Women Protection and Empowerment Coordinator At International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

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In Niger, IRC is currently running a large-scale humanitarian program focusing on displaced people and host communities affected by recent crises and conflicts, with a particular emphasis on women and girls. We work in Diffa, Tillabéri and Maradi, and our guiding vision is that crisis-affected people in Niger, including internally displaced people, refugees, returnees and their host communities, receive rapid emergency assistance, have access to basic services and are empowered to choose how to meet their needs through mainly cash-based assistance.

Job overview

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), and with technical support from the Technical Advisor on Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE), the WPE Coordinator is responsible for the strategic management of the WPE program and its components, for implementing the IRC (OEF) strategy, and for supporting and sustaining gender equity initiatives. The WPE Coordinator will provide technical guidance and advice for all WPE projects, including 1) response to gender-based violence (GBV) through case management and psychosocial support, 2) prevention, including engaging our programming with men and boys, 3) training, staff and partner capacity building and 4) economic and social empowerment of women (EA$E).

In support of these objectives, the WPE Coordinator provides essential technical assistance including capacity sharing, one-on-one mentoring, supervision, and training to PAF staff at IRC. The WPE Coordinator is also responsible for sharing capacity with IRC partners.

Scope of work:

• Design, development, and management of IRC Niger’s WPE program

• Develop the country program’ WPE strategy in conjunction with SAP

• Direct supervision and management of the WPE team in close collaboration with the DDP, SPC and Field Coordinators.

• Maintain close links and collaboration with other sectors, in particular health, nutrition, child protection and livelihoods (ERD).

Main responsibilities:

Program management

• PAF Coordinator is responsible for coordinating PAF projects in Niger in line with IRC’s Country Strategy Action Plan, policies and priorities

• Directs and supervises the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting of the PAF program and its activities

• Provides technical guidance from project development, during implementation and at the end of projects

• Provide clear technical support, supervisory guidance and training to all PAF programs, activities and teams, and coordinate closely with the Health, Nutrition and DDP coordinators, as well as the Country Director, to ensure program quality and implementation across all sites, and to improve coordination with other IRC programs

• Develop program tools. Review and adapt technical training materials. Develop training materials as/if required to support new approaches

• Collaborate with Field Coordinators and PAF technical unit at HQ to provide program updates, discuss challenges and collaborate in the development of new programs

• Act as key personnel and resource for external and internal training. Provide training for staff and partners

• Strengthen the integration of cross-sectoral priorities in the PAF field, including gender, protection, safeguarding, disaster risk reduction, diversity, equality and inclusion, as well as the “Do Not Harm” principle.

Budget management

• Participate in internal project monitoring meetings and with partners to ensure that projects/grants are up to date. In collaboration with project leads and the Senior Programme Coordinator that there is no under/overspending on budget lines.

• Work closely with the Finance and Grants teams to develop the budget.

• Collaborate with the Grants team to ensure that programs are implemented in line with donor rules and that reporting standards are met.

Sector strategy and program development

• Expand the PAF program portfolio

• In conjunction with PAS, actively seek out and develop proposals

• Ensure consistency in programmatic strategy and implementation across sites and projects

• Ensure implementation of PAS actions in connection with the PAF program

• Work with the team to develop new or update existing PAF program components and inform them of new or ongoing opportunities.

• Participate in the drafting of proposals and other opportunities as requested and advise on the budget.

• Provide technical guidance for gender equality initiatives.

Representation & Advocacy

• Maintain strong relationships with government partners involved in PAF activities.

• Develop and maintain relationships with potential donors.

• Ensure PAF program visibility and represent IRC in country-level GBV coordination meetings.

• Act as co-facilitator of the Protection Cluster

• Maintain effective relations with GBV actors in the country and help improve coordination.

Personnel management and development:

• Supervise the team under his/her direct responsibility to ensure efficient and effective planning, implementation and monitoring of all activities and their understanding of expected program results.

• Maintain open and professional relationships with team members, promote a strong team spirit and monitor and guide staff to succeed in their positions.

• Overall responsibility for staff time sheets, work plans, vacation schedules and staff training/development activities

• Lead staff recruitment where funding is planned and/or confirmed

• Assume responsibility for discussing expectations, performance and work objectives on an informal, quarterly basis with designated staff

• Adhere and act in accordance with IRC global HR policies and procedures – Promote the IRC Way.

Monitoring, evaluation, quality assurance and reporting:

• Maintain an effective monitoring, evaluation and planning system in collaboration with the M&E team.

• Analyze WPE data and provide feedback to the DDP

• Responsible for all internal and external programmatic reporting, including donor reporting

• Coordinate program evaluations and reviews, ensure documentation of lessons learned informing reporting and program development

• Contribute to the development of guidelines, including the technical design of software and hardware interventions, for all areas under his/her responsibility

• Provide technical support in WPE areas to the team under direct responsibility and to the general mission.

• Ensure that gender, protection and environmental impact are integrated into all programs under direct responsibility.

Other tasks

• Consistently and proactively monitor the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to the SMT and liaising with community leaders and other external parties necessary to maintain / improve the safety environment for IRC programs

• Other duties as assigned by supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

Job requirements

Education: Advanced degree in international development, social work, women’s studies or related field.

Professional experience

• Minimum 5 years’ professional experience in the development, management and evaluation of projects

• GBV prevention and response programs in post-conflict and development contexts.

Skills required

• Master’s degree in social sciences or related subject

• Five (5) years professional experience in the design and implementation of protection projects particularly in gender-based violence, in emergency and development contexts, including one (1) year experience in an emergency context

• Experience in Africa preferred

• Strong program/technical and budget management, planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills

• Excellent understanding of women’s empowerment and gender equality issues

• In-depth understanding of best practices and strategies in the field of GBV response and prevention (care, psychosocial support) and economic empowerment

• Knowledge of tools and methodology (GBV/IMS, EASE, VSLA etc.)

• Strong planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills

• Excellent skills: MS Word, Excel; GBV/IMS

• Successful experience in developing new programs in line with strategic objectives

• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and advocacy with external parties

• Experience in managing, supervising, coaching and mentoring staff

• Proven ability to work in a team and promote teamwork, at ease in a multicultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure with professionalism

• Excellent French and English

Key working relationship :

Report to : Deputy Director of Programs

Specific safety/housing situation

The WPE Coordinator will be based in Niamey with travel throughout the country. The security situation in Niger continues to be volatile. This is a non-accompanied position.