Protection Coordinator (Women’s Protection and Empowerment)

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.

1. Job Overview

The IRC Ukraine is hiring for a WPE Coordinator to oversee and manage a complex, mulit-donor, multi-year Women’s Protection and Empowerment program that provides gender-based violence response services and prevention interventions across hrmodas of Ukraine. IRC is working across the arc of crisis, from acute emergency to protracted crisis. The WPE Coordinator is responsible for providing synergy and quality across programs and understanding how to build out GBV response and prevention programs that address the dynamic needs of women/girls and all populations at risk of GBV, give power to women’s organizations, coordinate and strengthen government systems, equip the WPS agenda, and provide supportive supervision to WPE colleagues so they can effectively deliver services on the frontlines.

The WPE Coordinator ensures timely, quality technical expertise and provides strategic leadership across the entire project management cycle—from design and planning to implementation, monitoring, budgeting, and evaluation, based on input from clients, colleagues, and partners. Additionally, the WPE Coordinator will play a critical role in setting the overall programmatic direction, strategy development, donor and external engagement, as well as program and project design. The WPE Coordinator will be responsible for shaping the WPE portfolio to ensure alignment with IRC’s global and regional strategies, shifting power to women-led and GBV response organizations, and meeting donor expectations. To shape the portfolio and meet the holistic needs of survivors, WPE Coordinator is responsible for ensuring integrated programming across different sectors of IRC’s operations in Ukraine. The WPE Coordinator will work closely with other sectors such as Child Protection, Protection Rule of Law, Economic Recovery and Development, and Health to develop multi-sectoral interventions that enhance the overall effectiveness and impact of WPE activities, ensuring synergy and cohesion across programs.

The WPE Coordinator will report to the Deputy Director of Programs and will be based in Kyiv , with regular travel to other program areas as required for program quality, and supportive supervision/capacity building of WPE teams and colleagues who are part of the GBV referral pathway (ie: health).

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Program Management:

Lead the management of a complex, multi-donor, multi-year WPE portfolio that includes GBV case management, level 1-3 psychosocial support, and WPE prevention & risk reduction activities. Ensure the effective delivery of these programs through IRC and partner organizations by:

· Understanding the needs of diverse women and girls

· Receiving feedback from WPE staff, partners, MEAL on learning from what is working and what needs improvement

· Setting clear objectives and priorities for the WPE portfolio in alignment with IRC’s global,regional, and country based strategies.

· Coordinating and integrating WPE activities across various sectors to enhance program synergies and effectiveness.

· Developing comprehensive programmatic frameworks that guide the implementation of WPE initiatives, ensuring they meet the diverse needs of populations affected by crisis.

· Supporting MEAL team in establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess program impact, gather insights, and inform decision-making.

· Engaging with donors and stakeholders to secure funding, provide program updates, and demonstrate accountability while aligning with their expectations and requirements.

· Understanding and facilitating capacity-building opportunities for staff and partners to enhance the quality and sustainability of WPE interventions.

· Regularly reviewing and adapting program strategies in response to evolving needs, contexts, and best practices in WPE.

Technical Quality Assurance

Uphold the highest standards of technical quality throughout all stages of the project management cycle, from design and planning to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, by:

· Developing and implementing robust project designs that are evidence-based, contextually relevant, and aligned with best practices in WPE.

· Facilitating participatory planning processes that involve key stakeholders, including affected communities, and community members, to ensure interventions are responsive to their needs.

· In collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team, establishing clear performance indicators and outcomes for all WPE activities, ensuring they align with IRC’s standards, GBV Minimum Standards, and donor expectations.

· Providing ongoing technical support and strategic guidance to field teams to enhance the quality of program implementation, addressing challenges as they arise.

· Conducting regular field visits to monitor program delivery, gather feedback, and identify opportunities for improvement in service provision.

· Understand gaps and create plans for on-goingmentoring & capacity-building initiatives for staff and partners in areas around GBV response and prevention for improved outcomes for women and girls.

· Collect, compile, and revise internal and external reports for the WPE sector, ensuring timely submission to donors. Collaborate with the Grants Team to ensure the quality of external reports, maintaining consistency and accuracy in messaging to effectively communicate IRC’s impact and outcomes in WPE initiatives.

· Analyzing data and feedback collected during monitoring and evaluation processes to inform adaptive management, facilitating timely adjustments to strategies and interventions.

· Documenting lessons learned and best practices from program implementation, sharing insights across the organization to foster continuous learning and improvement in WPE programming.

Program Development, Proposal Design and Integrated Programming:

Take a lead role in program development, project design, budgeting, and proposal writing to secure funding and support for WPE initiatives by:

· Collaborating with key stakeholders, including field staff, technical teams, and partners, to identify emerging needs and opportunities for WPE programming that align with IRC's strategic goals.

· Leading the design of innovative and evidence-based project proposals that address the specific needs of affected populations, ensuring alignment with IRC’s global and regional strategies as well as donor priorities.

· Conducting comprehensive analyses of the WPE landscape in Ukraine, including risk assessments and stakeholder mapping, to inform project design and ensure relevance to the local context.

· Ensuring that proposals incorporate robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks, clearly outlining how success will be measured and reported in line with donor expectations.

· Develop/Create, track, and monitor budgets and spending, ensuring donor and ethical compliance.

· Fostering collaboration across different sectors of IRC’s operations in Ukraine by actively engaging with sector leads to develop multi-sectoral interventions that enhance the effectiveness and impact of WPE activities.

· Promoting synergy across progr