WPE Officer - Kirkuk - Hawija

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 30 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

The IRC established programmes in Iraq in 2003 to address the overwhelming needs of displaced people in Iraq and the neighboring countries. Since re-establishing its presence in Iraq in November 2007, the IRC has been assisting thousands of internally displaced families in the northern, central and southern governorates in the sectors of protection, gender-based violence (GBV), shelter, education, and emergency humanitarian assistance. Working in coordination with the humanitarian community in Iraq, the IRC's assistance and emergency programmes address the needs of war-affected Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Syrian refugees from several operational bases in the country, and include both camp-based and urban-based assistance. IRC operates throughout Iraq, with the main office in Erbil and field offices in Anbar, Kirkuk, and Ninewa. The IRC has WPE programming across three governorates and provides both direct service provision (through women’s and girls’ centers and mobile teams) and technical support to local partner organizations to implement safe spaces and deliver services to women and girls as well as longer term capacity building of local NGOs, government service providers, and other protection actors on GBV related topics.

The IRC now has ongoing programming in Ninewa, providing cash assistance and protection services to Iraqis affected by the military operation to re-take kirkuk which started on October 2016, forcing many into displacement. To ensure the safety, wellbeing and protection needs of vulnerable women and girls are met, the IRC provides GBV prevention and response services through its Women’s Protection and Empowerment team.

SCOPE OF WORK

The WPE Officer will work with IRC partner in Kirkuk- Hawija to ensure that activities are provided following IRC – WPE standards including policies and strategies. She will oversee the provision of safe and appropriate GBV response and prevention services and interventions to reduce risks faced by women and girls in Kirkuk- Hawija . The WPE Officer will be responsible for providing technical guidance, trainings & support to the local partner staff including case workers and mobilizers.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program implementation and quality

· Reinforce adherence to the GBV guiding principles throughout all WPE activities

· Plan, supervise and oversee provision of GBV case management services and psychosocial activities at the WGSS

· Support the development of structured WGSS activities for women and adolescent girls – using the Emotional Support Group/Women Rise and Girl Shine curricula, as well as other relevant IRC WPE safe space material

· Participate in the establishment and roll-out of the WPE community mobilization strategy.

· Ensure timely assistance and referrals are provided to GBV survivors in adherence with GBV guiding principles, using up-to-date service mapping tool and referral pathway.

· Oversee the referral mechanisms, and lead on the maintenance and regular/timely updating of the service mapping and referral pathways.

· Assess implementation progress and identify technical quality issues or other concerns, to be flagged to the WPE Manager, and propose solutions.

· Seek technical guidance and support from the WPE Manager on activity development, implementation and available resources.

· Identify material needs for the WGSS (activities material, space rehabilitation, etc.), and work with WPE Manager and WPE Program Support Officer to make the necessary procurements, in consideration of budget limits

· Facilitate the gender discussion groups with the partner staff.

· Support the WPE manager to do the monthly financial report revision.

Program Monitoring & Reporting

· Ensure all program activities and services are fully documented using agreed monitoring tools for systematic and timely data collection on activities; submit weekly report and tracker on activities led, success stories, lessons learned, etc.

· Support the maintenance of the partner’s case management files and the GBV Information Management System (Primero), in line with data protection, collection and sharing standards, and GBV guiding principles.

· Submit Monthly report of the activities in Kirkuk- Hawija implemented by IRC partner.

Staff Supervision and Development

· Provide direct support and ongoing mentoring (through case management supervision) to IRC partner’s Case Workers as they provide services to GBV survivors, including - assessment of needs; basic counseling; development of action plans; support in pursuing services and support; safety planning; and for adolescents and girls, on best interest determination, age-appropriate engagement, decision-making, and do no harm.

· In collaboration with the WPE Manager and capacity building Officer, identify capacity building needs and support the organization and facilitation of trainings to meet those needs.

· Monitor field work to ensure partner staff meet program goals and utilize appropriate time management.

Coordination & Representation

· Work closely with WPE Manager, WPE Capacity Building Sr. Officer, IRC partner and other service providers to develop and maintain functional GBV referral pathways in Kirkuk-Hawija.

· Identify concerns related to and support adherence to GBV referral protocols by all service providers and relevant stakeholders.

· Advocate with peer agencies, government and other stakeholders to promote timely and quality responses for women and girls on protection and empowerment

· Develop and maintain effective working relationships with other service providers and relevant stakeholders including community members and other implementing partners.

Other

· Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the WPE team, promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC Security department and management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.

· Other duties as assigned by the WPE Manager Kirkuk

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position Reports to: WPE Manager- Kirkuk

Position directly supervises: NA- This position will be imbedded in the partner’s center in Kirkuk.

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Broader IRC Iraq team including other IRC Iraq programmes (ERD, Child Protection, and Protection/Rule of Law), Grants Department, Supply Chain, HR and Finance Departments

External: Close collaboration with other humanitarian actors, local NGOs, UN agencies, government service providers.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Gender Studies, etc.) and minimum of 2 years relevant experience.

· Clear understanding of gender, human rights, and issues surrounding violence against women and girls.

· Experience in counseling, social work, women’s health, or other related field.

· Understanding of case management, PSS and life skills to promote survivor healing and recovery.

· Demonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients/beneficiaries

· Previous experience leading teams on GBV response and risk reduction strategies.

· Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting.

· Strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail

· Excellent organizational, communication and management skills.

· INGO experience preferred.

· Computer literate in Microsoft Word, Excel, and email.

· Proficient in written and spoken English and Arabic.

Working Environment:

· The position will be based in Kirkuk- Hawija, working from the WPE center running by the partner.

Standards of Professional Conduct: 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.

Gender Equality IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including maternity leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances. Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement****: Per the Iraqi Ministry of Health COVID-19 guidelines, IRC requires candidates who are selected for positions to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter IRC premises. However, the exemption is only accepted per the Iraqi Health regulation and upon the provision of a negative PCR test.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity****: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer****: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Notice to all Job Seekers IRC implements an equal employment opportunity policy and our recruitment process is based on merit.

Applicants and/or successful interview candidates (both internal and external) are not required to pay any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.

If anyone asks you for any financial or non-financial favors to help you secure a job at IRC, kindly report to Iraqhr@rescue.org

ملاحظة لكل الباحثين عن وظيفة

تعتمد لجنة الانقاذ الدولية سياسة فرص عمل متساوية و ان عملية التوظيف لدينا تعتمد على الجدارة.

لايتوجب على المتقدمين لاي وظيفة او المؤهلين للمقابلات (سواء كانوا موظفيين حالين او متقدمين من خارج المنظمة) دفع اي مبلغ مالي خلال اي مرحلة من مراحل التوظيف.

اذا قام اي شخص بطلب اي خدمة مالية او غير مالية لقاء مساعدتكم في تأمين فرصة عمل داخل المنظمة ،يرجى الابلاغ عن ذلك الى Iraqhr@rescue.org

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.