Working in coordination with the humanitarian community, IRC currently addresses the needs of war-affected Syrians from several operational bases in the region. Our activities focus primarily on the supply of vital medications and medical equipment, non-food items, water and sanitation, education and child protection and form part of an over-arching humanitarian response in the region that seeks to assist refugees, IDPs and war-affected Syrians survive conflict and displacement.
In northeast Syria the IRC implements health, basic needs, livelihoods, women’s protection, and protection programming.
Job Overview/Summary: The Integrated Protection Coordinator leads the IRC’s efforts to meet conflict-affected people’s safety and protection needs, reducing risk and responding to cases of violence, coercion and deprivation, as well as mainstreaming protection throughout the IRC and partners’ response in northeast Syria. This includes Protection, GBV and CP case management, CCSAS, MHPSS and recreational activities, Protection monitoring and information provision, mainstreaming and training, GBV, psychosocial and women’s empowerment activities. Protection is a signature part of the IRC’s strategy over the next four years with an expected budget of more than $4m for northeast Syria in 2017/2018. The Integrated Protection Coordinator will set and manage a clear direction, drive forward implementation and ensure robust and effective management and oversight to best meet the needs and aspirations of local communities and accountability to stakeholders.
Major Responsibilities
Program Strategy
•Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to protection, women’s protection and child protection programming in northeast Syria, ensuring it is needs-based, context-appropriate, responsive, coherent, collaborative, and operationally feasible and in line with the NES Strategic Action Plan outcomes for Safety.
•Lead assessments and context-appropriate research aimed at generating a strong evidence base for IRC protection programming, as well as informing IRC advocacy.
•Support the greater sharing and use of research and learning within IRC’s program sectors, including by contributing to program development and design, to ensure interventions are responsive to needs and informed by a sound understanding of the environment(s) in Syria
•Work closely with IRC’s advocacy and media teams, and the Violence Response and Prevention Technical Unit for the launch and dissemination of research reports and findings.
•Contribute to the advocacy efforts of IRC Syria and the Middle East Region through analysis of the policy environment and trends, staff briefings, and external representation in relevant discussions the region.
•Proactively continue to grow the northeast Syria protection, women’s protection and child protection portfolio through development of concept notes and proposals to existing and new donors, maintaining a coherent strategy across IRC’s areas of intervention in Syria.
Program Quality and Management
•Ensure projects and activities are of high technical quality, meet humanitarian standards, mainstream protection, align with IRC’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework, and respond to community and monitoring feedback
•Lead on the implementation of the Protection Integrated Work Plan to ensure programming reflects standards for best practice and quality and modalities of integration and joint work remain context and need-appropriate.
• Lead on the strengthening of case conferencing under case management including determination of needs, procedures and guidance are provided. Ensure technical capacity support for staff in case management generally and case conferencing specifically.
•Liaise with Technical Unit advisors to ensure relevant support, tools and resources are being provided and integrated into programming.
•Ensure alignment and coherence with IRC country, regional and global strategy, local Health and Economic Wellbeing programs, and cross-border responses from other hubs
•Proactively identify, assess, monitor and implement measures to reduce or control risks that may impact program delivery, quality or compliance
•Promote joint work across the three teams (CP, WPE and PRoL) to enhance the quality of programming and a holistic approach to addressing safety risks.
•Develop of the internal Standard Operating Procedures for integrated protection.
Grants Management
•In collaboration with program, finance, HR and Supply Chain departments, ensure smooth management, implementation, integration and compliance of project work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, spending plans, procurement plans and expenditure), with best use of resources across activities and delivering on time, to scope and within budget.
•Through direct liaison with the Supply Chain Coordinator, ensure timely procurement of supplies and materials in compliance with donor and IRC rules and regulations through timely planning, specifications development and collaborative relations with Supply Chain colleagues
•Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met, that reports are of a high quality and are submitted on time
Coordination and Representation
•Engage and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and coordination structures relevant to northeast Syria in Iraq and locally including NGO, UN, technical and government actors
•Identify, monitor and report unmet needs. Explore the potential of the IRC to address those needs within the parameters of the Strategic Action Plan and sector priorities.
Staff Management and Development
•Plan, organize, recruit, supervise and develop the team and individuals needed to achieve program goals and maximize national ownership and leadership.
•Ensure that capacity development plans are in place for all teams
•Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance
•Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented annual and mid-year performance reviews.
•As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by end of assignment
•Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development. Support the development of business development skills and responsibility among the integrated protection team, with a particular focus on national staff.
•Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.
•Offer leadership support for successful adherence by staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.
Key Working Relationships
Position Reports to: Deputy Director Programs NES,
Position directly supervises: Snr WPE Manager, Snr Protection Manager, and Snr Child Protection Manager,
Indirect Reporting: Protection staff
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal: WPE, CP, PRoL Technical Advisors Cash and Livelihoods Coordinator, Health Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, Field Coordinator, Supply Chain Coordinator, Deputy Finance Controller, HR Director, regional technical advisors and counterparts, Protection Coordinator (Iraq) ;
External: Whole of Syria coordination structures including the NES PWG, technical working groups, INGOs
