the country program and HQ. The Coordinator is responsible for strengthening and building new partnerships as well as strengthening the capacity of key staff to enable them to take greater responsibility for overall management of the WPE portfolio.

Responsibilities:

Program Quality and Implementation:

• Lead on WPE strategy development/refresh and the implementation of the Strategic Action Plan by ensuring that program activities align and contribute to identified priority outcomes.
• Provide clear technical support, supervision, training and mentoring to the WPE team, including training needed to build specialized skills in GBV case management, psychosocial support and GBV risk mitigation;
• Ensure that WPE staff and services adhere to GBV best practice, WPE technical guidelines, professional standards and principles;
• Continuing to support the implementation of programming to include mobile services and women and girls safe spaces;
• Strengthening community engagement and outreach including GBV risk mitigation activities;
• Supervise the execution of relevant M&E systems and ensure regular follow-up on monitoring data relevant to WPE programs;

Integration

• Lead and support integration, joint working and collaboration of WPE programming across other IRC sectors.

Representation

• Support GBV coordination at the national and sub-national levels and actively contribute to advocacy efforts on identified priorities;
• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders including; donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Maintain productive working relationship with GBV Taskforce and field level working group meetings;
• Ensure key field concerns are brought to relevant stakeholders to advocate for standards that systematize how GBV is implemented and promote the delivery of inclusive and high quality GBV services.

Partnerships

• Develop strategic partnerships with local and national organizations in line with sector partnership strategic priorities;
• Ensure, in close collaboration with the IRC Partnership Unit, regular performance monitoring of partners to achieve the set project’s objectives, and provide technical support and guidance;
• Continuing to support the expansion of partnerships to include direct service provision by partners and support to these interventions by IRC

Grant Monitoring and Business Development

• Support and ensure donor compliance, including appropriate and timely spending of grants to achieve program goals, grant reporting contributions, use and distribution of supplies and resources;
• Ensure the submission of timely, accurate and well written donor reports and other reporting requirements for all WPE programming.
• Lead the development of new business concept notes and proposals for the continuation and expansion of WPE programming.

Staff Management and Development

• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance
• Develop and implement staff capacity strengthening plans to ensure quality WPE programming across programming teams and other IRC programming;
• Conduct timely and quality performance evaluations and give regular and constructive feedback to staff through the year to ensure a culture of accountability.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:

• Deputy Director Programs – Colombia
• Position directly supervises: WPE Manager.