Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Manager

Contextual Background

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.

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 6.1 million people are internally displaced and 13.1 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, with three million in hard-to-reach areas. There are 5.4 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.

SCOPE OF WORK:

With direct management support from the Integrated Protection Coordinator and technical support from the WPE Technical Advisor, the Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Manager plays a key role in leading project development and implementation, providing technical support and guidance to the IRC’s protection services including remote management of staff and/or partners inside North West Syria, and ensuring the delivery of quality WPE programming in North West Syria. The WPE Manager will be primarily responsible for the establishment of GBV service provision, women and girls safe space in North West Syria, working with partners, as feasible.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Integrated Protection Coordinator **
Position directly supervises: ** Women’s Protection and Empowerment Deputy Manager and Senior GBV CM Capacity Building Officer

Indirect Reporting: Will work within IRC’s cross-border protection team, led by the Integrated Protection Coordinator **
Other Internal and/or external contacts: **Regular coordination with relevant IRC staff/departments (eg. TA., child protection and protection and rule of law), other humanitarian actors and partners in Jordan and Syria.

Responsibilities:

Program Design, Support and Planning

· Technical oversight and support to field level implementation of IRC Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) direct implementation programming in Northwest Syria. Namely the establishment and running of Mobile WPE teams; Women and Girls Safe Spaces including, but not limited to, management of procurement, community engagement, staff recruitment and capacity building, activity development and scheduling, development of GBV case management and PSS components

· Design new approaches to build the capacity building of partners including operational and technical support on on-going GBV case management services

· Development and implementation of training and technical support to mainstream WPE standards across North West Syria response

· Contribute to any business development required for the WPE/WPE integrated protection program, including drafting concept notes, proposals as required by the Integrated Protection Coordinator

· Ensure timely and correct narrative and quantitative reporting from inside Syria.

Staff management

· Recruit WPE staff members both Amman based and Syria-based.

· Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, both Amman based and Syria including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.

· Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of the team in Syria

· 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.

· Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.

· Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least bi-weekly.

· Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.

· As required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.

· 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.

· Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.

· Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate

· Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures, and communicates through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

· Work with IRC Monitoring team, IPC, technical advisor and partner organizations to ensure a safe, survivor-centered and confidential mechanism for collecting information on project activities is implemented.

· Support the design of monitoring and evaluation tools that are contextually appropriate and will allow the IRC to measure the impact of programming.

· Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met and that reports are of a high quality and submitted on time.

Coordination & Representation

· Support the timely information sharing regarding challenges and needs at the field level.

· Represent IRC in internal and external forums as needed, including Protection Cluster.

· Assist in contributing to the development of referral mechanisms in collaboration with IRC coordinators, other NGOs and the Protection cluster.

Required Qualifications

· Minimum 6 years of experience of which a minimum of 2 years is in a managerial level in a GBV/Women’s protection program

· Relevant qualification in social work, social sciences, public health, community health, or related field

· Ideally experience with establishment and running of Women’s Centers

· Demonstrated experience with GBV case management

· Demonstrated experience with capacity building and training

· Demonstrated understanding of protection mainstreaming in particular demonstrated understanding of best practices for integration of gender based violence interventions in humanitarian action

· Report writing skills

· Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills and the ability to liaise diplomatically

· Solid ability to provide leadership, management, team-building, coaching, and development for staff

· Experience of working with local stakeholders and partners

· Excellent communication skills in both Arabic and English Ability to live and work under pressure in an unstable security environment.

Languages:

· High standards written and spoken English and Arabic are required.

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

· Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of 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, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality:** IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Attention Returning National Candidates IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a national of the country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.

**
Working Environment** The overall security situation in Jordan is relatively calm, especially in Amman. The Jordanian government is stable, and civil unrest is largely peaceful. However, Jordan’s generosity in hosting refugees from Palestine, Iraq and now Syria have created huge strains on the country’s economy and infrastructure. The IRC office is in a modern professional building.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.