Background/Context:
The IRC has operated in Syria since 2012, providing protection, health, economic recovery, and early childhood development programs in Idleb, Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Hassakeh, and Deir ez-Zor, with new programs expanding into Hama, rural Damascus, and Homs. With a team of over 700 members, the IRC has established trust and strong community relationships, ensuring access and effective service delivery. It plays a significant role in Syria’s NGO, donor, and coordination forums, holding key positions and adapting to the evolving context.
With the new realities under the new government, as of December 2024, the IRC has deployed a team to Damascus to set up operations and engage in coordination structures for newly accessible areas across Syria—including parts of NES, NWS, and other previously unreachable locations in South and Central Syria, adjusting operations to maximize coverage and efficiency.
Protection
The IRC has been delivering protection programs in the northwest since 2013 and in the northeast of Syria since 2014, focusing on Protection/Rule of Law (PRoL), Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), and Child Protection (CP). These efforts include specialized case management, PSS, protection monitoring, service mapping, and advocacy. Collaborating with partners, IRC improves access to protection services, raises community awareness, and strengthens referral pathways. Protection capacity building, community outreach, and rapid response through mobile protection teams have also been provided since 2017.
Job overview:
As part of its Syria response, the IRC has programs to support women and girls throughout Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates in Syria. The WPE Community Mobiliser works within the women and girls safe spaces and the community. They will disseminate information to targeted women and girls and their communities using a variety of methods as appropriate for the context, and is responsible for ensuring that women and girls have access to and receive essential information in line with key messages developed by the program. They will also assist the Women’s Center Officer, Adolescent Girls Assistant, WPE Case Workers and activity facilitators in engagement with focus groups and other psychosocial activities. The position will also facilitate access to services, including making safe and ethical referrals to social workers
Responsibilities:
- Commitment to and proactively promote a women and girls, and survivor-centered support approach and GBV guidelines.
- Through regular and daily community outreach, coupled with team members, building and maintaining relationships with communities, including local leaders, diverse groups, and stakeholders, to foster a supportive environment for women, girls, and survivors of GBV, including centers and safe spaces.
- Support the Women’s Protection and Empowerment teams in conducting focus groups discussion and other activities, guided by women and girls, for safe spaces that assess risks to women and girls.
- With technical support from Women’s Protection and Empowerment Program Officer, develop appropriate messages about the types of services and support available to GBV survivors, where these services are available, how communities can support survivors to access services, the consequences of GBV, and the benefits of seeking care and support.
- Assess topics that address community needs, particularly for women and girls. Present ideas to the Women’s Center Officer.
- Create community session materials, seeking review and approval of all materials and resources before use from Women’s Protection and Empowerment Program Officer.
- Provide and promote appropriate, safe, and confidential referrals for GBV survivors.
- Adhere to GBV guidelines in all GBV awareness-raising and engagement activities. This includes ensuring the confidentiality of survivors and respecting their wishes and decisions.
- Identify concerns related to women and adhere to GBV referral protocols and GBV guidelines, and present these concerns to the Women’s Center Officer.
- Work with the Women’s Protection and Empowerment team to ensure that centers and safe spaces respond to the evolving needs of communities.
- Work with the Women’s Protection and Empowerment team to conduct regular safety audits and ensure engagement with women and girls.
- Support the distribution of risk reduction items (including dignity kits) and follow-up monitoring.
- Support the recruitment and indirect supervision of all women’s committee member/volunteers; ensure they understand their roles and guide them to success.
- Facilitate and implement psychosocial support sessions for the Engaging Men through Accountable Practice (EMAP) program to promote positive behavioral change.
- Complete attendance sheets for relevant activities and contribute to monthly activity reports, according to the guidelines provided by the Women’s Center staff, and provide weekly information to the Women’s Center staff in line with deadlines.
- Maintain positive coordination and relationships with partners/NGOs and other sector staff.
- Submit weekly and monthly reports to the Women’s Empowerment and Protection Officer, their direct supervisor.
Job Requirements:
- High school diploma or two-year institute certificate, preferably a university degree or other related field.
- At least one year of progressively responsible professional experience in the field of gender-based violence, particularly supporting the protection and empowerment of adolescent girls and women, primarily through counseling or psychosocial support sessions, preferably with women/girls.
- Previous experience in an emergency or conflict-affected situation is required.
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
- A commitment to IRC’s mission, vision, values and IRC Way – Professional Code of Conduct.
- Credible written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development.
- Validated sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to handle complex situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.
- Excellent management and interpersonal skills and a solid ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.
- Validated ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional patience.
- Analytical ability in creating effective solutions to complex matters while adhering to labor laws and internal policies.
Language/Travel:
- Arabic is required, while Kurdish and English will be added advantages.
- Travel: 100% to field sites in 100% as well as attending regional and global workshops and meetings. And meetings.
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: WPE Center Officer
Position directly supervises: None
Indirect Reporting:
Key Internal Contacts: Supervisor and Beneficiaries Protection and Volunteer Committees
Key External Contacts: Organizations within the camp – Camp Management
Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the country where this position is based and are currently residing outside of your home country, you may be eligible for an attractive relocation package. Eligibility is determined based on IRC’s operational needs and specific role requirements. IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs.
Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.