Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator

  • Contractor
  • Gaziantep Türkiye
  • TBD USD / Year
  • International Rescue Committee profile




  • Job applications may no longer being accepted for this opportunity.


International Rescue Committee

Background/IRC Summary:

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Today, 13.4 million people in Syria – more than half of the country’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance with needs increasingly being exacerbated by economic decline. Of these, 6.8 million are refugees and asylum-seekers who have fled the country. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1000+ staff in Syria Country Program. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, early childhood development, education, women’s protection and empowerment, non-food items and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, protection and rule of law, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator will work in partnership with UNHCR, as the Cluster Lead Agency, to provide leadership and facilitate the processes that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response in Northwest Syria. The Co-Lead will have specific responsibility for ensuring that the position is informed by the NGO perspective, including, importantly, that of local partners. The Co-Lead will also be responsible for ensuring that the NGO membership is contributing to and sharing Cluster responsibilities and will play a lead role in developing the active engagement and technical capacity of members of the working group. The Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator together with the UNHCR Protection Cluster Coordinator will be representing the Protection Cluster within Whole of Syria and inter-sector/inter-agency fora as required.

Main Responsibilities

  • Co-chair regular coordination meetings of the Protection Cluster. Actively identify, make contact with, and offer technical and operational support to new and existing protection partners, including both large and small Syrian organizations; lead follow-up with prospective Cluster members.
  • Provide leadership and strategic direction, reflecting the NGO perspective in particular, within the context of core Cluster and Whole of Syria processes, including those related to the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP); otherwise support coordination so as to enable coherent and timely responses to protection and humanitarian needs.
  • Support Technical Working Groups, where needed, and operational working groups to facilitate emergency responses and to strengthen emergency response capacity and coordination.
  • Support in developing periodic and ad hoc protection analyses to inform strategy development, as well as operational responses and advocacy; likewise, in collaboration with UNHCR, develop periodic response analyses to further assist in identifying response gaps in relation to identified needs;
  • Support the other Clusters and their membership with protection mainstreaming initiatives and promote analysis and integration of protection risks into their strategies and accompanying responses;
  • Support representation of the Cluster in interagency fora; otherwise support protection mainstreaming through engagement in interagency and direct support to protection and non-protection actors;

Other Core Responsibilities

  • Work with UNHCR Coordinator, the Protection Monitoring Task Force and Protection Cluster members to ensure that key protection (including CP and GBV) concerns are reflected in OCHA or NGO led multi-sectoral assessments, as well as other protection specific sectoral assessments;
  • In collaboration with the Cluster’s Information Management Officer, support the Cluster’s data collection efforts, helping Syrian partners to submit accurate and consistent data; Provide analysis back to the Cluster and other inter-agency fora;
  • Provide direct training in protection for key stakeholders, in line with agreed upon Cluster priorities;
  • Work with protection and non-protection partners to promote understanding of and adherence to humanitarian and protection principles and standards according to international legal frameworks.
  • Serve as the representative of the Cluster in key cross-sector working groups, such as the MHPSS Technical Working Group and Family Tracing and Reunification Task Force.

Required Experience/qualification/Skills:
Essential

  • Graduate degree in international law, social sciences, or related field;
  • Minimum of 5 years proven experience working on protection issues in humanitarian environments, including provision of technical advice to field teams; Excellent understanding of protection issues in emergency situations and detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines, and laws;
  • Demonstrable leadership, coordination, capacity building, planning and analytical skills
  • Demonstrable experience in policy and advocacy and negotiation
  • Excellent written and spoken English

Highly preferred

  • Masters degree in relevant area is preferred . Prior experience working on Syria, ideally Northern Syria;
  • Strong prior experience with information management as related to the protection sector, including maintaining standards of impartiality and confidentiality with data of a sensitive nature.
  • Previous experience of working within the sector/cluster system.
  • Demonstrable ability to work successfully under pressure and ability to make timely decisions;
  • Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
  • A commitment to IRC’s mission, vision, values and IRC Way – Professional Code of Conduct.
  • Credible written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development.
  • Validated sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to handle complex situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.
  • Excellent management and interpersonal skills and a solid ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.
  • Validated ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional patience.
  • Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other partners to maximize cooperation and productivity.
  • Curiosity, a desire to continually learn and develop is a must.
  • Analytical ability in creating effective solutions to complex matters while adhering to labor laws and internal policies.

Language/Travel:

  • Fluent English oral and written is required, Arabic is desired.
  • 30% travel required.

Key Working Relationships:

  • Position Reports to: WoS Senior Protection Sector Co-Coordinator and the NWS Field Director
  • Position directly supervises: None

Indirect Reporting (If applicable):

  • Key Internal Contacts: IRC NWS Integrated Protection Coordinator, , Regional team
  • Key External Contacts: UNHCR Protection Cluster Coordinator, NWS AoR Co/Coordinators; NWS INGO Forum, Protection partners, WOS, OCHA and other UN Agencies in NWS, Donor representatives, local authorities

Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.
Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.
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 parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.
Diversity and Inclusion: at IRC MENA, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.

IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. In keeping with our core values of Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality, IRC strives to maintain a work environment built on mutual respect in which all individuals treat each other professionally, and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment. IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of IRC Persons in any work setting. All IRC staff, wherever they are located, are accountable for creating an environment free of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and retaliation.

How to apply

https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/47086?c=rescue


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