Senior Protection Officer

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

BACKGROUND : The International Rescue Committee (IRC), one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict reconstruction support to people affected by natural disaster, oppression, and violent conflict in more than 40 countries. The IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation, and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, the IRC assists people from harm to home. The IRC launched an emergency health response in Libya in September 2016 as the humanitarian situation in the country was deteriorating following the 2014 civil war. Since then, the IRC has broadened its portfolio with health, protection, and governance programs aiming to employ a holistic approach to meeting the needs of crisis affected and vulnerable communities to survive, recover, and gain control of their futures. The IRC has been working to expand its multi-sectoral reach in areas of critical need in Libya and in these efforts houses a Grants & Partnerships Unit (GPU) to support the design of, fundraising for, and management of quality, responsive programming with ambitious goals for work in partnership with local actors.

SCOPE OF WORK/JOB OVERVIEW: Tropical Storm Daniel struck the eastern coast of Libya on September 10, 2023, with strong winds, heavy rainfall, and flash floods causing significant damage and loss of life. Several locations were heavily impacted as the storm led dams to burst resulting in high number of deaths, mass displacement of people and destruction of property overwhelming local capacities. IRC responded immediately and launched an emergency program aiming at providing life-saving medical care and integrated protection services. The scope of IRC’s integrated protection emergency response includes Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), child protection (CP), and Protection Rule of Law (PRoL, or broader humanitarian protection) for communities and individuals affected by the floods. IRC is working directly to implement emergency activities but also collaborating with international and local agencies as well as government authorities, expanding protection interventions to include community-based protection and MHPSS across all project locations. Under the direct supervision of the Integrated Protection Coordinator, the Senior Protection Officer will support implementation of IRC’s integrated protection activities in flood affected as well as contribute to enhanced planning and visibility of IRC’s flood response in the protection sector.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Programmatic Management (70%) Oversee the implementation of integrated protection program activities and ensure they are well-planned and on track for effective and efficient delivery of services. Create workplans for the implementation activities, create weekly schedules for the protection teams and monitor their progress, identify the support areas, and take the most appropriate action for the timely and quality response. Participate in/contribute to relevant emergency response grant opening meetings. Support needs assessments aimed at generating evidence base for the protection response. With the support of the protection information management officer (PIMO), follow up on the progress in the projects’ indicators and flag out the bottlenecks and shortcomings to the IPC. Ensure the timely and quality reporting from the Protection staff, compile inputs from field staff and submit to PIMO for weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting. Conduct regular field monitoring and supervisory visits to flood affected locations. Contribute to the design of content for information sessions on a range of topics, including on available services in the area, how to access them and eligibility criteria, and ensuring that these information sessions meet the specific needs of various targeted groups. Follow up on the procurement plan and NFI stocks to be used for the protection activities, prepare the PRs and release request forms. Support the IPC for quality information management including beneficiary count in coordination with the protection of the information management team. Conduct service mapping and setting up referral pathways with other actors. Support the IPC in monitoring the humanitarian situation and ensure that there is a context analysis and reporting of the situation. Identify and report unmet needs to the IPC and recommend ways to address the same within the emergency response plan. Assist the IPC for designing and developing protection projects during drafting concept notes and proposals.

Representation and Coordination (15%) Work closely with the Protection information management Team for the timely and quality reporting to the Humanitarian Coordination structure ( e.g ACG East and Protection Thematic Group) Actively promote joint work across all CP, WPE, ProL and Health staff working on the emergency response. At the request of the IPC, Emergency Response Team Leader, and Emergency Response Senior Program Coordinator, represent IRC in emergency coordination and information exchange forums in Benghazi and other field locations as may be deemed necessary. Map and liaise with the relevant local authorities and actors for securing the safe humanitarian access of the teams for delivering the protection activities in the areas of responsibility. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with other INGO, government authorities, and other key stakeholders to ensure active coordination, collaboration, and information dissemination.

Human Resource Management (15%) Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews. Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions. Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage and ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission. Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures and communicates through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations. Monitor and identify the growth areas of the direct-report and indirect-report staff, provide advice to IPC on the development plans for the capacity building of the protection Team. Support identification of capacity building priorities for Protection staff as well as the development of professional development plans for staff, and work to address them in coordination with the Protection Managers Undertake other tasks as requested by the Supervisor.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Position Reports to: Integrated Protection Coordinator. Position directly supervises: Protection Assistant, Community outreach Volunteers Caseworkers, and Facilitators

Other Internal and/or external contacts: Internal: PIMO; WPE Manager , ProL Manager, CP Manager, MEAL, Supply Chain Department, Human Resources, Access and Security Focal Point External: Local authorities, NGOs and INGOs in coordination/collaboration with the IPC

Qualifications

Job Requirements: Education: At least a graduate degree in related field of work

Work Experience: At least three years of prior professional experience with protection in humanitarian setting, preferably with an international organization. Strong protection background and knowledge of refugee context, as well as demonstrated experience in data collection, including the identification and referral of vulnerable cases, counselling and information dissemination. Previous experience in report writing and data analysis; Previous staff management is strongly preferred.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Belief in human rights, including gender equality; Experience with working with vulnerable populations; Demonstrated protection experience, in particular in terms of data collection and detecting and referring of vulnerable cases as well as information dissemination and individual counselling; Experience with an NGO and/or international organization in a supervisory position; Excellent drafting and oral communication skills in both English and Arabic; Ability to interpret, analyze and synthesize information in a fast-paced environment; Excellent organizational skills, timeliness, ability to determine priorities and great attention to detail; Proactive, flexible, team spirited and willing to learn; Good computer skills including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Language Skills: Advanced English and Arabic language skills, oral and written.

Working Environment: Standard office work environment. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 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.