Background of IRC:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives. The IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. We began work in Ethiopia since 2000 and currently implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response. 

The IRC has a focus on narrowing the gender gap in humanitarian aid and ensuring that we contribute to gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in both our programs and operations by working to establish a context where our clients (including those from minority groups) enjoy the same rights and opportunities as well as an equal access to services. The IRC also has a strong commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive culture, where safeguarding is upheld in our workplace and programs. We are determined to protect our clients and staff from safeguarding violations through prevention and, where misconduct is alleged, to address it without fear or favor.

Job Overview: 

The ES – SEAH programme aims to enhance the reporting of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) committed by aid workers, while also strengthening survivor-centred responses. This initiative will support women’s rights organizations (WROs) in assisting survivors through SEAH case management and will engage agencies to hold perpetrators accountable and provide a survivor-centred response. Concurrently, participatory action research will be conducted to identify effective reporting mechanisms and community-based SEAH prevention strategies. The programme will be tested in three different contexts—humanitarian, development, and peacekeeping, to understand how to improve SEAH reporting and response through WROs in various settings and to inform the broader safeguarding sector. This role could be based in London, Nairobi, Dhaka or Addis Ababa. 

Scope of Work

The Project Director will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of programme outcomes and interventions, as well as managing the programme’s daily operations. They will ensure high-quality programme implementation by providing strategic guidance to partners, supervising project team members, and overseeing fund management, financial and performance management, monitoring and evaluation, partnership management, and relationships with external stakeholders. The Project Director should possess extensive skills in complex project implementation, advocacy, and networking with international and national institutions, development agencies, and community-based organizations. Broader technical knowledge of Safeguarding/PSEAH and gender in programming is essential, and technical skills in protection are desirable.

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide overall strategic, programmatic, and administrative leadership and direction, overseeing all technical, operational, and financial aspects of the programme

• Manage the programme's performance against objectives and key performance indicators (KPI) to ensure IRC receives full payment based on the programme’s good performance

• Responsible for monitoring KPIs to ensure contract deliverables are delivered efficiently and effectively

• Lead and plan the overall advocacy effort within the project for stakeholder engagement for SEAH issues

• Oversee project risk, compliance, duty of care, and security and supervise the ES-SEAH programme staff

• Oversee the development, review, and monitoring of yearly work plans, project strategy documents, implementation measures, knowledge management, and sustainability efforts to achieve long-term and short-term goals

• Manage consortium partnerships and maintain collaborative partner relations, ensuring that all partners are aware of the project’s expectations and are actively involved in achieving the objectives while using the project management tools developed or adapted for the consortium

• Support the Research Coordinator in coordination and oversight of participatory action research at the country-level

• Provide oversight and support to country-level Safeguarding Technical Coordinators on project deliverables, including work with WROs

• Report to FCDO through both formal and informal debriefings, annual and semi-annual reports, ensuring timely submission of high-quality content

• Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions

• Represent the project and the IRC in national, regional, and international fora, including technical conferences and policy briefings, and share information about project achievements and lessons learned within the organization and wider development community.

Safeguarding Responsibilities: - 

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]

• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies 

Key working relationships

Supervisor: Deputy director, VPRU

Positions under supervisor:  Project team (to be recruited)

Job Requirements

Educational Requirement

• Advanced degree in Social Work, Public Health, International Development, or similar (or equivalent experience in Safeguarding/ PSEA including in prevention and response programming in the context of development and humanitarian response. Experience working in GBV and/or Child protection in humanitarian settings is preferred

Preferred Experience 

• Experience working within or in close partnership with feminist/women’s movements and/or organizations in the Global South, preferably in leadership roles

• Strong understanding of SEA as human rights violations and their relationship with other forms of intersectional oppression

• Proven ability to represent an organization at a senior level and to build strong relationships at the local, national and international levels

• Experience managing large-scale, multi-million-dollar, complex, multi-partner projects, ideally experience leading FCDO Safeguarding programs

• Proven ability to lead diverse staff and teams, manage performance, foster a positive working environment and manage issues sensitively and diplomatically  

• Experience of managing large institutional donor contracts, including Payment by Results contracts

• Experience of working in a large and complex international organization

• Proficiency in English is required.

How to Apply

Candidates meeting the above qualifications are encouraged to apply only through the IRC On-line recruitment website using THIS LINK

Please include 3 references from current and former employers.

Applications will not be returned. IRC discourages phone calls or personal visits.

Only applicants meeting the minimum qualification will be short listed and contacted.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Your application letter/cover letter must include the following information. 

• Name of the position you have applied for 

• Date of application 

• Summary of  your qualifications and experience 

• Motivation/objective of why you have applied for the job

• Permanent Address and present address (if different from permanent) and telephone number if possible also email address 

• Disclose any family relationships with existing IRC employees.

Disclaimer: - Please note that IRC will never request applicants or candidates to make any form of payment at any stage of the recruitment process. 

IRC is an equal employment opportunity employer.  IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. 

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients. 

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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons. 

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.