Protection Technical Advisor, Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The IRC has been working for nearly 30 years on programming focused on preventing and responding to violence against the groups at highest risk in acute emergency and humanitarian contexts. Violence Prevention and Response (VPR) or ‘Safety’ programs are implemented in over 30 countries, by IRC directly and in partnership with non-governmental organizations and / or Ministries serving women, children, and other diverse populations.

Job Overview/Summary: 

Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies (VPRIE) is a program area that sits jointly within IRC’s Emergency Unit (EmU) and VPR Unit. With few predictable and effective protection service providers in emergencies, there are major gaps in scale and scope to provide effective life-saving and life-sustaining VPR interventions to emergency-affected populations. In acute crises, VPRIE responses focus on four core service offerings: Social Work in Emergencies, Focused Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Interventions, Responsive Information Services in Emergencies, and Community Risk Mitigation and Access. These interventions are complementary and mutually reinforcing, designed to mitigate and respond to the most urgent protection threats facing emergency-affected communities in all their diversity. 

The Protection Technical Advisor (VPRIE) will work under the supervision of the Senior Technical Advisor for Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies, and in close collaboration with Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Emergency Surge Team (EST) technical coordinators across protection specializations and other key EmU, Quality in Emergencies (QiE), and VPRU focal points. The role will support delivery of IRC’s vision for emergencies in Strategy100, including: coordination and socialization of VPRIE program toolkits for emergencies; support to strategic workstreams that contribute to emergency safety outcomes and learning objectives; and provision of quality and responsive emergency-focused technical assistance to VPRIE interventions at the IRC across the emergency response continuum. 

Major Responsibilities:

Response-Centered Support (50%)

• In select Orange and Red classifications, provide emergency technical support and backstopping to partner-led and country team-led responses to ensure timely, robust technical support to emergency response and early actions, as requested and in line with the QiE Technical Assistance model.
• Provide emergency-focused technical support to Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) interventions in outbreaks, and ensure regular maintenance, updating, and socialization of RCCE resource library. Contribute to socialization and capacity building on RCCE approaches across the VPRIE team.
• Following emergency responses, collaborate with emergency Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) and deployed staff to analyze emergency response metrics, support learning and After Action Reviews, and support subsequent actions to implement lessons learned and address identified gaps.
• Once per year and / or as needed, deploy to start-up or support integrated protection programming in complex or large scale emergencies or for discrete technical deliverables (not covered by ERT), such as integrated needs assessments, evaluations / learning, contextualization of guidance and tools, trainings on emergency approaches, etc.
• Collaborate with the Director for Program Quality and Performance, other EmU sections, and with regional teams to ensure appropriate preparedness planning, early action, and capacity strengthening, particularly in Watchlist countries.

Strategic Objectives (30%)

• In close collaboration with ERT Coordinators and other QiE technical areas, contribute to the strategic implementation, updating based on feedback / learning and consultation with partners, and maintenance of VPRIE emergency toolkits, including: Social Work in Emergencies, Focused MHPSS Interventions, Responsive Information Services in Emergencies, and Community Risk Mitigation and Access. Maintain and update VPRIE approaches based on industry practice and evidence of impact, scale, speed, and cost efficiency.
• In close coordination with the STA VPRIE, VPRU focal points, and response teams, support the safe and timely deployment of Information Management Systems for case management interventions in acute emergencies.
• Support protection analysis on emergency responses and strengthen coordination of context analysis practices conducted by protection, humanitarian access and security, and global crisis analysis teams.
• Support standardization of emergency MEAL practices in VPRIE responses, centralized data analysis, and knowledge management.
• Contribute to building a strong understanding of Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS) throughout the VPRIE team.
• In collaboration with the STA VPRIE, support the recruitment and ongoing engagement of Emergency Surge Teams across protection specializations and facilitate a quarterly VPRIE community of practice. 

Business Development and Grant Management (20%)

In coordination with the STA VPRIE and Global Practice Leads:

• Contribute to business development and delivery of strategic projects that contribute to emergency safety outcomes and learning objectives, such as: prepositioning and support to strategic partners in emergency-prone contexts; generating evidence and learning in acute emergency settings; development of new resources for protection interventions across the emergency continuum; etc.
• Share emergency-focused technical support, promising practices, and learning with VPRU-led strategic projects and workstreams, inclusive of awards focused on partners.

Team Culture

• Build and maintain strong working relationships within the EmU, TechEx and Regional colleagues and continually promote a culture of partnership and collaboration
• Cultivate and maintain a positive, collaborative, safe and protective work environment, while additionally setting an example of ‘One IRC’-way of working within the team, EmU and the wider organization.
• Contribute to efforts across EmU to promote gender equality, diversity and more inclusive practice across our programming and our ways of working

Key Working Relationships:

Direct Reporting: Senior Technical Advisor, Violence Prevention and Response in Emergencies

Position directly supervises: N/A

Indirect reporting: N/A

Job Requirements:                                                                                                                           

Work Experience: At least 5 years of experience of program strategy development and implementation at country and global level in child protection, GBV, protection, and related humanitarian programs.

Field Experience: At least 3 years of direct experience managing program teams in humanitarian settings

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: 

• Demonstrated expertise in child protection, GBV, protection, mental health, or related field
• Experience with project design, proposal development, and fundraising with diverse donors
• Proven experience with coordination of internal and external stakeholders, or management of interagency projects / programs
• Strong leadership, organizational, and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time, both independently and with teams
• Effectiveness in bridging conceptual frameworks and practical guidance, and conveying complex information for use in programmatic decision making
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to develop constructive, results-oriented relationships with global, local and remote team members
• Ability to work with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams
• Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner
• Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional team structure
• Structured thinking, excellence in oral and written communication skills

Language Skills: excellent written and verbal English; working competency in French, Spanish or Arabic strongly preferred

Working Environment: Combination of remote work and standard office setting, up to 15% travel for emergency deployments as needed

Apply

Click on the link to apply: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/job/req59179/Protection-Technical-Advisor-Violence-Prevention-and-Response-in-Emergencies