Protection Coordinator

Job Description

IRC’s work in Mexico supports migrant populations throughout the country - those who are in transit as well as those who see Mexico as a destination. Current program areas include cultural orientation, a range of protection activities (psychosocial support, women’s protection empowerment, child protection, protection monitoring, etc.), and support for livelihoods.

Job Overview

The IRC is implementing a protection program featuring home visits to facilitate access to protection and integration services and delivery of mental health and psychosocial support, as well as emergency protection operations. Based in Mexico City, the Protection Coordinator is responsible for the overall management of protection staff in all locations, providing necessary support, oversight and technical guidance to ensure successful implementation of protection programming, and ongoing strategic development of the IRC Mexico’s protection portfolio. This will include leadership of internal capacity building activities, activity design, including developing new related projects and garnering required funding, and implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation of all program activities. The Protection Coordinator will participate in coordination forums.

Major Responsibilities

Program Management & Implementation

• Provide strategic direction and vision to the IRC’s Protection programming in Mexico with an emphasis on ensuring quick program start-up/scale-up and implementation while observing high program quality in alignment with IRC’s best practices.

• Navigate complex relationships and program requirements among IRC, donor agencies and state providers relative to durable solutions and integration programming.

• Oversee implementation of IRC’s protection programming in Mexico including timely recruitment; development of work plans; budget management; procurement plans; and reporting per IRC and donor regulations.

• Undertake regular field monitoring visits to assess progress and identify technical quality issues and/or other implementation issues, provide solutions, and implement modifications as required.

• Plan and manage the program budgets and ensure IRC policies are adhered to by the team.

• Produce/contribute to IRC and donor reports as required (monthly, quarterly and annually).

New business development

• Develop/propose recommendations for the protection component of the country strategy action plan collaboration with the protection team, the DDP, and Technical Advisors.

• Identify opportunities, design, and develop proposals to grow the Protection portfolio.

• Ensure all protection projects use the IRC theories of change and that outcomes are evidence-driven and evidence-generated.

• Utilize IRC Mexico’s multi-sector assessment reports and other relevant documents to guide protection program development.

• Identify opportunities for partnership and strategic collaboration.

Staff Management & Technical Guidance

• Directly supervise and support the protection team, promoting a strong team spirit and providing managerial and technical guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their duties.

• Coach, train, and mentor staff, strengthening their technical capacity and providing professional development guidance. Discuss job expectations, set objectives and conduct timely and quality performance evaluations and give regular and constructive feedback to staff throughout the year.

• Refine protection SOPs as relevant to program implementation and train protection staff on their implementation. Ensure IRC protection standards are being met across programs, in coordination with IRC technical advisors.

• Act as an exemplar in practices conforming to the internal ethical guidelines, “The IRC Way” and assure compliance by all staff.

Representation and coordination

• Forge connections with counterparts including INGO, Local NGO, governmental, UN, donor, and other non-governmental stakeholders.

• Collaborate closely with other program departments to ensure that linkages between programs are made and programs gain from cross-sector best practices.

• Identify opportunities for partnership and strategic collaboration.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Deputy Director - Programs

Position directly supervises: Protection team

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Grants Coordinator, Deputy Director – Cross Border, Asylum & Migration, M&E Manager, HR Coordinator, Finance Manager, ERD & CO Coordinator, Supply Chain Coordinator, Security Coordinator.

External: Donors, relevant government agency representatives, sector fora.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, Master’s degree preferred.

• Five years’ experience leading similar programming; Mexico/Latin America experience preferred.

• Demonstrable knowledge of and commitment to humanitarian programming on all sectors of protection, including women’s protection and empowerment, and child protection.

• Applied experience in case management, protection monitoring, information services, and developing and implementing protection referral structures; experience with legal services a plus.

• Experience working with humanitarian and/or development donors.

• Strong team and people leadership - management, capacity-building.

• Capacity to work effectively with partner agencies on technical and organizational skills.

• Strong program and budget management skills including planning and reporting across multiple grants and donors.

• Advanced Spanish and English written and oral communication skills.

• Flexible - able to handle pressure effectively and productively.

Work Environment

The position is based in Mexico City, with travel to sites of IRC field operations, and must comply with IRC Mexico’s security protocols.

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

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