The IRC began working in Bangladesh in October 2017 in response to the influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar working initially through partnerships with national and international agencies to deliver lifesaving assistance. In March 2018 IRC secured registration in Bangladesh and has since significantly expanded its programming, focusing on humanitarian protection with a specific focus on women and girls and health. The IRC is strategically looking to expand programming further to meet the needs of both refugee and host communities to allow them to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.
Purpose of this role:
The Women’s Protection & Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator will provide leadership, oversight, technical support across all WPE programming components in IRC Bangladesh; will conduct regular technical visits to protect sites/locations to ensure that interventions are technically sound, in-line with international standard methodologies, and are appropriately meeting the needs and priorities of women and girls, and female survivors in target communities. This position is responsible for programmatic resource development and advocacy related to IRC’s WPE emergency response, and overall strategic direction of the WPE program.
Major Responsibilities:
Program Implementation, Budget and Grants Management
Overall accountable for the timely and consistent implementation of all relevant projects following IRC’s standard project management tools (e.g. up to date work plans, procurement plans, recruitment plans, spending plans, M&E plan etc)
Ensure teams (IRC’s and partners) are fully oriented on the project LFA, budget and other pertinent details
Undertake regular team meetings to assess the project progress and take prompt actions
Monitor budget spending in line with the spending plans, budget vs actual analyses, and develop remedial plans where necessary to ensure budgets are optimally utilized;
Work closely and coordinate with IRC Operations, Finance and Grant & Partnership departments to ensure compliance with donor / grant requirements;
Support development and maintenance of effective and efficient oversight, support, quality control and reporting systems and processes;
Ensure high-quality and timeliness of IRC and donor reports on activities, indicators and achievements.
Technical Oversight and Support
Seeking guidance from IRC’s Technical Advisors based in HQ, Lead on, and provide technical oversight, advice and guidance on, all aspects of the WPE programming, ensuring high quality in-line with standard methodologies and international standards;
In coordination with the Program Quality Coordinator, ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for appropriate GBV analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy;
Ensure regular collaboration and communication with other units and functions including Health, Child Protection, Education, and Protection to ensure integrated programming components are highly functional and grounded in best practice across both sectors.
Staff Supervision & Development
Provide technical ongoing support, capacity development and mentoring to the WPE Manager(s), to enable them to successfully perform in their position, and supporting them to do the same with the staff they supervise, including (but not limited to): internationals standards of practice around violence against women and girls (VAWG), guiding principles, women, girl and survivor-centered support and services, and specifically on specialized areas of programming including – feminist, social worker and trauma-informed case management and psychosocial support for women and girls as per IASC guidelines; adolescent girls protection and empowerment
Develop and ensure opportunities for the WPE staff to regularly meet, self-organize and build strong, supportive peer networks and solidarity with each other, creating a community of feminist-grounded VAWG practice between them;
Maintain open and professional relations with all team members, promoting a strong, respectful team spirit, ensuring effective communication, and opportunities for debriefing
Ensure staff well-being and care is prioritized and is an integral part of work;
When required, lead on the recruitment of new WPE program staff, consultants or other external support, in coordination with HR.
Coordination, Representation and Advocacy
Dedicatedly participate in, and contribute to, coordination meetings, clusters working groups, specifically the GBV sub-sector coordination group and other related task forces;
Dedicatedly build strong working alliances with other international and national actors/organizations working on VAWG-related advocacy;
Dedicatedly develop and maintain effective working relationships with other key partners, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors; maintaining IRC as a key contributor to addressing VAWG and WPE issues in the crisis;
Dedicatedly seek to establish and develop partnerships and collaborate with the Bangladeshi women’s movement, women and feminist-centered organizations and initiatives to strengthen the response for women and girls and enhance their voices.
Ensure IRC’s active contribution in all coordination forums at local level (sub districts and camps)
Program Development
Lead the development of the strategy for the WPE program, ensuring processes that incorporate input from WPE field teams, other IRC sectors, senior IRC management, and key external partners.
Contribute to the development and implementation of the overall country program strategic direction;
Undertake continued assessment of external context and factor in to inform and update strategy and program
In coordination with Sr. Grants and Partnership Coordinator, lead proposal development activities (narrative and budget) through planning and program design with relevant field-based staff, to ensure technical standards are taken into considering before submission;
Coordinate with other IRC sectors (i.e., child protection, health, education) to provide relevant input and support enhancing the protection and empowerment of women and girls.
Other
Consistently and dedicatedly monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams, promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment;
Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.
Major Challenges/Difficulties of this role:
Building the capacity of a team from the bottom up.
Demonstrating strong technical leadership in coordination forums and in partnerships where other agencies may need significant technical mentorship and support to meet standards.
Sourcing appropriate sites for WPE response.
Deliverables/KPI:
Timely implementation of all existing and future projects
High quality implementation of all existing and future projects
IRC is highly visible externally specially in GBV sub sector based on its high quality program on ground but also by sharing of analyzed evidences those are generated based on IRC and other’s program with the aim of informing / influencing sub sector strategy and actions
Build the capacity of the WPE Team, ensuring strong technical knowledge as well as capacity as trainers and facilitators.
Work openly and collaboratively with colleagues in Child Protection, Health, Protection and Education, looking to demonstrate IRC’s strengths through combined approaches that serve the needs of girls, boys and their caretakers.
Serve as a consistent and technically sound voice in coordination forums, demonstrating IRC’s thought leadership and collaborating well with other agencies.
Qualifications
Minimum 7 to 9 or more years of experience in VAWG programming or GBV with a specific focus on women and girls; overseas experience in similar capacity is highly desirable
Experience in directly supporting women and girl survivors of male violence.
Knowledge, Skills & Competences:
Deep understanding of the impact and dynamics of men’s violence against women and girls, and proven grounding in radical feminist, women and girl-centered, anti-oppressive practice;
Previous experience in emergency preparedness and response;
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 of 60+ staff in a dynamic, challenging and changing context;
Demonstrated experience in supervising, mentoring and building capacity of national staff;
Strong experience, knowledge and skills in participatory methods and community development;
Specific Educational Qualification:
This vacancy is archived.