Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator

at  International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
IRC Poland’s goal is to ensure the survival of the affected population in a way that enables their safety, dignity, and empowerment. Working in the program areas of education, economic recovery and development and protection, the IRC in Poland works to see that: 1) people affected by the war in Ukraine are able to meet their immediate and basic needs with safety and dignity and avoid harmful coping mechanisms; and 2) people affected by the war in Ukraine are protected and supported to recover from the consequences of violence and displacement through equitable access to services and information. A signature part of IRC’s strategy is protection and includes Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL) and Child Protection (CP) programming which benefit from both partner-led and direct implementation. Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) programming supports women and girls at risk to meet their needs through GBV prevention and responses implemented by women-led organizations (WLOs) with whom IRC has a partnership and through direct service provision in Integrated Protection Centers operated by IRC.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced master’s degree in Women’ Studies, Gender, Social Work, Social Science, Human Rights/ Public Health or other relevant field or the equivalent in professional work

COMPETENCIES: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Minimum of 4 years professional experience at international level implementing emergency GBV programming.
• Proven experience working in refugee contexts.
• Proven experience supervising and providing case management services and support.
• Thorough understanding of GBV response protocols and service provision.
• Deep understanding of the impact and dynamics of men’s violence against women and girls, and proven grounding in feminist, women and girl-centered, anti-oppressive practice.
• Demonstrated coordination, networking and relationship building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organizations, UN agencies.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully leading, building, and strengthening a program team in a dynamic, challenging and changing context.
• Proven experience in supervising, mentoring and building capacity of early career and national staff.
• Strong experience, knowledge and skills in participatory methods and community development.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and proposal writing skills.
• Strong leadership, program, staff and budget management and capacity building skills.
• Experience in working in partnership with UN agencies and other actors.
• Languages: This post requires fluency in English including a high competency in written English. Polish and/or Ukrainian are an asset.
• Excellent communication skills, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, ability to improvise, and a great team player.
• Ability to productively work under pressure and in matrix management environment.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; proven ability to prioritize and deliver on time.
• Ability to work both independently and in a dynamic, cross-functional global team structure.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to manage and work through change in a proactive and positive manner.
• Previous experience managing programs financed by institutional bilateral and multilateral donors, including budget holder responsibilities.
• Strong commitment to humanitarian and protection principles and IRC values.
• Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Excel.
  This position will be based in Warsaw, with frequent travel to Katowice, Gdynia and other locations as necessary. As this is a fluid and rapidly changing context, the location of this position and length of assignment may change based on the needs of the program.

The WPE Coordinator will roll-out IRC’s WPE program in Poland, that is responsive to emerging women’s and girls’ protection risks and needs related to the Ukraine crisis. They will oversee the smooth implementation of GBV responses, that include GBV case management, referrals to quality services and holistic psychosocial support services (PSS) that promote healing and recovery. They will ensure GBV responses are inclusive and reach the most marginalized women and girls by raising awareness on GBV through a WPE outreach strategy.
The WPE Coordinator will oversee GBV prevention programming including the implementation of activities in Women and Girl Safe Spaces (WGSS) in the Integrated Protection Centers alongside GBV risk mitigation activities, namely safety audits, and community outreach and information sessions on GBV. The WPE Coordinator will engage actively with key strategic stakeholders in order to promote the WPE program outcomes, standardize processes, support local capacities, and advocate on behalf of refugee women and girls.