Protection, Rule of Law Coordinator at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Protection, Rule of Law Coordinator

Requisition ID: req25566
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-Time
Sector: Protection and rule of law
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Open to Expatriates: Yes

Contextual Background

• IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In early 2014, IRC opened a field office in Mubi town of Adamawa state in NE Nigeria followed by offices in Yola (Adamawa state) in November 2014 and Maiduguri (Borno state) in October 2015.
• IRC has ECHO, OFDA, and Gates funds to respond to health, nutrition, GBV, and WASH activities.  In late 2014 and early 2015, IRC received additional funds from SV, SIDA, USAID, and UNICEF to carry out education, child protection, general protection, emergency food distributions, shelter support, and NFI distributions to newly displaced IDPs.
• In late 2015 into early 2016, IRC received Swiss and UNHCR funds for additional emergency response humanitarian-focused programming in NE Nigeria. Since 2015 when the IRC began interventions in Northeast Nigeria, the IRC with funding BHA, ECHO, FCDO and SIDA has implemented protection mainstreaming, monitoring, Access to Justice, Case Management for Persons with Special Needs interventions while actively participating in the activities of the Protection Sector across the three BAY states.

Job Overview / Summary

• The IRC is implementing a protection program featuring protection monitoring, information sharing, community-based protection case management referral services, capacity building and access to justice/rule of law. The Protection Coordinator will be responsible for the development and implementation of protection programming in all three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe where the IRC has humanitarian presence.
• He/she will lead the design of protection monitoring methodology, M&E systems, and training materials for protection and information project staff, set up and scale up of access to justice/rule of law interventions and Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) regarding the sharing of data with other actors.
• The Protection Coordinator will ensure the quality of protection data collection and analysis and ensure that succinct and accurate protection reports are utilized to inform programming and advocacy both internally and externally.
• The Protection Coordinator will also be responsible in contributing to increasing the IRC’s presence and potential leadership role in the Protection sector by attending relevant working group meetings, networking with state and NGO actors in the protection sector and identifying potential partners for future programming.
• The Protection Coordinator will directly supervise various protection managers and information management officer who will also support the program.
• The Protection Coordinator will work extensively with other sectors, to ensure that protection principles are being incorporated into the Nigeria sector programs, and in particular with the Women’s Protection and Empowerment Coordinator, the Child Protection Coordinator to strengthen the integrated nature of IRC’s protection and assistance programs in Nigeria. He/she will also work with other sectors to realize IRC Nigeria’s Strategy Action Plan commitment to integration, gender and cash programming.

Major Responsibilities
Program Management:

• Provide strategic direction and vision to the IRC’s Protection programming in Nigeria, with an emphasis on maintaining program quality during a period of expansion.
• Ensure that all interventions are in compliance with the IRC’s protection mainstreaming framework, international law, protection standards and national policies and IRC internal policies.
• Oversee implementation of the Protection Monitoring and Information Dissemination through managing project work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, development of spending plans and budget follow-up), ensuring timely recruitment, quality implementation and accurate reporting in accordance with IRC and donor regulations.
• Ensure that monitoring and evaluation systems are effectively designed and integrated into all stages of the project; that output and impact data are captured and that data is used to optimize program quality.
• Lead and participate in Project Cycle management meeting of projects assigned to him/her and all projects that the PRoL sector is implementing.
• Participate in cross-departmental collaboration and coordination in order to ensure that linkages between programs are made and programs gain from protection best practice; in particular with regular contact and coordination with Coordinators and Managers in WPE, CP, Food Security (ERD), and Education.
• Participate in grant opening, midterm review and grant closing meetings for all PRoL grants and ensure that the same process is implemented in the field.
• In collaboration with program and grants staff, set up a budget tracking system and review Budget vs. Actual expenditure for PRoL programs on a monthly basis with staff.
• Review all reports prepared by the field staff and provide appropriate feedback to the concerned staff and ensure that reports are written and submitted to concerned bodies in a timely manner.
• Liaise regularly with the relevant HQ technical units.  
• Ensure all designed protection projects use the IRC theories of change and that outcomes are evidence-driven and evidence-generated.

New Business Development:

• Develop the Protection sector strategy for Nigeria in close collaboration with the Protection Managers, DDP/SPC, other protection sector staff, and the VPRU Technical Unit.
• Identify opportunities for, design and develop concept notes and proposals for further protection programming and other protection programming as requested.
• Develop and/or input into protection assessments and protection reporting analysis for the purpose of program development.
• Provide Protection input on proposals from other sectors to ensure protection is mainstreamed across IRC programming.

Staff Support:

• Provide technical guidance, on the job mentoring and coaching for the senior manager and managers.
• Ensure ongoing training and targeted capacity building of PRoL staff. This includes staff training in program management areas such as reporting, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and supervision.
• Support Field Coordinators/Managers to ensure that the senior manager/managers put capacity development plans in place for the national protection teams based on documented capacity needs assessments exercise.
• Support PRoL field staff through field visits to provide guidance, supervision and monitor the quality of program implementation.
• Provide continuous support to and ensure targeted capacity building of staff. 
• Review performance of PRoL staff in the field and provide supportive approaches to address issues identified.

Representation, Coordination and Advocacy:

• Coordinate with DDP/SPC to forge connections with key government counterparts at the ministerial level, UN, I/NGOs, human rights actors, municipal and other sub-national government actors.
• Represent the IRC in high level and strategic meetings involving protection actors such as protection working group meetings, inter-agency coordination meetings, and bi-lateral meetings.
• Regularly coordinate with internal program and operational stakeholders, the Protection/Rule of Law Technical Advisors, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Children’s Protection, Education and other IRC colleagues. 
• In collaboration with the DDP/CD and regional advocacy team, ensure that the protection program delivers on advocacy goals as articulated in the country wide advocacy strategy.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to:  Senior Program Coordinator (SPC) and will have access to technical guidance from the IRC Protection Rule of Law technical unit.
• Position directly supervises:  Program Managers
• Indirect Reporting: M&E Officer/Manager

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

• Internal: Women Protection & Empowerment, Child Protection Coordinators and other IRC Technical Coordinators, Grants, Finance, Supply Chain, Logistics and Security Teams.
• External:  Protection Sector, Other Protection Partners, Government Partners

Job Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Human Rights or a related field, Master’s Degree preferred.

Work Experience:

• 3 - 5 years’ experience implementing protection programming including experience in emergency or post-conflict project management.
• Experience implementing integrated programming which focuses on meeting the unique needs of children, women and girls is desired.
• Experience in implementing programming that utilizes ICT, including in the management and monitoring of SMS based systems

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Demonstrated experience using international human rights standards in protection programming.
• Demonstrated experience implementing M&E programs.
• Strong strategic thinking and proposal writing skills.
• Strong leadership, staff and budget management and capacity building skills.
• Excellent communication skills, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, ability to improvise, team player.
• Ability to live and productively work under stress and in insecure and harsh environments while maintaining a sense of humor. 
• Language Skills:  Fluency in English

Working Environment: 

• The Protection Coordinator will be based in Maiduguri, Nigeria with travel throughout the country. The security situation in Nigeria continues to be volatile in the NE with the security level at 3 (orange). The candidate should be prepared to implement programming in insecure environments. 

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online