Protection Technical Expert (WPE)

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

The Protection Technical Expert (WPE) provides regional technical expertise and coordination support to strengthen gender-based violence (GBV) risk mitigation, protection analysis, and localization efforts across designated areas of operation. The position leads and supports GBV risk analyses, safety audits, service mapping, stakeholder engagement, and contextual monitoring to identify protection risks affecting women and girls and inform evidence-based programme adaptation, advocacy, and coordination efforts. The role serves as IRC’s representative in relevant GBV and Protection coordination mechanisms at regional level and works closely with local authorities, women-led organizations, service providers, and humanitarian actors to strengthen referral systems, promote safe programming, support partner capacity strengthening, and advance initiatives aimed at preventing and mitigating risks of violence against women and girls.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and support GBV risk analyses, safety audits, protection assessments, and contextual analyses across programme locations to identify risks affecting women and girls, inform programme adaptation, and support evidence-based local advocacy efforts.
• Represent IRC in GBV, Protection, and inter-agency coordination mechanisms at regional level, including the GBV Workstream, Protection Cluster, and relevant technical working groups, serving as the primary focal point for WPE-related issues.
• Maintain and regularly update service mapping, referral pathways, and referral directories to ensure safe, ethical, and timely referrals for GBV survivors.
• Establish, strengthen, and maintain strategic relationships with specialized GBV service providers, local authorities, women-led organizations, civil society organizations, and community-based actors.
• Support partnership development and localization efforts through regular engagement, technical support, and capacity strengthening of local partners and women-led organizations.
• Conduct partner monitoring visits and support programme quality assurance processes to ensure adherence to survivor-centred principles, GBV guiding principles, donor requirements, and IRC technical standards.
• Contribute to the design, coordination, and implementation of awareness-raising and community outreach initiatives, including key international campaigns such as 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and International Women's Day.
• Support operational processes related to the recruitment, onboarding, management, and supervision of incentive workers, volunteers, and community facilitators.
• Serve as a co-facilitator and technical resource person during trainings, workshops, learning events, and capacity-strengthening initiatives for partners, local stakeholders, and humanitarian actors.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring on GBV programming, survivor-centred approaches, psychosocial support, safe referrals, and GBV risk mitigation to IRC teams and partner organizations.
• Monitor emerging protection trends, service gaps, and contextual developments, and provide regular analysis and recommendations to inform programme strategy and decision-making.
• Contribute to the development and adaptation of technical tools, guidance documents, assessments, reports, and learning products related to GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response programming.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, law, human rights, gender studies, social sciences.
• Specialized training and certifications in Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Protection, Case Management, Psychosocial Support (PSS), and/or humanitarian programming are considered a strong asset.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response programming within humanitarian and/or development settings.
• Demonstrated experience conducting GBV risk analyses, safety audits, assessments, and contextual analyses.
• Experience supporting partner-led implementation and providing technical oversight and capacity strengthening to local partner organizations.
• Proven experience representing organizations in inter-agency coordination mechanisms, including GBV, Protection, and related working groups.
• Experience developing and maintaining referral pathways, service mapping, and coordination with specialized GBV service providers.
• Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating trainings, workshops, and capacity-strengthening initiatives for staff, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Experience supporting advocacy initiatives, community engagement activities, and localization efforts is highly desirable.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Advanced technical expertise in GBV programming, including prevention, risk mitigation, response, and survivor-centred approaches.
• Strong understanding of GBV Case Management principles, referral systems, and specialized service provision.
• Advanced knowledge of psychosocial support approaches and women and girls’ empowerment programming, including structured interventions.
• Strong understanding of protection mainstreaming and GBV risk mitigation across humanitarian sectors.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong facilitation, mentoring, coaching, and capacity-building skills.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, networking, representation, and partnership management skills.
• Strong report-writing, presentation, and communication skills in English and Ukrainian.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and support multiple geographical locations simultaneously.
• Strong commitment to IRC values, safeguarding principles, and survivor-centred programming.

Languages:

• Ukrainian – Native.
• English – Upper-Intermediate to Advanced (B2–C1).

REPORTING STRUCTURE AND TEAM COLLABORATION

Reports to the Field Coordinator and receive technical supervision from the Protection Coordinator (WPE)

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

• This role requires full-time work in the office or hybrid type of work is possible after probation period
• Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace so they can effectively complete their work during regularly scheduled work hours.
• Travel to other locations is needed up to 30% of time
• Exempt from overtime
• Sometimes work on weekends may be required
• Work in the matrix organization
• Fast pace of working, multitasking and stressful work
• The organization cares about staff and provides flexible working options (start early-finish early, start later-finish later, remote work)
• Staff can ask for accommodation in the workplace. Specific requests can be discussed with HR.

IRC employees are eligible to the following benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Purposeful job and development opportunities
• English classes and unlimited online training courses
• Life Insurance
• Medical insurance for staff and family members
• Free psychological support to employees and their family members
• 30 calendar days of annual vacation with flexibility beyond the legally set minimum requirements
• Up to 10 days of paid medical leave

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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