Child Protection Manager

The FCDO funded Syria Education Programme II (SEP-II) will deliver on the UK’s commitment to girls’ education and aims to enhance equitability of education for girls and boys by strengthening the quality and inclusivity of formal primary education in Northwest Syria. SEP-II will aim to directly impact 150,000 girls and boys per year in formal primary education through evidence-based and data-driven education programming and will positively impact the entire primary school-aged population. The project will focus on four key outcomes: (1) Enhancing school level capacity to deliver inclusive, gender responsive and quality learning, (2) Developing effective systems to support inclusion, mental health and child protection, (3) Strengthening local education systems so that they are accountable, effective, and responsive, and (4) Generating more predictable financing for sector implementation, including teacher salaries.

Job Overview/Summary

Under the supervision of the Child Protection Strategic Advisor, the Child Protection Manager will be responsible for implementing and leading activities under Outcome 2: Effective systems to support inclusion, mental health, and child protection. The Child Protection Manager will supervise a team of field staff based in Northwest Syria and will support project partners to undertake activities that are aligned to the project’s outcomes and evidence framework, theories of change, and core indicators. The Child Protection Manager will support assessment and data gathering, inform course correction, conduct technical trainings and ongoing technical coaching and design. This position is contingent on IRC being awarded funding.

Main Responsibilities

• Contribute to programmatic implementation and staff management oversight, for those in NW Syria, of Outcome 2: Effective systems to support inclusion, mental health, and child protection.

• Technical oversight and support to field level implementation of SEP II for IRC’s and partners’ programming in Northwest Syria. Including comprehensive child protection services through case management, MHPSS, parenting education; raising awareness on child protection; support to community child protection committees; and technical trainings to partners.

• Ensure case management services follow proper case management steps, referrals and that documentation are happening in timely and quality manner.

• Development and implementation of training and technical support to mainstream child protection standards across SEP II outcomes.

• Contribute to any report, data gathering, and analysis required by the supervisor.

• Work with the MEAL team to develop M&E tools, ensuring frequent data collection and reporting.

• Develop and regularly update activity implementation, spending and procurement plans and budgets for new and existing child protection programs. Plan and monitor the procurement/distribution of new materials for all Child Protection activities as per work plans and SEP II requirements.

• Develop and/or update tools for Child Protection Assessments (or ensure child protection issues are covered during integrated protection assessments) in all IRC selected locations, including: revising tools, directing the child protection staff on how to conduct these assessments and analyzing findings.

• Recruit child protection staff members as needed.

• Coach, train and supervise staff inside Northwest Syria, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.

• Support with technical capacity building IRC’s staff and partners, to build the strengths of the team in technical areas and soft skills.

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least bi-weekly.

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.

• Support the design of monitoring and evaluation tools that are contextually appropriate and will allow the IRC to measure the impact of programming.

• Develop and maintain an appropriate archiving system / database in order to track activity progress and quality.

• Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met and that reports are of a high quality and submitted on time.

• Assist in contributing to the development of referral mechanisms in collaboration with IRC Child Safeguarding Manager and other key staff under Education Outcomes.

• Work with other members of the SEP-II Leadership and Output Teams to support the Education Directorates and local education systems/partners in developing effective systems to support inclusion, mental health and child protection in Northwest Syria.

• Work closely with the Leadership Team to support work based on evidence of good practice combined with the specific requirements of Northwest Syria and ensure these are communicated clearly and effectively in discussions with the Education Directorates.

• Support the SEP-II Team Leader with building and sustaining high-level relationships with officials in the Education Directorates.

• Work with senior officials in the relevant departments in the Education Directorates, providing leadership, focus and technical advice, particularly in the areas of inclusion, mental health, and child protection.

• Support the supervisor on technical discussions and briefings with FCDO.

• Proactively identify programme risks and potential mitigation strategies to the Leadership Team, and FCDO.

• Contribute to the development of the monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and provide quality assurance of T&L Team inputs and work plan deliverables.

• Provide targeted program design, technical support, materials adaptation and revisions, field testing, assessment and monitoring/evaluation support and oversight to the SEP II Child Protection project components.

• Ensure girls’ needs are prioritized throughout the project, through training to staff and the implementation of best practices approaches (i.e., GBV principles, caring for child survivors’ principles).

• Support Outcome 2 staff to undertake SEP II activities, ensuring that they are aligned with the project strategies which includes contextualizing education outcomes, the theories of change and include interventions chosen based on best available evidence.

• Provide support to ensure proposed activities are responsive to client needs and preferences based on sound context and gender analysis.

• Support the review and adaptation of program-specific tools / resources / curricula.

• In collaboration with local authorities and directorates, support in identifying child protection gaps and needs within the system and identify ways to improve accordingly.

Requirements:

• Master’s/post-graduate degree in social science, social work, international development, child rights or relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• A minimum of 3 to 5 years of implementing and/or managing large Child Protection programs and teams is required, within a humanitarian or international development setting.

• Experience in technical tools and materials development, monitoring and evaluation, and research in relation to Child Protection.

• Demonstrated expertise in Child Program design, monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Experience in continuous quality improvement and/or Improvement Science in Child Protection contexts.

• Candidates must be fully professionally proficient in English and Arabic.

Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Equal 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, veteran status or disability.

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.