International Rescue Committee (IRC): Social Protection Manager

Position Title: Social Protection Manager
Department: Program
Location: Chisinau, Moldova
Salary Grade: 7B
Type of Employment: Full-Time

BACKGROUND:

The International Rescue Committee 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, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity, and hope to millions uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.Earlier this year, IRC launched its newest country program in Moldova to respond to the Ukrainian crisis in collaboration with local civil society organizations. With a population of only 2.64 million, Moldova has seen over 600,000 refugees cross its borders in search of safety. While most refugees transit toward Romania and other European countries, the number of nearly 100,000 Ukrainians is expected to increase in the coming months. Given its small size and limited resources, Moldova's capacity is already under strain with pressures on energy supplies and high inflation.The IRC envisages a humanitarian program in Moldova targeting both refugees and Moldovans, with interventions crafted to save lives and relieve humanitarian suffering, with a focus on education, gender-based violence prevention and response, and protection services along with support for integration.The IRC's protection and education programs in Moldova include programming focused on the support of emergency education, social protection, child protection, mental health support, gender-based violence programs, and systems strengthening, all in line with commitments in the Refugees Crisis Response Plan.

If you have experience leading programs for a humanitarian organization that helps immigrants, asylees and under-served populations, we welcome you to apply!

Job Overview/Summary:

We are looking for a Social Protection Manager responsible for the overall coordination and technical support to maintain and expand IRC's social protection, child protection, and mental health protection programming in Moldova.
The job holder will be responsible for the IRC’s social protection and mental health intervention to ensure program implementation and accountability quality and efficiency, strengthen harmonization between national initiatives and interventions delivered in the field, and ensure timely performance of project activities.
This is a full-time staff position based in Chisinau, Moldova, with occasional travel to the field locations as necessary and reports to the Country Director.
The SP Manager will focus on the provision of training and capacity building to local MHPSS service providers on issues related to adversity and displacement and work together with team members and local partners to support community-based mechanisms for the improvement of well-being, protection resilience of those impacted by the events of the war in Ukraine.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide support with:

• Capacity building of the social workers on protection, child protection, GBV specialists, mental health specialists, psycho-pedagogical specialists, and parents on how to assist refugees and host communities.
• Ensure technical soundness of the program in social protection while developing an implementation plan and successful delivery of protection activities, including but not limited to social protection monitoring, psychological first aid, GBV, community-based building, awareness raising, case management and referral mechanisms.
• Assist in mapping the existing MHPSS, GBV, child protection, child safeguarding services and supports mechanism.
• Adjust and improve the referral mechanism for MHPSS, GBV, child protection, child safeguarding services, and support services.
• Analyze referral outcomes to identify capacity issues and barriers and adjust the referral system accordingly.
• Jointly with CSOs, partner organizations conduct outreach to referring boys and to safe spaces. Develop IEC material and info sessions, brochures, and door-to-door.
• Jointly with Education Manager, train teachers, educators, and other school personnel trained by IRC to identify MHPSS and protection concerns.

Design protection monitoring tools and data collection system.

Design content for responsive information sessions on a range of topics, including human rights and refugee law, the benefits of and processes for registering with the UNHCR, available services in the area, how to access them and eligibility criteria, and ensuring that these information sessions respond to the specific needs of various targeted groups;

Regularly updates the service mapping and ensures that the mobile teams have access to an updated service mapping.

Create a referral system and train the mobile teams on how to safely refer clients both internally and externally;

Regularly review and follow up on the action points from protection monitoring and protection activities, including follow-up on referrals with service providers made by the outreach teams and in collaboration with CSO and government partners;

Chip in reporting on protection trends from the field on a regular basis;

Support identification of protection capacity-building priorities for the outreach teams and partners;

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with other INGO, UNHCR, government authorities, and other key stakeholders to ensure active coordination, collaboration, and information dissemination.

Other duties as requested by the Country Director and or the region.

Job Requirements:

EDUCATION:

• At least a graduate degree in social sciences or a related field

WORK EXPERIENCE:

• Social proven protection background and knowledge of refugee context, as well as confirmed experience in data collection, including the identification and referral of vulnerable cases, counseling, and information dissemination;
• Previous experience in report writing and data analysis;
• At least two years of professional experience in a humanitarian setting, preferably with an international organization.
• Previous staff management is preferred.

Proven Skills and Proficiencies:

Belief in human rights

Experience with working with vulnerable populations;

Demonstrated social protection experience, in particular in terms of data collection and detecting and referring of vulnerable cases as well as information dissemination and individual counseling;

Experience with an NGO and/or international organization;

Ability to interpret, analyze and synthesize information in a fast-paced environment;

Good digital literacy, including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Fluency in Romanian, Russian, and English languages (written and spoken);
• A solid understanding of Ukrainian (written and spoken) will be an asset.

Driving license and experience desirable.

Working hours:

• Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day, 5 days a week
• Occasional evenings and weekends on request

Closing date: November 20, 2023

Candidates should submit their CV in English here: https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/46619?c=rescue

Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an extensive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with a position.

Standard of Professional Conduct: IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of IRC Persons in any work setting.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, ethnicity or tribe, gender, age, religion, caste, sexual orientation, differently abled, geographic origin, marital status, veteran status and cultural background (or any other characteristic protected by law). We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Due to the expected high number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

____________________________________________________________________________

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.