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 more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers 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.

IRC Poland’s goal is to ensure the survival of the affected population in a way that enables their safety, dignity, and empowerment. Working in the program areas of education, economic recovery and development and protection, the IRC in Poland works to see that: 1) people affected by the war in Ukraine are able to meet their immediate and basic needs with safety and dignity and avoid harmful coping mechanisms; and 2) people affected by the war in Ukraine are protected and supported to recover from the consequences of violence and displacement through equitable access to services and information. A signature part of IRC’s strategy is protection and includes Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL) and Child Protection (CP) programming which benefit from both partner-led and direct implementation. Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) programming supports women and girls at risk to meet their needs through GBV prevention and responses implemented by women-led organizations (WLOs) with whom IRC has a partnership and through direct service provision in Integrated Protection Centers operated by IRC.

Key Responsibilities

The WPE Coordinator will roll-out IRC’s WPE program in Poland, that is responsive to emerging women’s and girls’ protection risks and needs related to the Ukraine crisis. They will oversee the smooth implementation of GBV responses, that include GBV case management, referrals to quality services and holistic psychosocial support services (PSS) that promote healing and recovery. They will ensure GBV responses are inclusive and reach the most marginalized women and girls by raising awareness on GBV through a WPE outreach strategy.

The WPE Coordinator will oversee GBV prevention programming including the implementation of activities in Women and Girl Safe Spaces (WGSS) in the Integrated Protection Centers alongside GBV risk mitigation activities, namely safety audits, and community outreach and information sessions on GBV. The WPE Coordinator will engage actively with key strategic stakeholders in order to promote the WPE program outcomes, standardize processes, support local capacities, and advocate on behalf of refugee women and girls.

Program Development

• Lead the development of the strategy for the WPE program, ensuring processes that incorporate input from WPE field teams, other sectors and key external partners.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the overall country strategic action plan with specific attention to the strategy for WPE.
• Undertake continued assessment of external context to inform and update WPE strategy and program.
• In coordination with the Senior Grants and Partnerships Coordinator, lead WPE proposal development activities (narrative and budget) through planning and program design with relevant field-based staff, to ensure technical standards are taken into considering before submission.
• Ensure that the WPE team is fully oriented on the project design, activities, budget, and other pertinent details.

Program implementation

• Lead activities and processes to ensure the overall achievement of grants, according to IRC grants implementation cycles and procedures.
• Support implementation and ensure adherence to grant work plans, spending plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Take part in regular Project Cycle Meetings, including inception meetings, lesson learnt meetings, etc. for technical oversight of WPE programming.
• Work closely and coordinate with IRC Program Supports including Operations, Finance and Grant departments to ensure compliance with grant requirements.
• Coordinate with IRC program sectors (i.e., ProL, CP, Education, Economic Recovery and Development) to provide relevant input and support enhancing the protection and empowerment of women and girls.
• Ensure regular collaboration and communication with other units and functions to ensure integrated programming components are highly functional and grounded on standard methodologies across sectors.

Technical Oversight & Support

• Seek guidance from IRC’s WPE Technical Advisor and lead, provide technical oversight and guidance on all aspects of the WPE programming, ensuring high quality in-line with standard methodologies and international standards.
• In coordination with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator, ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for appropriate gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy.
• Supervise quality case management data collection and storage.
• Lead the process to develop WPE program implementation guidelines, SOPs, training materials, etc. to ensure WPE program quality.

Staff Supervision and Development

• Maintain open and professional relations with WPE team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Develop capacity building plan on various aspects of WPE.
• Coach, train, and mentor WPE staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team, and providing professional development guidance.
• Directly supervise the WPE Manager and ensure regular performance reviews and feedback. This includes providing technical guidance, on-the-job mentoring and coaching.
• Ensure ongoing training and targeted capacity building of WPE staff. This includes staff training in technical and program management skills in areas such as reporting, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and supervision.
• Assist with the recruitment of WPE staff, in coordination with HR, senior management.

Program Monitoring & Reporting

• Oversee all internal, WPE related reporting
• Follow-up on quality collection of data towards donor and internal indicators.
• Produce / contribute to all donor reporting on activities, indicators, and achievements, as required (monthly / quarterly / annually) – including internal reporting under the Ukraine Appeal.
• Actively collaborate with IRC in country and Regional MEAL Coordinator, MEAL staff, AAP staff.
• Support development and maintenance of effective and efficient oversight, support, quality control and reporting systems and processes.

Partner Management

• Oversee IRC’s relationship with WPE implementing partners.
• Ensure regular monitoring of partner activities to achieve the set WPE program objectives.
• Identify strategic WPE partners (implementing partner; technical partner etc.) for potential collaboration and take part in partnership assessment process (due diligence) to select optimum partners.

Coordination, Representation and Advocacy

• Dedicatedly participate in, and contribute to in a coordinator/facilitator capacity, coordination meetings and working groups, specifically the Task Force on the Clinical Management of Rape (CMR) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) which IRC co-leads; and other related task forces.
• Dedicatedly build strong working alliances with other international and national actors/organizations working on GBV-related advocacy.
• Dedicatedly develop and maintain effective working relationships with other key partners, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, maintaining IRC as a key contributor to addressing GBV and WPE issues pertaining to the Ukraine situation in Poland.
• Dedicatedly seek to establish and develop partnerships and collaborate with the Polish and Ukrainian women’s movement, women and feminist-centered organizations and initiatives to strengthen the response for women and girls and enhance their voices. Actively engage with other groups, as adequate, mainstreaming feminist principles in early recovery humanitarian action.
• Ensure IRC’s active contribution in all coordination forums at local level, including in the EU country, local territorial government environment realizing the EU gendered agenda.
• Lead the process to generate evidence and document best practice practices in Central Eastern Europe.
• Conduct GBV assessments, technical study, and participate in protection needs assessment by GBV sector. Actively collaborate with the Protection Monitoring Team and other colleagues, as necessary.

Other duties: as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

Minimum Qualifications:

Key working relationships:

• Position Reports to: Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), Poland
• Position directly supervises: WPE Manager
• Internal collaborations within IRC: Child Protection (CP) Coordinator, Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL) Coordinator.Education Coordinator.Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Coordinator; Senior Partnership and Grants Coordinator; MEAL Coordinator; Senior Integrated Protection Manager.
• External collaborations to IRC: GBV actors, organizations, and agencies; UN, EU representatives.

Qualifications

• Advanced master’s degree in Women’ Studies, Gender, Social Work, Social Science, Human Rights/ Public Health or other relevant field or the equivalent in professional work

Competencies: Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Minimum of 4 years professional experience at international level implementing emergency GBV programming.
• Proven experience working in refugee contexts.
• Proven experience supervising and providing case management services and support.
• Thorough understanding of GBV response protocols and service provision.
• Deep understanding of the impact and dynamics of men’s violence against women and girls, and proven grounding in feminist, women and girl-centered, anti-oppressive practice.
• Demonstrated coordination, networking and relationship building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organizations, UN agencies.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully leading, building, and strengthening a program team in a dynamic, challenging and changing context.
• Proven experience in supervising, mentoring and building capacity of early career and national staff.
• Strong experience, knowledge and skills in participatory methods and community development.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and proposal writing skills.
• Strong leadership, program, staff and budget management and capacity building skills.
• Experience in working in partnership with UN agencies and other actors.
• Languages:This post requires fluency in English including a high competency in written English. Polish and/or Ukrainian are an asset.
• Excellent communication skills, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, ability to improvise, and a great team player.
• Ability to productively work under pressure and in matrix management environment.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time.
• Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner.
• Previous experience managing programs financed by institutional bilateral and multilateral donors, including budget holder responsibilities.
• Strong commitment to humanitarian and protection principles and IRC values.
• Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Excel.

This position will be based in Warsaw, with frequent travel to Katowice, Gdynia and other locations as necessary. As this is a fluid and rapidly changing context, the location of this position and length of assignment may change based on the needs of the program.

Must have the right to work in Poland.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.
Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.