Senior WPE Officer (Bekaa) - FOR NATIONAL CANDIDATES ONLY

Background/IRC Summary:  The International Rescue Committee is an international organization specializing in emergency and humanitarian programming.  In response to the influx of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the IRC started a Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program in late 2012 in North Lebanon and the Beka’a Valley. The WPE Sr. Program Officer is a key position in the WPE Program, and supports the Program Manager by identifying key advocacy issues, refining and revising program design, and monitoring program implementation and quality.

Job Overview/Summary: The WPE Sr. Program Officer is responsible for supporting and managing all programming activities that occur within her team.  This includes:

• Working with caseworkers to ensure that psychosocial activities – case management and emotional support groups – are planned, implemented, and monitored;
• Working with community mobilizers to ensure that community mobilization activities – safety assessments, outreach visits, government and other organization meetings, and community-based activities – are planned, implemented, and monitored;
• Drafting capacity-building strategies through organizing or facilitating trainings among team members;
• Ensuring there is a Center-based or community-based operational plan in place that addresses operational hours, teacher recruitment and payment schedule, dignity kit distributions, inventory control, and regularly scheduled payment of operation costs;
• Convening weekly planning sessions with site-based team members in order to debrief and plan program activities.

In addition, the WPE Sr. Program Officer is responsible for compiling program data and trends in order to:

• Contribute to the WPE quality database;
• Inform WPE monitoring and evaluation plans;
• Identify trends and concerns to create advocacy strategies;
• Effectively represent the WPE program at GBV Working Groups, Protection Working Groups, and other area-based coordination meetings.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Management

• In collaboration with the team, develop operational Center and Mobile Team plans that include  staffing and a schedule of psychosocial and outreach activities to be conducted;
• In collaboration with caseworkers and community mobilizers, organize  work-plans for outreach workers that addresses work schedules, responsibilities, and training/support activities;
• Maintain database of refugee settlements in work area, and activities conducted in these work areas;
• Monitor the Case Management hotlines and GBV referrals made in her work area;
• Update and maintain referral lists and contacts for relevant organizations in the work area;
• In collaboration with the WPE Program Manager, craft emergency response and  contingency plans to adapt to rapid changes in the work area.

Team Support and Supervision

• Hold regular planning and debriefing sessions with team members on a weekly basis
• Hold monthly individual sessions with team members to review job description, monitor job performance, and provide support as required.
• In collaboration with the WPE Manager and Sr Caseworker, facilitate or organize trainings that support technical skills of staff, e.g. how to run effective focus groups, how to conduct safety assessments, how to talk about services offered by WPE, how to talk about GBV, how to conduct referrals, and other identified needs.
• Oversee and monitor capacity building and support plans for team members.

Reporting

• Ensure that attendance records and other reporting tools are implemented and provided to the Admin Officer on an agreed upon schedule;
• Monitor data collection to ensure that staff collect data in safe and ethical ways;
• Update the monitoring and quality database on a regular basis and submit to the Program Manager according to an agreed upon schedule;
• Maintain and update capacity-building and support plans and submit to Program manager according to an agreed upon schedule;
• Compile weekly and monthly reports to provide information on trends, challenges, and activities to Program Manager

Advocacy and referrals

• Act as main focal point for referral of non-GBV cases and protection concerns within the area of responsibility
• Identify key advocacy messages to share with Program Manager, relevant UN Groups (UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, etc., and government ministries;
• Represent WPE at Protection Working Groups, GBV Working Groups, and other meetings as directed by Program Manager to present challenges and concerns and to coordinate work with other GBV providers and other humanitarian actors;
• Collaborate with Program Manager to identify key advocacy messages to share with WPE Coordinator

Key Working Relationships:

Who this position supervises: Community mobilizers and Caseworkers

Who this position works with: WPE Admin & Data Officer, Adolescent Girl Officer, Senior Caseworker         

Job Requirements:

• Clear understanding of gender inequality and issues surrounding gender-based violence
• Demonstrated ability to lead, train, supervise and motivate staff in their respective tasks in a professional, respectful, and supportive manner.
• Experience working in humanitarian responses targeting vulnerable women and girls. Experience working with refugee populations preferred.
• Familiarity with principles of monitoring and evaluation. Experience in writing brief narrative reports.
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Fluency in Arabic
• Ability to communicate in English and write clear and concise reports in English
• Degree/diploma in Women’s Studies, Social Work, or a related field

Personal Qualities

• Positive and professional attitude, able to organize, maintain composure and prioritize work under pressure, work overtime when necessary and be able to coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail. Proven ability to work as a member of a team essential

Working Environment:  The WPE Sr. Program Officer will be based out of a WPE Field Office and will regularly visit field sites and refugee settlements in her work area. Occasional travel within field sites and Beirut may occur.