Women Empowerment and Protection (WPE) Manager

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.

The IRC has been working in Myanmar since May 2008, initially supporting emergency response and early recovery interventions for communities affected by Cyclone Nargis. Since then, IRC has responded to natural emergencies, such as floods and Cyclone Giri as well as conflict, such as ethnic violence in Rakhine and Kachin states. Over the years, IRC has broadened its portfolio to include health, water and sanitation, livelihoods, and social development programs and aims to employ a holistic approach.  The IRC is committed to a long-term presence in-country with the aim of improving the well being of vulnerable populations living the hard-to-reach areas.  IRC works in several states, primarily focused in the most marginalized areas of the country, including Rakhine, Chin, Kayin and Kayah States.

Inter-communal violence between Buddhist and Muslim populations in June and October 2012 resulted in at least 140,000 people displaced across Rakhine State - 95,372 of which are in Sittwe Township across 23 registered IDP camps. Displaced from their homes and at risk of violence, women and girls continue to live in fear as has been documented by a number of assessments and stakeholders in Rakhine. Protection and safety measures inside the camps remain critical particularly in terms of addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, such as households headed by single females, as well as widows, elderly and the disabled. Various forms of violence, including domestic violence, forced or early marriage, sexual abuse, including rape and sexual exploitation, and physical violence have been identified as the most common that women and girls experience.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Manager will be responsible for overseeing programming including support and direct supervision of program staff in the implementation of those activities associated with the WPE program. The WPE Manager oversees individual (through the case management process) and group-based psychosocial activities for survivors of GBV, small-scale livelihood or income-generating activities that start through safe spaces, and community outreach and referral services. The WPE Manager will also oversee information collection and advocacy related to health gaps and other essential service for women and girls. This position supervises the Senior Program Officer, Prevention and Response Officers, as well as GBV Caseworkers and Outreach Workers. Key objectives include:

To plan and oversee the basic case management and psychosocial activities for survivors of GBV in emergenciesTo support the development of a referral process for GBV survivors, including identification of gaps in health service provision.To oversee outreach activities designed to provide communities with information on where women and girls can access GBV services.To work with IRC senior team on developing a country-specific GBV strategy and contribute to positioning IRC as a strong GBV player in Myanmar.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Quality  Reinforce adherence to the GBV guiding principles and other international standards to ensure quality of design and implementation of all WPE activities.  Ensure response work with clients, including case management and psychosocial interventions, adheres to best-practice principles when working with survivors of GBV.  Assess and analyze GBV situation in Rakhine state and countrywide to develop a holistic program based on understanding of GBV issues in the countryEnsure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy.Work with the program staff to ensure that field experiences are documented and used for learning and to advocate on behalf of the communities with which we work.Staff Supervision & Development Recruit and support the hiring of staff, in coordination with human resources and others.Directly supervise GBV staff including the Senior Program Officer, Response/Prevention Officers, as well as Caseworkers and Outreach Workers.Mentor and support staff professional development and foster a positive team spirit to encourage innovative and quality programming.Identify training needs for GBV staff, and support organization and facilitation of training to meet those needs, in collaboration with the Senior Program Officer.Provide guidance and technical support to teams through regular field monitoring visits.Grants Management Prepare and maintain/update detailed work plan(s) that support and achieve program activities.Provide accurate and regular narrative and financial reports, as well as document results and maintain detailed records of program activities for timely submission, as required by IRC policies.Conduct and draft needs assessment reports and other internal reports as required by Senior Management or as appropriate under the circumstances.Draft program briefing materials, and respond to requests for program information from IRC Regional Management, IRC HQ, donors, Myanmar Government and others;  Contribute to develop of concept notes, proposals and strategic plans related to the WPE sector in MyanmarCoordination & Representation Liaise and coordinate with other UN and NGO partners, ministry departments, local authorities, and beneficiaries in planning and response to emergencies.Liaise regularly and work closely with program, operations and finance staff in Yangon to coordinate program planning.Support the identification of GBV focal points in health centers and liaise with health actors for the training of medical and non-medical staff.Develop and maintain effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders including community leaders and other implementing partners.Regularly attend GBV sub-cluster meetings and feed in IRC priorities at Yangon-level meetings.Other Ensure all activities are carried out in accordance with IRC Operational policies.Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor of Arts or Science in Social Science, Public Health, Humanities or other related field, desirableAt least two-three years of experience managing programs overseas; experience in direct service provision or managing programs that focus on violence against women in a humanitarian context preferredClear understanding of gender, human rights, and issues surrounding violence against women and girlsDemonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clientsKnowledge and experience with community outreach and mobilizationExperience facilitating trainings and workshops and mentoring othersPositive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team settingStrong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks, and maintain attention to detailExperience supervising a multi-national staff in a complex, insecure emergency settingExcellent written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal skillsFluency in English and computer literate

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The WPE Manager position is based in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar with frequent travel required to potentially insecure project sites in Sittwe camps. The WPE manager may be asked to travel to other sites in the country to support new program development.  This is an unaccompanied post and candidates can expect to share group housing.

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