Job Title: Senior Protection Analysis Specialist (Parental Leave Cover) – IRC
Sector: Violence Prevention and Response
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No
Job Description
Background/IRC Summary:
Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global leader in providing emergency relief, rehabilitation, post conflict development, human rights protection, resettlement services and advocacy for refugees and others uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. The IRC is committed to restoring hope, freedom, dignity, and self-reliance. The IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and thorough accountability to those we serve.
Over the past 16 years, the IRC has pioneered and implemented programs that prevent and respond to violence against women and children, as well as other vulnerable groups in refugee settings and in other conflict-affected contexts, making the IRC a global leader in this field. IRC is one of the first humanitarian organizations to bring together specific expertise involved in violence prevention and response in conflict affected settings to ensure collaborative and still specialized support to survivors and those at risk of violence. This expertise is housed in the Violence Prevention and Response Unit (VPRU), which is responsible for ensuring overall quality and communication of VPR work within the IRC through support to the field and promulgation of global best practice. The VPRU includes specializations focused on violence against women, violence against children, and protection/ rule of law for refugees, IDPs and other vulnerable populations. IRC presently implements VPR programs to support social and political environments that foster freedom from violence, discrimination, and exclusion for vulnerable populations in contexts of crisis. Today, IRC manages VPR programmes in over 41 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, with funding from governments, the UN, foundations, and private donors.
Job Overview / Summary:
The Senior Protection Analysis Specialist sits within the Technical Innovations team of the VPRU. The Technical Innovations team focuses on the development and testing of innovative programme models and approaches; development of programming tools, guidance, curriculum and other resources; the generation of evidence through research and learning; and evidence-based advocacy to influence policy and practice in the field of VPR.
The Senior Protection Analysis Specialist will be responsible for an evolving thematic body of work focused around Protection Analysis. The Senior Specialist will lead Protection Analysis strategy development relevant to VPRU’s priority area of Protection Monitoring and Analysis. The Senior Specialist will support directly and also coordinate the delivery of protection analysis technical support to country teams working to strengthen staff capacity at the country level and global technical unit level. The Senior Specialist will also lead business development, lead coordination and engagement with other IRC sectors and external organizations on Protection Analysis and provide technical oversight to this body of work.
Major Responsibilities:
The Senior Protection Analysis Specialist will be responsible for overseeing the thematic area of Protection Analysis, as well as implementing all aspects of the relevant technical innovation projects under this theme. This will include, but may not be limited to implementation of the Sida-funded Initiative ‘Localizing Protection Analysis Capacity for Impact’. The Senior Protection Analysis Specialist will be responsible for leading the recruitment of direct reports as well as relevant consultants. The Senior Protection Analysis Specialist will report to the IRC’s Senior Technical Advisor – Technical Innovations, with management in partnership with the IRC’s Senior Technical Advisor – Protection and Rule of Law Advisor for technical oversight.
The Senior Protection Analysis Specialist will be responsible for the following:
Project Management and Initiative Oversight:
• Lead the Sida Humanitarian Framework Agreement Initiative ‘Localizing Protection Analysis Capacity for Impact’. Responsibilities include:
o Convene the project’s advisory group and ensure ongoing coordination between the advisory group, project team members, and interagency initiatives.
o Alongside the Capacity Strengthening Coordinator, support implementation of country protection analysis capacity strengthening roadmaps, including planning and facilitation of joint analysis workshops and learning exchanges for protection and other relevant actors.
o Lead accessibility audit and adaptation process (in coordination with lead consultant, and Project Advisory Group) to ensure the Protection Analysis Resources Package is contextually fit for purpose for use with diverse audiences, including local actors, meeting the needs of frontline humanitarian and representative organization stakeholders.
o Adapt and finalize protection analysis resources for frontline staff and other local and representative actors.
o Facilitate a Community of Practice and lead curation and dissemination of resources and learnings, internally and externally.
o Ensure regular communication about the Project between Project Team members, focal country key stakeholders, VPRU, donor, and other partners, including convening monthly team meetings, sharing regular updates, tracking Project spending, and leading on donor reporting.
• Ensure continued coordination and collaboration with external Information Management and Analysis and also Localization stakeholders
o Support where possible interagency efforts to deliver capacity strengthening activities, including training activities to interagency stakeholders on the Protection Analytical Framework (PAF).
o Ensure strong coordination and collaboration with the project’s advisory group, as well as existing Protection Information Management and analysis stakeholders.
o Ensure linkages and synergies with IRC-led efforts around localizing protection analysis (including connecting learning with relevant IRC Partnership, and Policy & Advocacy focal points), as well as Localization external humanitarian architecture and also relevant representative organizations and local and national partners.
Staff Supervision:
• Responsible for ongoing supervision of the Protection Analysis Capacity Strengthening Coordinator.
• Ensure the coordination of this role within operational, learning, and strategic spaces across VPRU and IRC.
Protection Analysis Technical Support and Leadership:
• Provision of targeted Technical Support (beyond ‘Localizing Protection Analysis Capacity for Impact’ Project countries and in support of Country Support Technical Advisors, including:
o Support the VPRU Country Support team in delivering remote or in-person technical assistance related to protection analysis in program/strategy design, business development and technical capacity building of country programs as appropriate
• Seek to support a network of Protection Analysis champions internal and external to IRC
• Convene technical discussions, support, and coordinate with relevant VPRU counterparts in the Protection Analysis thematic area.
Protection Analysis Thematic Area Strategic Leadership
Learning and Impact:
• Ongoing Knowledge Management oversight – ensuring Protection Analysis materials are shared internally (Kaya Connect, RescueNet) and externally (GPC Website, PIM Website).
• Convene a learning exchange / regularized discussion space to link together counterparts across the IRC (including technical protection stakeholders, other technical units, programme quality staff, etc.)
• Document, package and disseminate growing evidence base, learning, and good practices around protection analysis use and impact.
Internal and External Representation & Partnership Development/Coordination:
• Represent the IRC internally regarding the Protection Analysis thematic area – linking to IRC strategy ambitions and programme quality standards, and other IRC analysis spaces
• Responsibility for continuing to convene an Advisory Committee related to Sida HFA project. Develop a portfolio of partners and organizations we can collaborate with connected to protection analysis, including those engaged in the Sida HFA Advisory Group.
• Represent the IRC externally regarding protection analysis – linking to relevant coordination groups of the Global Protection Cluster (including co-coordination of the Information and Analysis Working Group (IAWG) in partnership with DRC). Also representing the IRC in other interagency discussion spaces, including participating in DRC’s Protection Analysis Project Advisory Group, Protection Information Management partner meetings, and InterAction Results-based Protection Practitioner learning events.
Business Development:
• Lead business development opportunities within the thematic area of protection analysis aligned with VPRU and IRC strategic objectives.
• Maintain an up-to-date portfolio of project ideas as concept notes for opportunistic / proactive submission and/or responding to more regular and anticipated annual opportunities (BHA, ECHO ERC, Sida HFA).
Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: Senior Technical Advisor – Technical Innovations.
Position Directly Supervises: Protection Analysis Capacity Strengthening Coordinator; also various consultant-based, term-limited positions.
Position works closely with: Senior Technical Advisor – Protection and Rule of Law; VPRU Country-Facing Technical Advisors, VPRU Inclusion Advisor/Specialist(s).
Job Qualifications:
• Demonstrable, progressively responsible experience within the humanitarian sector. Prior experience working with in the field of protection information management and developing protection analysis at an operational level required. Experience working in diverse settings / contexts and at both the field and global level.
Key Skills:
• Proven experience applying protection analysis tools and structured analytical techniques
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of protection information management, analysis workflows and analysis levels
• High level of familiarity with coordination mechanisms, protection norms, standards and understanding of a holistic approach to protection, and the ability to incorporate these into operational and technical solutions
• Proven experience developing capacity building & learning materials
• Proven experience in convening workshops and training events
• Understands existing and emerging technological solutions for information management in humanitarian contexts
• Excellent communication – written and oral presentation skills, including understanding of plain language principles and accessible design
• Demonstrated experience managing and supervising staff following inclusive management and leadership practices including respect for diversity and valuing uniqueness in an empathetic, bias-free way
• Language: For this position, fluent oral and written English is essential. Ability to work in Arabic, Hausa, Kanuri is desirable due to operating contexts of this project
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect or diversity
• Demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate diverse issues simultaneously and to develop clear goals, establish priorities and allocate time and resources appropriately
Working Environment: Standard work environment. The position may require approximately 10% travel.
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional 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, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
