Women's Protection and Empowerment Coordinator at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Location:  Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Gender
Employment Category: Fixed Term

Scope of Work

• The Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator is responsible for providing overall leadership, guidance, management, coordination and technical support to IRC’s WPE programming throughout Nigeria.
• The WPE Program Coordinator will contribute to external coordination efforts and initiatives to develop IRC’s leadership in-country.
• S/He will also collaborate with key staff in other sectors, and work with the Senior Program Coordinators and Deputy Director for Programs (DDP), to achieve the managed growth of IRC’s WPE programming including in the development of strategies and proposals for the country program.
• The position is based in Maiduguri with regular travel across Adamawa (Yola and Mubi), Borno (Konduga, Monguno, Gwoza) and Yobe States to cover 8 WPE program sites to monitor program activities, mentor program staff, and undertake assessments to develop WPE programming in newly accessible LGAs as they open up.

Essential Functions

• The WPE Technical Coordinator will provide ongoing technical support and monitoring to ensure that all interventions are appropriately meeting the needs of GBV survivors, technically sound based on the IRC’s Outcome Evidence Framework toolkits and GBV sectoral best practice; evidence based and where possible, evidence generating.
• The WPE Technical Coordinator will support program implementation and efforts to enhance the quality of support being provided to GBV survivors, as well as to identify additional opportunities to support women and girls’ safety, health, power, education and economic wellbeing by working with other sectors to implement outcome oriented, gender transformative programming.

Program Quality:

• Oversee the quality of design and program implementation
• In liaison with the M&C Coordinator, oversee and develop monitoring and evaluation systems for the WPE program in Nigeria
• Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy.
• Provide guidance and technical support to teams through regular field monitoring visits.
• Ensure regular communication with the WPE Technical Advisor and integrate technical unit priorities, where possible, into program design.

Management:

• Manage and mentor WPE staff through regular feedback and performance reviews.
• Recruit WPE staff, in coordination with human resources, Senior Program Coordinator, the DDP, and the WPE Technical Advisor.
• Ensure training and ongoing capacity building of staff on WPE-related and project management skills with a specific focus on building the capacity of local staff.
• Develop and oversee program budgets to ensure an appropriate and efficient use of resources, and that WPE projects comply with internal and external requirements.
• Oversee strategic projects (determined by the country program) to ensure proper implementation and outputs are met, according to donor needs.

Program Development:

• Develop a country sector strategic plan for Nigeria, ensuring that program growth and start-up are in line with Nigeria’s Strategic Action Plan 2020.
• Actively contribute to broader strategic planning processes in Nigeria, ensuring that WPE interventions and related initaitives are taken into account.
• Participate in emergency response and assessments, providing guidance and recommendations for new programs and initiatives that maximize safety for women and girls.
• In coordination with Senior Program Coordinator, the DDP, Grants Unit and the WPE Technical Advisor guide proposal development through planning and program design with relevant field-based staff.
• Coordinate with IRC staff members implementing other sectors to provide relevant input and support to develop outcome oriented, gender transformative programming to close the gender gap for women and girls across IRC’s safety, health, economic wellbeing, education and power outcome areas.

Representation and Advocacy:

• In coordination with the DDP actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders in Nigeria including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Develop strategic partnerships with local women-led organizations, wherever possible
• Regularly attend GBV sub-cluster meetings
• Represent the WPE program through meetings with external stakeholders and facilitating field visits for stakeholders interested in WPE programming in Nigeria.

Key Working Relationships:

• The WPE Coordinator is supervised by the Senior Program Coordinator and receives technical support from a WPE Technical Advisor based at IRC Headquarters in New York/London.
• Position directly supervises: WPE program Managers
• Other internal and/or external contacts: M&E staff, grants staff; finance, HR and supply chain departments

Professional Standards:

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

Qualifications

• Master’s or equivalent in social work, gender, women’s rights, public health, or other related degree.
• At least five years of overseas experience, including substantial management experience in GBV prevention and response programming and at least 2 years experience in direct service provision with GBV survivors
• Previous experience supervising and managing a multi-disciplinary team in a cross-cultural setting.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building and mentoring of national and international staff.
• Knowledge, skills and experience in participatory methods, community development and partnership
• Experience and resilience to living in insecure and remote locations.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent coordination and networking skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively throughout Nigeria.
• Excellent written and oral English skills.
• Experience in grant management and proposal writing.
• Excellent computer skills in programs such as: MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint.

Specific Security Situation/Housing

• The WPE Coordinator will be based in Maiduguri, Borno, Nigeria with travel throughout the sites where IRC has a presence.
• The security situation in the North-East Nigeria continues to be volatile in with the security level at 3 (orange).
• The candidate should be prepared to implement programming in insecure environments.
• This is a non-accompanied position.
• The WPE Coordinator will live in shared housing. 

Standards for Professional Conduct:

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