RESPONSIBILITIES
Major responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to protection, Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Child Protection (CP), programs in Colombia, ensuring it is needs-based, context-appropriate, responsive, coherent, collaborative, and operationally feasible and in line with the Strategic Action Plan.

• Lead a comprehensive assessment of opportunities for greater cross-sector integration within IRC’s program units, and develop/review the work plan for reaching integration goals, both with respect to programs implemented directly by IRC as well as those delivered in partnership; as required, support development of cross-sector SOPs, tools, training modules, etc.

• Promote joint work across the three teams (CP, WPE and PRo L) to enhance the quality of programming and a holistic approach to addressing the needs of our clients.

• Ensure projects and activities are of high technical quality, meet humanitarian standards, mainstream protection, align with IRC’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework, and respond to community and monitoring feedback.

• Plan, organize, recruit, supervise and develop the team and individuals needed to achieve program goals and maximize national leadership.

• When relevant, ensure integration of CP and WPE, program interventions to promote holistic service provision and best outcomes for the target population.

• In collaboration with the MEAL department, ensure safe and ethical data collection, storage, management, and sharing standards are in place for both direct and partner-led implementation, safeguarding personal information.

• Lead technical trainings on key program interventions and approaches (for CP, WPE) targeting program and partner staff.

• Develop and/or adapt technical tools and approaches, and deliver creative solutions to mitigate challenges in the operating context, to facilitate response start-up and day-to-day implementation.

• Lead assessments and context-appropriate research aimed at generating a strong evidence base for IRC protection programming, as well as informing IRC advocacy.

• Liaise with CP, WPE, and Pro L Technical advisors to ensure relevant support, tools, and resources are being provided and integrated into programming.

• Working closely with the Partnership team, to ensure adequate support to partners to facilitate quality program implementation and provide capacity development, where needed, as well as, co-design, regular exchange, and project performance monitoring to achieve program objectives, in line with IRC’s PEERs (Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System).

• Review partner technical tools, reports, and data; recommend adaptations or process improvements as required.

Grants and Financial Management

• Collaborate with IRC grants and finance staff to finalize proposals, reports, and respond to any requests for additional information.

• Proactively continue to grow the Colombian protection, women’s protection, and child protection portfolio through the development of concept notes and high-quality technical proposals to existing and new donors, maintaining a coherent strategy with country’s Strategic Action Plan across IRC’s areas of intervention in Colombia.

• Manage grant/program implementation, including recruitment and training, work plan development, procurement and inventory planning, budget management, and Project cycle meetings (PCM).

• In collaboration with program, finance, HR, and Supply Chain departments, ensure smooth management, implementation, integration, and compliance of project work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, spending plans, procurement plans, and expenditure), with best use of resources across activities and delivering on time, to scope and within budget.

Staff Management and Development

• Recruit, onboard, and supervise protection staff, training, and strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team, and providing professional development guidance.

• Coordinate performance management within the department and ensure a culture of high performance through staff engagement and accountability.

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented annual and mid-year performance reviews.

• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development. Support the development skills and responsibility among the integrated protection team.

• Offer leadership support for successful adherence by staff to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.

Coordination and Representation

• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key actors, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors

• Regularly participate in GBV, CP, Protection sub-clusters and other relevant coordination and task force meetings, at appropriate levels.

• Ensure protection concerns and challenges are brought to relevant fora to advocate for standards and procedures that systematize how integrated protection programming is implemented and coordinated at the field level.

Minimum Qualifications: QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Education in social work, psychology, or another related field

• At a minimum of 5 years of progressively professional experience in the protection sector (inclusive of general protection, women’s protection and empowerment, and child protection), of which, at least 3 years of experience working in the development/humanitarian sector and conflict areas.

• A minimum of 3 years of program and team management experience

• Languages: Spanish is required, and English is strongly preferred

• Familiarity with key donor regulations.

• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision, capacity building, and training.

• Strong program/technical, proposal writing, and budget management skills, planning, reporting, monitoring, and evaluation skills.

• Proven experience in implementing programs under grants, including high-quality donor reporting and proposal development.

• Prior experience collaborating with and supporting local partner organizations.

• Prior experience in humanitarian work in Colombia is preferred.

• Exceptional planning and organizational skills. Able to effectively prioritize and follow multiple activities and deadlines simultaneously. Highly organized with close attention to detail.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Standard office work environment

• Frequent national travel required (1 – 3 weeks per quarter)

• Some international travel as needed.