DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION

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 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver 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 SIERRA LEONE

The IRC has been in Sierra Leone since 1999 at the height of the civil war and provided critical support during the Ebola outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which had a direct impact on more than 14,000 individuals. Since its start, the IRC Sierra Leone has reached millions of clients and continues to provide support to the country’s most vulnerable communities. The IRC Sierra Leone has a country office in Freetown and field offices in Bo and Kailahun districts but implements currently in 5 districts of Bo, Falaba, Karene, Kailahun & Western Urban Area. Currently IRC Sierra Leone programming aims at governance and system strengthening for access to quality healthcare services and improving the education, livelihoods, and well-being of women and girls.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Women and Girl’s Protection and Empowerment (WGPE) Coordinator is responsible for providing overall leadership, guidance, management, coordination, and technical support to IRC’s WGPE programming throughout Sierra Leone. The position reports into the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), with technical support from the regional Technical Advisor on Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE). The WGPE Coordinator supervises four staff: 2 x Senior Program Managers, 1 x Program Manager and 1 x Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Manager (focused on economic recovery and development of women and girls). The WGPE Coordinator will provide technical guidance and advice for all WGPE projects, contribute to external coordination efforts and initiatives to develop IRC’s leadership in-country and lead the development of strategies and proposals for the country program.

In support of these objectives, the WGPE Coordinator provides essential technical assistance including capacity sharing, one-on-one mentoring, supervision, and training to WGPE staff at IRC. The WGPE Coordinator will also provide technical guidance, capacity sharing and oversight of local partners in designs, quality implementing, reporting and management of quality WPE program in Sierra Leone Country Program. The WGPE Coordinator will conduct frequent field visits (up to 40% of time) to ensure the highest standards of quality WPE service delivery to both IRC and partners.

OBJECTIVES OF THE POST 

•Oversee the quality design, development, and management of IRC Sierra Leone’s WGPE program

•Develop the country program’s WGPE strategy in conjunction with the Strategy Action Plan (SAP)

•Direct supervision and management of the WGPE team in close collaboration with the DDP and Field Coordinators.

•Maintain close links and collaboration with other sectors, in particular health, nutrition, child protection and livelihoods.

•Ensure regular communication with Technical Advisors and integrate technical unit priorities, where possible, into program design.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Oversight and Support

•Provide technical support and guidance on all programming to a range of partners, stakeholders and the WGPE team working in the communities, on the following broad areas:

oSafe spaces – spaces for women and girls to find support, learn, self-organise and develop their activism.

oStrengthening women and girls’ solidarity, network and movement building, enabling them to use their individual and collective power to confront violence, demand social justice, and transform their lives.

oEnhancing women and girls leadership, voice and participation, especially rural women and girls; opening up opportunities and supporting them to take part in, and lead on, joint advocacy addressing issues that affect their lives.

oOpening up and nurturing in/formal education, learning, and social and economic empowerment initiatives opportunities for women and girls that are tied to activities that aim to reduce and prevent violence, specifically IPV.

oSupporting communities to strengthen their engagement on protection and violence prevention and to enhance respect and value for women and girls human rights and gender equality.

•Provide technical and management support to key national organisation partners.

•Provide technical support and guidance on VAWG/GBV and WGPE to other IRC led initiatives.

•Monitoring and quality assurance mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of interventions.

Program Management and Business Development

•Coordinate and support all WGPE programs and components within IRC Sierra Leone to ensure timely, effective and quality activity set-up, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation and learning.

•Provide leadership on program development and strategic planning; and actively pursue new program funding opportunities in-line with the program framework and the country program’s strategic outcomes.

•Identify gaps in the WGPE programs and work with the team to develop innovative approaches and mechanisms to address them.

•Facilitate regular reviews of program performance and incorporate lessons learned to improve program quality and effectiveness.

• Conduct regular field visits to assess program quality and progress toward objectives and facilitate collective problem solving with staff and other stakeholders to address challenges identified.

• Develop and maintain a monitoring & evaluation plan and framework for current and new WGPE programming, ensuring ethical and systematic processes of data collection, analysis and information sharing.

•Collaborate with the Grants team to ensure that programs are implemented in line with donor rules and that reporting standards are met.

• Ensure programs and activities are locally led and owned by the individuals and communities who the IRC serve.

• Actively identify, build and promote partnerships with INGOs, UN agencies, local and national women’ groups, organisations and networks working on VAWG and GPE issues, with the objective of facilitating strong coordination and collaboration.

• Proactively work with other IRC programs to identify areas and opportunities for collaboration, design integrated proposals, and collectively implement projects that multiply positive outcomes for the people we serve.

Finance, Budget and Grant Management

•Overall responsible for WGPE program budgets. 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 with the field teams in the development of GPE program budgets, cash projections and spending plans and any other grants as may be required, and to ensure diligence in grants utilization.

• Work with the Grants Manager to ensure all WGPE grants are in compliance with donor guidelines and contracts agreements including budget flexibility and reporting requirements.

• Ensure high-quality and timeliness of IRC and donor reports on activities, indicators and achievements.

Partner Management 

•Explore and develop a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, and technical departments at national and district levels including development of MoUs contributing to quality and scaling up of program.

•Intentionally develop strategic partnerships with local organizations and women led organizations in line with the country strategic ambition.

•Ensure that all business development and fundraising efforts meaningfully include the local partners that we intend to transition programs to.

•In collaboration with the partnership unit, identify implementing partners when necessary and oversee the IRC-partner technical relations.

•Ensure regular performance monitoring of partners to achieve the set projects objectives and provide technical support and guidance.

•Conduct partner assessments to understand and plan for the technical capacity-sharing support and design capacity strengthening plans for the partners.

•Ensure regular capacity-sharing activities for partner organizations along with close monitoring of performance improvement and training uptake.

•Arrange regular meetings with implementing partners to discuss the program implementation cycle and understand the challenges and barriers that might delay the progress.

HR Management and Staff Capacity Building

•Supervise and provide ongoing support, capacity development and mentoring to WGPE team, including (but not limited to):

o Budgeting and grants management.

o Project and HR management.

o Leadership, delegation, decision-making, problem solving, strategic planning, and conflict management.

o Technical performance management support (setting of objectives, appraisals and professional development action plans and follow up).

• When required, lead on the recruitment of new WGPE program staff, consultants or other external support, in coordination with HR.

• Ensure effective team communication and support between team members based in Freetown and the two field sites, including opportunities for debriefing and staff well-being and care.

Coordination, Representation and Advocacy

•Proactively build strong working alliances with other international and national actors/organisations working on VAWG-related advocacy and women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone.

•Proactively develop and maintain effective working relationships with other key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies (including UNFPA, UN Women, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors; maintaining IRC as a key contributor to addressing VAWG and WGPE issues in Sierra Leone.

•Activity participate in national level coordination meetings and working groups.

Minimum Qualifications:

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

•Advanced degree in social sciences, humanities, human rights, gender, or other relevant field or the equivalent in professional work.

• Five years’ experience in gender or GBV/VAWG programming, with a specific focus on women and girls.

• Demonstrated coordination, networking and relationship building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organisations, UN agencies.

• Demonstrated experience in successfully leading, building and strengthening a program team of 10+ staff in a dynamic, challenging and changing context.

•Experience working in integrated programs that combine gender, health, education, economic recovery, or child protection sectors to address intersectional needs is an asset.

• Demonstrated experience in supervising, mentoring and building capacity of staff.

• Strong experience, knowledge and skills in participatory methods, community development and partnership.

• Demonstrated experience in facilitating practical workshops and educating others on issues including – violence against women and girls, GBV, adolescent girls protection and empowerment, GBV response and service provision, women’s networking and movement building, leadership, advocacy, psychosocial support.

• Strong ability to respect differences of culture, opinion and lived experiences while upholding rights-based principles and women’s protection and empowerment.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, positive and professional attitude, ability to lead and work well in a team setting and with multiple partners.

•Strengths in listening, empathy, flexibility, and creativity.

•Fluency in English and Krio languages is essential. Knowledge of other Sierra Leone languages will be plus.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. 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.

IRC is equal opportunity employer, considered all the candidates on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran or disability.

Interested persons should submit their application letter, updated CV, labor card and all other supporting documents on the application platform as well as send a copy of all application document to the NGO Desk Officer, Ministry of Labour – New England or to the nearest Ministry of Labour office nationwide.

WOMEN ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY