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Women’s Protection and Empowerment Senior Technical Advisor

IRC is committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and thorough accountability to those we serve. Since 1996, IRC has been implementing gender-based violence programs in refugee, internally displaced and other conflict-affected communities and has gained a reputation as a global leader in this field.

IRC is one of the only humanitarian organizations to maintain an independent Women’s Protection and Empowerment Technical Unit. This team of experts ensures that IRC’s programs adhere to the principles of best practice and promote the ongoing evolution of knowledge and practice in the prevention of and response to violence against women and girls.

Together, the WPE Technical Unit supports 17 country programs working in partnership with communities and institutions to promote and protect women’s and girls’ human rights through gender equality and to meet the safety, health, psychosocial and justice needs of gender-based violence survivors.

SCOPE OF WORK The Senior WPE Technical Advisor is a key leadership position within the WPE Technical team and is responsible for contributions to strategic planning, supporting cohesive team dynamics and leading the development of program models and resources. Resource development is based on strategic technical priorities, which are developed in response to identified gaps and needs expressed by the field. The strategic priorities currently include, but are not limited to: GBV information management, caring for child survivors, economic and social empowerment for women and girls. This position will utilize different methods to pilot, evaluate, develop and disseminate technical resources and learning to WPE Technical Advisors and the field programs.

The Senior WPE Technical Advisor will communicate consistently with the field and Regional Units to ensure that the needs and voices of the field are apparent in TU priorities. In the absence of the Director the Senior TA will be expected to provide leadership at the HQ level and will be responsible for representing the TU as needed.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Leadership and Representation • Contribute to strategic planning and the long term strategic direction of the team. • Contribute to the cohesive functioning of the team by ensuring communication between different positions (Specialists, TAs) ,country programs and Regional Units is consistent and clear.
• Contribute to identifying learning priorities (i.e. research and evaluation opportunities). • Oversee IRC’s contributions to the inter-agency GBVIMS Global Team. • Represent IRC in meetings with donors and policy makers at the request of the Director.

Resource Development & Specialized Technical Support • Contribute to identifying strategic technical priorities for resource development and specialized support, and ensure that they are responding effectively to the needs expressed across field programs. • Lead resource development for the WPE Technical Unit by developing program models and setting standards for resource development, dissemination and process for implementation by the field for the WPE Technical Unit. • Oversee the process for bringing new program models and resources to the field, including specialized technical support and capacity building provided by TU Specialists. • Create opportunities for evaluation or research to test theories of change behind program models as per the WPE learning priorities. Help oversee research or evaluation efforts, as needed. • Ensure close collaboration between Specialists and WPE Technical Advisors and oversee transfer of key skills and knowledge between Specialists and Technical Advisors. • Ensure quality of technical support provided by Specialists and institutionalize mechanisms for monitoring the quality of specialized support provided to the field. • Identify and ensure opportunities for collaboration with other IRC Technical Units in developing multidisciplinary program models. • Ensure systems are in place for capturing and sharing learning between field programs and TU staff with regards to new program models and resources developed by the WPE TU.

Business Development and Grant Oversight • Lead business development for WPE-led resource development, as per strategic priorities and needs expressed across field programs. • Oversee the management of grants directly related to resource development (including budget management, monitoring progress towards objectives, donor reporting, donor compliance). Delegate key tasks related to grant management as appropriate. • Work closely with Specialists, Program Managers and the Finance department on ensuring that budgets are managed effectively. This includes managing communication with field programs receiving budget allocations from TU-led grants.

Human Resources • Hire, supervise and manage up to 6 WPE staff (Specialists and an Information Manager) with timely use of the IRC PME system and a focus on staff development and coaching. • Identify and supervise consultants as relevant. • Manage the WPE Technical Unit in the absence of the Director.

Country Technical Support • Provide technical support to a country program, focusing on design, monitoring and evaluation; business development; representation and advocacy.

REQUIREMENTS • Graduate degree or equivalent in public health, social work, humanities or other related degree. • At least 7 years GBV programming experience in domestic, emergency and post-conflict contexts. • Demonstrated ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action. • Demonstrated expertise in program design, monitoring and evaluation. • French skills highly desirable.