ERT Child Protection Coordinator

The ERT Child Protection Coordinator is a full-time position responsible for starting up and leading child protection (CP) programming in acute emergency responses. This may include rapid assessment, program start-up, strategy development, proposal development, technical oversight, staff recruitment and management, budget management, grants compliance and local partner relations. When not deployed, the ERT Child Protection Coordinator will contribute to IRC’s strategic objectives and technical workstreams for child protection and violence prevention and response in emergencies. A successful candidate will demonstrate track record working independently in fast-paced environments and applying creative, flexible design to CP programming in humanitarian contexts.

Location: Global remote

Length: 2 years, potential to extend

Travel: expect 65% travel

Major Responsibilities:

1) Technical Support and Guidance

When not deployed, the Emergency Child Protection Coordinator will:

• Contribute to IRC’s strategic priorities for violence prevention and response in emergencies, and lead on child protection-specific ambitions, including: developing or refining emergency child protection program models, toolkits, and technical guidance; supporting emergency preparedness and readiness; advancing the integrated and multi-sectoral program design, etc.

• Provide technical support, mentorship, and backstopping to child protection emergency responses in countries with existing IRC programming, as needed

• Participate in cross-departmental collaboration and coordination with PROL, WPE, and other sector colleagues to ensure that linkages between programs are made and programs gain from protection best practice

• Participate in the delivery of IRC’s Emergency and Humanitarian Action strategic action plan and commitments to partnerships, safeguarding, and Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI)

2) Emergency Responses:

Context evaluation

• Following the onset of an emergency, identify areas with greatest impact, highest needs, and emerging CP risks

• Conduct stakeholder analysis: continually review existing actor mapping with a view to identifying key actors and establishing partnerships with focused on the delivery of child protection services

• Design and conduct multi-sector needs assessments

Program design and management

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical management of IRC’s child protection response aligned to the response strategy and emergency outcomes, while ensuring high program quality and alignment with IRC’s standards and approaches

• Lead and directly contribute to the start-up, implementation and coordination of emergency CP programming, including CP case management, Safe Healing and Learning Spaces, psychosocial support, responsive parenting, and protection of Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC) and children at risk or experiencing abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation

• Supervise IRC’s partnerships, ensuring co-design, regular exchange, and project performance monitoring to achieve program objectives

• Ensure – through program design and practice, team capacity and behavior – that client, including girls, boys, and their caregivers participate in the design and implementation of IRC programs, and that their access to services and programs is impactful and safe.

• Develop and/or adapt technical tools and approaches and deliver creative solutions to mitigate challenges in the operating context, to facilitate response start-up and day to day implementation.

• Support emergency CP staff to implement and monitor work plans ensuring that activities reflect the commitments IRC made to the donor and the community.

• Design and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems ensuring consistent reporting and analysis of results to improve program efficiency and quality.

• Provide a comprehensive handover to successor, including ensuring the transfer of all related documentation, program data and staff performance information.

Grant and financial management

• Manage emergency grant/program implementation including recruitment and training, work plan development, procurement and inventory planning, budget management, and M&E plans.

• Develop high-quality technical proposals and reports with relevant program staff in line with IRC and donor requirements.

• Collaborate with IRC grants and finance staff to finalize proposals and respond to any requests for additional information.

Staff management

• Recruit, onboard, and supervise emergency CP staff, and provide ongoing training and targeted capacity building, including technical guidance, on-the-job mentorship and supervision, and capacity development plans on technical and managerial skills.

• Align with and ensure that new CP staff understand the IRC Code of Conduct and policies related to Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Child Safeguarding. This includes ensuring that staff and communities have knowledge of and safe, confidential access to reporting mechanisms and support services.

• 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.

Coordination and representation

• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key actors, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.

• Regularly attend emergency child protection coordination and task force meetings, at appropriate levels to feed in IRC priorities from the field.

• Ensure child protection concerns and challenges are brought to relevant fora to advocate for standards and procedures that systematize how CP programming is implemented and coordinated at the field level.

Job Requirements:

• Post-graduate degree in social work, psychology, social sciences, other related field, or equivalent work experience.

• At least five years’ experience working in the field of Child Protection programming at the Coordinator level or above required, with consistent track record managing multi-donor portfolios in acute emergency response, program and project start-up.

• Experience working with IRC and an understanding of IRC’s systems and processes is strongly preferred

• Familiarity with key donor regulations such as UNHCR, FCDO, BPRM and ECHO.

• Experience in working with and coordinating with the UN, donors, INGOs and other humanitarian actors.

• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision, capacity building, project design and budget management.

• Demonstrated skills in effectively leading and building programs and/or operations in high-pressure, fluid environments. Leadership and team management skills are critical.

• Proven communication, writing and editing skills, including the ability to effectively write and edit grant proposals and reports.

• Flexible work attitude: Be flexible and yet focused & reliable in an environment of limited resources and changing demands. Ability to work well, promote teamwork, be comfortable in a multi-cultural environment.

• Good digital literacy: Facility with MS Word, Excel, and email/internet software.

• Fluency in English. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Working knowledge of Arabic, French and/or Spanish strongly preferred.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).

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. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.