The Protection Coordinator will lead programmes building on the strategy for the IRC mission in El Salvador, interfacing with technical colleagues in HQ. The Protection Coordinator will also support fundraising efforts as needed, participate in coordination meetings, and work closely with the IRC El Salvador Head of Mission to continuously review the implementation strategy for effectiveness and fit for purpose, as well as to support the adaptation of the model for further expansion throughout El Salvador and/or the region, as needed.
The Protection Coordinator will report directly to the IRC El Salvador Head of Mission.
Length of Assignment:1 year, potential to extend
Languages:Fluency in Spanish & English
RESPONSIBILITIES
Technical Quality
- Provide technical and management leadership to the implementation of the Protection Programme in accordance with best practices and IRC policy.
- Contribute to revisions of the Strategic Action Plan in consultation with the technical unit and in collaboration with the IRC El Salvador Head of Mission.
- Lead the overall implementation of the Protection programme and provide guidance to the protection staff to ensure that stated goals and objectives are met, that the project is appropriately
- Support, as needed, the identification of key partners working with targeted persons of concern for partnerships based around acute basic need provision (cash programming) and capacity building/programme expansion for protection programming.
- Support to improve quality of specialized services available in country (women’s protection, child protection and protection rule of law) in addition to contributing to the standardization of protection protocol, SOPs and integrated design where appropriate.
Coordination
- Represent IRC El Salvador in a professional manner before external institutions.
- Participate in coordination mechanisms at the national, and, as appropriate, at the sub-national, level.
- Participate in key spaces such as general protection and child protection coordination mechanisms (in the event a separate mechanism exists for women and girls (i.e. GBV task force) and those that respond to the needs of specific vulnerable populations (such as IDPs, and LGTBI population).
Staff Supervision and Development
- Directly supervise the Protection Manager and Monitoring & Evaluation Officer and provides quality oversight to and mentoring of the protection officers, and the protection information assistants in El Salvador as well as related to activities in Honduras and Guatemala
- Maintain open, positive and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions
- Promote and guide staff professional development and performance including overall responsible for staff work plans, work and vacation schedules, and staff training/development activities as well as, when needed, timely performance improvement plans and reviews
- In collaboration with Head of Mission, HR/Operation Manager and existing team, work to determine best staffing structure for programs given existing grants and proposed upcoming activities related to Protection as well as other activities
Fundraising against Program Strategy
- Support the El Salvador Head of Mission to pursue new funding opportunities to deliver on the program strategy and/or to support an eventual scale up, providing timely quality technical inputs
Grant Planning, Implementation, and Reporting
- Prepare program work plans that meet the program objectives and prepare appropriate operational guidelines for project staff.
- Ensure that project activities are implemented within the assigned budget parameters, manage all financial aspects of the protection programs, approve relevant expenses and review expenditures, in consultation with the Finance Team.
- Analyse protection concerns in El Salvador, and the Northern Triangle, propose new areas of work to IRC, and participate/lead in proposal development;
- Development/ maintenance of effective and efficient oversight, support, quality control and reporting systems and processes.
- Ensure IRC and donor reports as per set schedules on grant activities, indicators and achievements are produced in quality.
- Provide support to sit-reps, and other reporting as requested by the IRC El Salvador Head of Mission or Technical Unit.
Ad hoc support to Head of Mission
- Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with external parties as needed (in line with IRC security protocols and joint decisions through the Head of Mission and Security and Operations Manager) to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs
- As needed, support Head of Mission for occasional tasks that may arise that are not detailed above.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree preferred; in social work, psychology, human rights, international law, social science or related field.
- Eight plus years of experience implementing child protection, women’s protection and/or protection programming in an emergency or complex emergency and security contexts; demonstrable understanding of the relevance of international humanitarian law and human rights law to humanitarian action; applied experience in mental health and psychosocial support programming; Professional experience in the Northern Triangle or Latin American region a plus.
- Must be capable of applying skills and knowledge in a range of capacities, including direct implementation, advisory functions, training, and the transfer of technical knowledge and management skills to others.
- Demonstrated capacity to work with innovative systems and creative approaches to programming; Experience working with new technologies and/or hotlines is an asset.
- Strong program and budget management skills including planning, monitoring and evaluation and reporting across multiple grants.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with internal and external parties; Fluency in Spanish and English is required.
- INGO experience required
