Protection Officer - Qaim or Rawa

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

IRC working in coordination with the humanitarian community, the IRC currently addresses the needs of conflict-affected populations from several operational bases across Iraq. IRC’s activities focus primarily on the protection and legal assistance, cash assistance and livelihood, distribution of non-food items, education and women and children’s protection, and form part of an over-arching humanitarian response in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and the region that seeks to assist refugees, IDPs and war-affected people survive conflict and displacement.

Job Overview/Summary:

Under the direct supervision of the Protection Team Leader and Protection and Rule of Law Manager, the Protection Officer is responsible providing protection services to vulnerable people, including conducting household and community assessments, make referrals, advocating to humanitarian partners, government and local authorities on the rights of vulnerable people,working with and training Community Representation Groups, meeting with local authorities, conducting training on core protection principles and protection mainstreaming.

Major Responsibilities:

1. Monitor, assist, observe and report on key protection concerns and rights violations in the field to the Protection Team Leader and Protection Manager
2. Carry out rapid needs assessments, key informant interviews, household assessments, focus group discussions with community members, government actors, and other relevant stakeholder, through field visits in camps, informal settlements and vulnerable communities, to identify and address individuals at risk and humanitarian needs
3. Respond and mitigate protection concerns, including through referring cases of vulnerable people through safe referral pathways to other IRC departments (Legal, Cash, Child Protection, GBV) and other humanitarian partners, government services or UN agencies
4. Meet with local authorities, government officials, community leaders, humanitarian partnersand other relevant actors to advocate for the rights of vulnerable people
5. Conduct training with key stakeholders on protection principles, vulnerability criteria and protection mainstreaming
6. Conduct training with Community Representation Groups, and work with them regularly to build capacity and support their activities
7. Work with the Protection Team Leader or protection focal point and Protection and Rule of Law Manager to network with UN agencies, INGOs, local NGOs, local authorities and any other service providers in order to map service networks for referral
8. Prepare and send daily/weekly field reports to the Protection Team Leader or protection focal point / Protection Manager, also raise any protection concern or rights violation noticed in the area, according to best practices in term of confidentiality and safety of beneficiaries.
9. Daily upload all the protection activities on CommCare system, in an accurate and timely manner.
10. Perform other duties, as required by the supervisor in order to support the protection program.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:Protection Team Leader or protection focal point
Position directly supervises:N/A

Indirect Reporting: Protection Manager /Sr. protection manager
Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: WPE, ERD and CP team

External:local community and partners