Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and Safeguarding Coordinator

The Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and Safeguarding Coordinator will be responsible for guiding the South Sudan Country Program in applying principles of gender equality and diversity in all operational policies and practices and will help country staff to set and achieve meaningful and targeted goals for more gender equitable internal practices. S/he will also be responsible for implementation of IRC’s safeguarding strategy and activities across the country program.

Major Responsibilities

In close collaboration and supervision by the Country Director, and in partnership with the Senior Program Coordinator, the Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion and Safeguarding Coordinator contributes to the implementation of the South Sudan Strategic Action Plan (SAP) priorities on GEDI and Safeguarding, ensuring that systems and processes are in place across the entire Country Program to ensure that policy and practice meet the required GEDI and Safeguarding standards set by the IRC at Global, Regional and Country Program level.

The role will include but not be limited to the following:

• Lead and monitor the implementation of IRC Gender Equality Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) and Safeguarding strategies set by the IRC to fulfil its ambition to become a diverse and inclusive organization, in accordance with country, regional and global frameworks

• Support organizational transformation to align with GEDI values and principles by, inter alia, facilitating collective learning processes, fostering feminist management and leadership practices, and strengthening the inclusion and the voices of the under-represented and structurally disadvantaged groups of staff

• Build the capacity of staff and, when relevant, of partners to undertake contextualized intersectional analysis, to design and implement transformative programs, and to ensure our human resource strategies are gender-sensitive, inclusive, and equitable

• Facilitate the enforcement of harassment-free/ anti-sexual harassment, safeguarding, respect at work and other relevant policies

• Work with the country leadership to develop Gender (including Women@Work) and Safeguarding (including Safeguarding Focal Points) Action Plans, including developing and adapting proven and innovative approaches for promoting and building an inclusive and equal office culture and environment.

• Oversee implementation of the GEDI and Safeguarding Action Plans and ensure that planned activities are delivered on time and within scope and meet technical standards.

• In collaboration with key country and human resources staff, review, modify, design and support implementation of key processes, practices and tools to help guide more gender and diversity equitable and inclusive HR policies and practices.

• Provide orientation and on-job training to IRC staff on gender and disability mainstreaming, GEDI core concepts, and safeguarding. Support contextual adaptation, design and roll-out of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials on GEDI and safeguarding for the country program, including delivery of trainings on different aspects.

• Collaborate with the Humanitarian Access and Security Coordinator to conduct gender-sensitive and inclusive Security Risk Assessment (SRAs) and develop effective Security Management Plans (SMPs) that provide for improved recognition of women-specific security concerns.

• Work with program leads to build their understanding and ability to apply sector specific approaches to deliver more gender and disability equitable and safe programming by conducting GEDI analysis of program activities.

• Support efforts to build capacity of implementing partners to deliver gender equitable and safe programs. As requested, provide technical support and guidance to partners, in accordance with partnership agreements and in coordination with the Partnerships department. Adapt and facilitate trainings for partners on Gender Equality and Safeguarding.

• Monitor program implementation through field visits, focus group discussions and key informant interviews with staff and beneficiaries. Produce reports to demonstrate impact, progress against action plans and inform ongoing and future program design.

• Coordinate efforts of Gender Equality Champions, Safeguarding Champions and Personnel Committees based in the country and field offices, convene regular meetings, input into annual GEDI and Safeguarding operational action plan, and track activities.

• Support Women@Work Groups by providing technical guidance, facilitating scheduling meetings, documenting meeting outcomes and communicating them to IRC South Sudan leadership.

• Review and support enhancement of country program and partner complaints response mechanisms for clients.

• Ensure representation in country forums, conferences and clusters focusing on GEDI and safeguarding. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders – including community leaders, international and local NGOs, UN agencies, community-based organisations and other IRC sectors to enhance multi-agency and multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination.

• Provide inputs for proposals and reports and plan and manage GEDI and Safeguarding budgets and spending.

• Support relevant departments with conducting robust initial and post investigations of all safeguarding concerns raised by staff, clients, beneficiaries, and/or external parties.

Staff management

• Recruit, train, orient and manage GEDI and Safeguarding staff, as required.

• Ensure staff Performance appraisal documentation is in place and followed up regularly.

• Recommend and implement a capacity building plan for relevant staff.

Required qualification and skill

• Masters’s degree in social sciences, law, psychology, health, social work, humanities or other related discipline.

• 5 years professional experience in gender programs and/or Protection and/or Safeguarding and/or HR.

• Background or extensive understanding of humanitarian aid sector. Familiarity with the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as well as Safeguarding standards and principles, international protection frameworks and mechanisms on safeguarding.

• At least one year experience of supervising a team providing direct services to survivors of violence and/or working at the community level.

• Demonstrated experience/understanding of organizational and/or HR policies and practices.

• Strong analytical skills related to feedback mechanisms, safeguarding, protection and similar matters.

• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures

• Excellent planning, coordination, and reporting skills, with the ability to organize a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities

• Ability to intervene with crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.

• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation, and coaching

• Demonstrated experience facilitating trainings and workshops. Good team building skills and knowledge of participatory approaches.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to develop positive relationships with local and remote team members at multiple levels in the organization. Experience in working collaboratively and/or advocating with other sectors and teams.

• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically and in a confidential manner.

• Ability to travel to all IRC field sites to promote safeguarding awareness through trainings and orientations.

• Computer skills are required – MS Office package and Internet.

• Self-motivated, highly responsible, punctual, flexible, culturally sensitive. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

Key Working Relationships:

Direct Reporting: Country Director and Senior Program Coordinator for Quality and Learning

Partnership and Consultation: Regional GEDI & Safeguarding Advisors for East Africa, Deputy Director, Programs, Deputy Director, Operations, Deputy Director HR, Safety and Security Focal Point, Sectoral and other Technical Coordinators

External: IRC Organizational Partners, and Protection Cluster Groups

The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in 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.

We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply.

All staff, regardless of role, are required to create a culture of client responsiveness by requesting and using client feedback data to make decisions. In addition, all staff are expected to demonstrate inclusiveness when making programmatic decisions and working with clients, partners and colleagues from diverse backgrounds. You can read more about the IRC’s commitment to client responsiveness here: https://www.rescue.org/resource/client-responsiveness-introduction-and-faq

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, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.