Protection Senior Manager (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.

JOB OVERVIEW

Under the supervision of the Protection Coordinator (WPE), the Protection Senior Manager (WPE) oversees the quality, performance and timely delivery of the WPE programme across IRC and partner implementation. The role manages the central WPE team and coordinates its support to regional teams and partners, ensuring that programme quality reviews, technical support, monitoring and reporting translate into practical improvements in services for women and girls who are survivors of GBV or at risk.

The position is responsible for consolidating and assessing programme results, monitoring agreed targets, coordinating donor reporting, and maintaining programme budgets and spending plans within delegated authority. Working closely with Field Management, MEAL, Finance, Grants and Partnerships, the Senior Manager identifies implementation gaps, agrees corrective actions and follows up on delivery. The role provides operational and technical input to the WPE Coordinator, who retains responsibility for sector strategy, overall technical direction, fundraising and principal donor and national-level representation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme Quality Assessment and Improvement

· Lead regular programme quality reviews across direct and partner implementation, assessing service quality, accessibility, safety, relevance and outcomes against agreed WPE standards and project commitments.

· Develop and maintain a programme quality review schedule with the WPE Coordinator, regional teams and MEAL; use monitoring visits, service observations, partner reviews and programme evidence to identify gaps and priorities.

· Ensure implementation follows survivor-centred approaches, GBV guiding principles, safeguarding requirements and applicable GBV Minimum Standards, including informed consent, confidentiality, non-discrimination and safe referrals.

· Assess the quality of GBV case management, specialized psychosocial support, empowerment and risk mitigation activities, and cash assistance delivered within specialized GBV support, where included in approved projects.

· Agree practical improvement plans with responsible teams and partners, assign follow-up actions and timelines, and verify whether corrective measures improve programme quality.

· Work with MEAL and designated data and technical staff to review data quality, indicator definitions and outcome evidence; use aggregated or anonymized information and protect confidential survivor data.

· Ensure programme adaptations respond to assessed risks and access barriers affecting adolescent girls, women and girls with disabilities, and other underserved groups; escalate significant quality or safeguarding concerns through the appropriate channels.

Programme Delivery and Target Achievement

· Coordinate delivery of approved WPE projects across locations and partners, ensuring that workplans, implementation schedules and technical support priorities are aligned with grant commitments.

· Maintain a consolidated overview of progress against activity, output and outcome targets, reviewing disaggregated results with regional teams, partners and MEAL at agreed intervals.

· Identify underachievement, delays, service gaps and implementation risks; agree recovery plans and resource adjustments with relevant colleagues and escalate changes requiring Coordinator or donor approval.

· Support project procurement planning, continuity of referrals and responsible transition arrangements for clients and partners.

Central Team Management and Technical Support

· Line-manage central WPE staff, establish clear objectives and workplans, allocate responsibilities and monitor the timeliness and quality of their deliverables.

· Coordinate central team support on capacity strengthening, programme development, digital systems, technical tools.

· Conduct regular individual supervision and performance reviews; provide coaching, address performance concerns and support professional development and staff wellbeing.

· Ensure central team activities respond to documented regional and partner needs, with clear priorities, realistic timelines and coordinated follow-up.

· Provide technical and programme management support to regional WPE teams in collaboration with Field Coordinators and their line managers, respecting established field reporting arrangements.

· Contribute to recruitment, onboarding and technical assessment of WPE staff, and promote a respectful working environment with accountability for safeguarding and IRC values.

Donor Reporting and Grant Compliance

· Coordinate preparation and consolidation of WPE donor reports and other grant deliverables, ensuring accurate results, clear analysis, consistent figures and timely submission to the WPE Coordinator and Grants team.

· Review inputs from regional teams and partners, validate reported achievements with MEAL, and explain progress, variance from targets, challenges and corrective actions.

· Maintain a reporting calendar and follow up on outstanding inputs, ensuring consistency between narrative reports, indicator trackers, workplans and financial information.

· Work with Grants and Partnerships to monitor programme compliance with approved scopes, donor conditions and reporting requirements, and identify issues requiring timely escalation.

· Prepare programme updates, evidence and responses to donor queries for review by the WPE Coordinator; contribute to donor meetings and monitoring visits when delegated.

Budget Oversight and Spending Plans

· Prepare and regularly update WPE spending plans, expenditure forecasts and budget inputs with regional teams, Finance and Partnerships, aligning planned expenditure with implementation schedules and targets.

· Review budget versus actual expenditure and spending trends for assigned grants; identify underspending, overspending, coding issues and commitments that may affect delivery.

· Lead programme follow-up on budget review actions, agree adjustments within delegated authority and submit proposed reallocations or revisions through the required approval processes.

· Coordinate procurement and staffing forecasts with relevant teams to ensure resources are available when needed and costs remain within approved budgets.

· Review partner implementation progress alongside financial performance with Partnerships and Finance; follow up on programme implications of spending variances and delayed expenditure.

· Provide accurate programme inputs for financial forecasting, grant reviews and close-out, ensuring that budget decisions support safe and effective service delivery.

Partner Support and Performance Monitoring

· Coordinate WPE technical and programme management support to local partners with the Partnerships team and regional WPE colleagues, based on jointly identified priorities and partner-led delivery plans.

· Review partner scopes of work, workplans, indicators, reports and programme deliverables to ensure alignment with agreed objectives, technical standards and donor requirements.

· Participate in partner technical assessments and jointly develop capacity strengthening plans covering service quality, monitoring, reporting and programme ma