Child Protection Manager - North

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

The Child Protection Manager is responsible for the overall implementation of quality child Protection programming overseeing our programming in the North with the possibility of overseeing new locations around Lebanon (depending on funding).

He/She would be providing ongoing supervision and support to the child protection teams which consist of psychosocial (PSS), case management (CM)staff, and partners. The manager is responsible for attending external regional coordination meetings, drafting reports, working on proposal development, and continuing efforts/initiatives underway with national government counterparts on working children. The Manager will manage operational aspects of the day-to-day running of the project, including supervision of staff, supporting the team to manage high-risk cases thoroughly, remaining on standby for weekend emergencies, and longer-term child protection systems building work, which will require extensive advocacy efforts. Should the program expand the Manager should be prepared to assume additional thematic program responsibilities.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Development & Coordination

- Work closely with the Child protection coordinator to develop project proposals, and ensure financial processes comply with internal regulations. - Ensure working children’s input into program development, feedback, and accountability of our program on a minimum of a quarterly basis – ensure that program design is directly influenced by children’s feedback on their needs and priorities. - Oversees appropriate documentation of the program (databases, Activity Info, weekly and monthly reporting internally and externally). - Assume responsibility for ensuring the team delivers quality services for children and their families (case management, apprenticeship, basic literacy, community development, and PSS). - Represent IRC externally with CPWG, Municipality, UN colleagues, National NGOs, and others as and when needed - Maintain regular contact with NGOs involved in the field of child labor and child protection. - Responsible for all aspects of reporting including donor reports, internal situation reports, fact sheets, analyzing incidents of violence and trends affecting working children. - Set Detailed Implementation Plans for all grants and closely monitor grant outputs in a timely and accountable manner - Seek opportunities for close coordination between IRC’s Access to Justice for Child Program, Education, women’s protection and empowerment, Protection rule of Law, and IRC Economic recovery. - Program development: Based on existing gaps in the system (both national system and humanitarian), identify opportunities for program development, coordinate closely with the CP Coordinator on the development of new project proposals. - Consistently obtain feedback from children and caregivers on key priorities to raise awareness with children on their legal rights, risk mitigation, and other relevant awareness-raising campaigns targeting the wider public on the subject of child labor. - Advocate for the development of systems to protect working children in coordination with national counterparts and close consultation with the CP Coordinator. - Ensure case management teams are consistently referring beneficiaries (where appropriate) to external bodies to access services, including referrals for PCAP, resettlement, medical referrals, judicial protection, etc - Analyze outcomes of child protection cases referred for protection and assess whether the child is safe, and thrives – if not assume full responsibility for advocating for specific outcomes for the child. - Flag trends of concern affecting working children to national working groups, the coordinator, and the authorities when relevant. - Coordinate and facilitate meetings with relevant stakeholders in the area to develop project strategic directions, and project scope, and tailor interventions. - Develop and maintain annual work plans with clearly stated milestones contributing to the achievement of target outputs defined in the project document. - Ensure the design and implementation of a project approach that reinforces a) children's participation; b) the best interest of the child; and c) Do no Harm. - Establish and maintain strong working relationships with project partners, follow up monthly on their work plan, technical intervention, challenges, and raise any concerns to the CP coordinator.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

- Produce quarterly factsheets through the trends and violence forms and produce reports through analysis of pre and post-implementation surveys. - Manage the realization of project outputs and results through activities in line with the agreed-upon timetables and resources and monitor progress. - Ensure adequate and accurate reporting of data activity Info, as well as M & E reporting within the team in close coordination with the M & E officer. - Manage and monitor the project risks and update the project coordinator on the impact on the project. - Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned, and good practices.

Staff management

- Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and leading documented semi-annual performance reviews - Set up and implement a capacity-building plan for all members team in coordination with the capacity building Unit within CP Programs: Coach, train, and mentor staff to strengthen their technical capacity, exchange knowledge within the team, and provide professional development guidance. - Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage - Provide daily technical support to staff. - Assign tasks and responsibilities to the project staff and supervise their performance. - Organize regular meetings for the project team members to assess work progress, address challenges and constraints, and provide guidance and support.

Other

- Conduct weekly team meetings with the team. - Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly report concerns or incidents directly to the CP Coordinator, Security officer, and Security Coordinator and liaise with external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs. - Ensure that IRC services meet a high standard by coaching and monitoring activities using standard sector tools, critical thinking skills, and feedback from Children, caregivers using our services.

Professional Standards

All IRC staff are required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Strong commitment to Child Safeguarding, and Child participation in decisions that affect their lives

Key Working Relationships:

- Position Reports to CP Coordinator – Head of Unit. Position directly supervises: CM Senior Officers, CP Case workers, Officers, and others as needed - Indirect Reporting: Senior CP Officers, Case Workers, CP Officers - Other Internal and/or external contacts: - Internal: MEAL team, CP Coordinator, Senior Support Officer - External: Municipality, Internal Security Forces, Child Protection Working Group, Donors, International Labour Organization, UNICEF, UNHCR, Ministry of Justice

Qualifications

- University degree in social work, human rights, protection, law or other relevant field- Master Degree is preferable.

Work Experience:

- A minimum of seven years of working experience in the humanitarian/development field. - Experience working on issues of exploitation, street children, and trafficking. - Experience working in Child Protection programs in emergencies. - Experience in proposal writing and budget development. - Experience in budget management. - Experience in managing and supporting staff development. - Ability to work with short deadlines and under pressure. - Personal qualities: Team player, flexible, able to handle pressure well and work in cross-cultural settings. - Staunch advocate and believer in child protection and child rights. Strong critical thinking skills.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

- Demonstrated experience in developing training manuals and tools. - Demonstrated experience in developing project proposals and budgets. - Demonstrated experience in report writing.

Language Skills:

Fluency in English and Arabic.

Working Environment: Office work and field trips including Akkar, Tripoli, and Beirut.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. By 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.