Coordinator for Integrated Protection Programs

The International Rescue Committee 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, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND:
The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 7.6 million people are internally displaced and 12.2 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 4.8 million in hard-to-reach areas. There are 3.8 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. With an annual budget in excess of $140 million and a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1,250 staff in the region, IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, education, women’s protection and empowerment, NFI and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

The IRC Jordan program was established in 2007 and is currently operating programs in Jordan and southern Syria with an annual budget of $36 million. The IRC is currently providing humanitarian assistance in southern Syria in the sectors of protection, health and economic recovery and development through partnerships with Syrian NGOs and provision of life-saving relief items.

The IRC is in the process of expanding its programming in southern Syria to address the myriad of protection risks faced by crisis affected communities. Planned protection programming in southern Syria will include protection monitoring and advocacy, the establishment of safe spaces for women and children, case management services and psychosocial support services. Other areas of protection programming may also be considered as a stronger understanding of the protection environment emerges. Furthermore, IRC’s multi-sectoral programming places a strong focus on protection mainstreaming and the prevention of gender-based violence, ensuring the services and assistance provided by IRC and its partners can be accessed in safety and dignity. Much of IRC’s work is delivered through Syrian organizations and is managed remotely. In this challenging environment, the IRC is adapting its approach to working with Syrian organizations, prioritizing quality partnerships and effective, demand driven capacity strengthening. Within IRC’s Syria Regional Response office, based in Amman, Jordan, it has established a ‘One Syria’ management structure to coordinate its programmatic efforts across Syria.

POSITION OVERVIEW:
IRC is seeking a Coordinator for Integrated Protection Programs with strong technical expertise in protection as well as a proven track record in providing oversight and technical support to partner-led and implemented projects.

The position will be based in Amman and will be responsible for the coordination, management, and continued development of IRC’s protection portfolio in southern Syria, inclusive of IRC’s Protection/Rule of Law, Child Protection, and Women’s Protection and Empowerment sub-sectors, as well as mainstreaming protection principles across all sectors. The post-holder will lead the development of a protection strategy focused on risk reduction and provision of services to those who have experienced violence, coercion and deprivation, as well as the mainstreaming of protection throughout the response of IRC and its partners in southern Syria. Primary responsibilities will include external coordination, representation and advocacy, technical oversight of IRC and partner-implemented activities, staff management, capacity development and provision of technical support to partners, appraisal of proposals received from potential protection partners, new business development for protection and mainstreaming protection across all of IRC’s portfolio in southern Syria.

This position will oversee a team of 3 Protection Officers and 8 Protection Assessors, and will provide technical support on protection to IRC’s staff and partners. The post-holder will also work closely with, and receive technical support from, the regional and HQ-based Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Protection / Rule of Law and Child Protection (CP) technical units. The Coordinator will report to the Deputy Director for Cross-border Programs and will work closely with IRC’s Sub-grant Unit to ensure quality support, capacity building and oversight of partners. The post-holder will also play a key role in establishing and maintaining strong relationships with relevant donor and humanitarian stakeholders.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Technical Quality/Program Management
  • Working closely with partners and IRC staff, provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management assistance to integrated protection programming and protection mainstreaming in southern Syria;
  • Lead protection program design processes that ensure new or adapted programming for all protection sub-sectors maximizes joint impact, and advise other sector program design ensuring that all of IRC’s work contributes to protection outcomes;
  • Meet regularly with partners (in person and remotely) to assess progress toward objectives, discuss issues and assist in finding solutions to identified challenges;
  • Analyze data emerging from the protection program (particularly from safety audits and protection monitoring) and ensure that this analysis informs programming and advocacy;
  • In collaboration with the Deputy Director for Cross-border Programs and regional monitoring and evaluation staff ensure that safe and confidential mechanisms for collecting information on project activities and the protection environment are developed and implemented and that shared information management staff and systems are in place as appropriate;
  • Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met, that reports are of a high quality and are submitted on time;
  • Ensure staff and partner practice with clients/beneficiaries adheres to best-practice principles particularly when working with survivors.
• Partnerships for Protection Programming
  • Identify and develop strategic partnerships with Syrian partners for protection programming where possible;
  • Work collaboratively with partners and ensure their meaningful participation in developing a strategic protection response for southern Syria;
  • Conduct technical reviews of protection proposals received from potential partners, assessing the extent to which they meet industry standards and best practices in protection, and are aligned with IRC’s approach;
  • Work with IRC’s Protection Officers, Partnership Coordinator and Sub-grants Unit to provide ongoing capacity building, mentoring and technical support to IRC’s partners and staff on specialized protection programming and protection mainstreaming.
• External Coordination, Representation and Advocacy
  • Maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders – including I/NGOs, UN agencies and relevant Amman-level and Whole of Syria-level coordination structures;
  • Play a leading role in protection coordination for the Jordan cross-border hub;
  • Identify and advocate on key protection concerns and share patterns and trends in protection coordination forums.
  • Work with the IRC Advocacy and Media team to ensure that the needs of vulnerable populations are taken into account by donor governments, UN and other stakeholders.

Professional Standards
The IRC and 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.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Advanced university degree in Law, Human Rights, Social Work or a related field
• Minimum 4 years experience implementing protection programming, inclusive of GBV and child protection;
• Experience analyzing data on the protection environment, and using this analysis to inform programming and advocacy
• Experience in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of emergency and post conflict projects
• Demonstrated experience of providing technical oversight to protection programs implemented by local partner organizations, and experience of remote management of such programs
• Strong strategic planning and proposal writing skills
• Strong leadership, staff management and capacity building skills;
• Excellent communication skills, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, ability to improvise, excellent relationship-building, liaise diplomatically, team player
• Preferably experience in developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation tools and processes for remote management
• Successful track-record in presenting complex issues to various stakeholders effectively, sensitively and with professional poise

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
Amman is currently not assessed as a high-risk environment and it remains a generally safe city as long as IRC security protocols are observed. The post is fully accompanied and housing will be provided by IRC according to the IRC Jordan housing policy.