Women's Protection & Empowerment Emergency Response Coordinator

IRC established programs in Iraq in 2003 to address the overwhelming needs of displaced people in Iraq and the neighboring countries. Since re-establishing its presence in Iraq in November 2007, the IRC has been assisting thousands of internally displaced families in the northern, central and southern governorates in the sectors of protection, gender-based violence (GBV), shelter, education, and emergency humanitarian assistance.

SCOPE OF WORK:
The IRC is seeking a Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Emergency Coordinator with a strong background in design and implementation of humanitarian assistance programming in acute emergency settings. This position will oversee emergency response programming in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and Syria focused on integrated the specific needs of women and girls into all response sectors and the start up of a program based in northeastern Syria in Nawroze Camp to assist Iraqi refugees who recently fled Sinjar. This position will transition to focus solely on Iraq emergency programming once Syria programming is separated with its own staffing and funding structure. With technical support from the WPE Technical Advisor based in New York and the WPE Coordinator based in Iraq, the WPE Emergency Coordinator will ensure that the goals and objectives of WPE components of the projects are met in a timely and effective manner.

IRC’s emergency response programming in Iraq and Syria is primarily focused on assessing and documenting the unique needs of women and girls displaced by conflict, the provision of quality psychosocial and case management services to vulnerable women and girls, including survivors of gender based violence (GBV), and a gender mainstreaming approach to IRC’s overall humanitarian response. This also requires that the IRC build the capacity of existing and newly hired staff to ensure they understand core concepts related to GBV, how to conduct safety audits, and how to provide case management and counseling support in line with guiding principles for working with survivors and vulnerable women and girls. The WPE Emergency Coordinator will be based in Dohuk with travel to Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, also in the KRI, as well as Syria where the IRC is currently operating. S/he will directly oversee WPE Officers and Managers in each Governorate and in Syria. The WPE Emergency Coordinator will also liaise with the Iraq WPE team implementing similar programs in the northern region of Iraq.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Program Implementation - Dohuk
  • Oversee staff conducting safety audits, focus group discussions or other data collection and analysis in areas where the IRC program supports IDPs, and provide coaching and modeling of techniques as needed to ensure the needs of women and girls are safely and effectively captured;
  • Work with WPE Officers to document and analyze priorities and needs of IDP women and girls and develop sector specific action plans that identify how different sectors can better meet the needs of women and girls;
  • Engage with WASH, NFI, Protection and Cash/Voucher program sectors that are part of the emergency response to implement the above action plans through regular meetings, delivering necessary training and coaching staff to safely and effective engage with women and girls;
  • Establish safe spaces for women and girls to come together on a regular basis.
• Program Implementation – Nawroze Camp
  • Oversee recruitment and training of new staff to support Nawroze Camp psychosocial program;
  • Lead in the launch of a new WPE program in Nawroze Camp, Syria, to support Iraqi refugees through the establishment of a Women’s Listening Center (WLC) and the running of psychosocial activities geared to men, women and children in the camp;
  • Supervise conducting of safety audits and the development of referral pathways in the Camp;
  • Ensure quality services are provided at the camp in line with IRC Guiding Principles for working with survivors of GBV and trauma, prioritizing health and psychosocial services;
  • Direct the establishment of documentation and monitoring systems for the program including an anonymized GBV incident recording system based from the GBVIMS;
  • Ensure program activities are implemented on time;
  • Through the support of the WPE team draft and submit timely reports and other sub-grant requirements.
• New Initiatives
  • Oversee the launch of new programs currently under development in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.
  • Contribute to the development of a WPE emergency response strategy aligned with IRC’s overall humanitarian response.
  • Contribute to the development of new initiatives based on WPE emergency response strategy and new funding opportunities.
• Human Resources Management and Development
  • Explore capacity building and learning opportunities (in country and international) for direct reports and build capacity through formal training sessions, mentoring and coaching;
  • Conduct Performance Review of the team, discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance;
  • 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 including staff development plans;
  • Provide leadership support for the successful implementation of and adherence to the IRC Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures;
  • Lead with commitment, integrity and accountability to the “IRC Way” – Global Standards for Professional Conduct.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Consistently maintain and update project documents (e.g. overall/monthly/weekly implementation plans, spending plan, weekly updates, monitoring reports and donor reports) documenting progress and contextual developments;
  • Liaise with key stakeholders within IRC as well as externally in the community to facilitate the smooth implementation of project activities;
  • Work with the Grants and Compliance Unit to implement monitoring tools and procedures, and train staff on application; ensure transparent collection, analysis and documentation of relevant information and decisions made within the project; participate in program design and new business development as requested by WPE Coordinator or Deputy Director of Security and Programs;
  • Remain abreast of women’s protection (including IDP issues) and security trends in the targeted geographic areas and throughout Iraq, informing future programming; and
  • Participate in GBV Working Group to maintain a collaborative relationship with the donor and UN agencies.

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:

• Masters degree in clinical social work, psychology, gender/women studies, international affairs or other appropriate fields, or BA in related field with equivalent experience
• Minimum 3 years of program management experience in the field of GBV, preferably working with conflict-affected populations, host communities or in urban settings
• Experience with provision of mental health services to traumatized populations
• Understanding of international standards and guidance around GBV in humanitarian settings
• Understanding and ability in using GBVIMS
• Proven leadership, program management, staff development, planning, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Superior diplomatic skills, both for internal coordination and for working with Iraqi counterparts
• Familiarity with principles and practice of monitoring and evaluation
• Commitment to team work and ability to perform under pressure
• Flexibility and high capacity of managing last minute changes
• Fluency in spoken and written English; working knowledge of Arabic or Kurdish (Badini/Kermanji) preferred but not required

SECURITY SITUATION/HOUSING: This position will be based in Dohuk with travel to Syria. 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, otherwise the Kurdistan Region continues to remain stable with access to restaurants and cafes.