Senior MHPSS Officer – Protection (Internal Applicants Only)

Eligibility: Current IRC staff and former IRC staff who separated from the organization within the past 6 months.

Background of IRC:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At-work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC leads the way from harm to home. Began work in Ethiopia, 1999 in response to severe drought that happened in Ethiopia’s Somali region. Currently, providing assistance in ten different regions 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: 

Under the direct supervision of the Field Coordinator and technical supervision of the Addis technical team, the Protection Senior Officer will supervise, coordinate and manage Protection and MHPSS activities in Bambasi, Sherkole or Tsore refugee camp and Ura new site, which includes GBV case management service and psychosocial support to survivors of GBV, ensure delivery of Girl Shine, Women Rise, SEL, Positive parenting, self-help plus and safe space activities. The Protection Senior Officer will demonstrate technical capability and support the protection MHPSS staff to ensure the program is holistic, upholding according to Global and national standards, procedures and principles. Protection Senior Officer will coordinate the various services available in the project intervention area. The Senior CP/CWI will also mentor, coach and build the technical capacities of IRC protection staff at the field.

  Major Responsibilities

Programmatic Responsibilities:

• Provide ongoing technical support and guidance to all MHPSS-Protection staff across Assosa FO including structured-meeting and site visits.
• Oversee the implementation of Assosa MHPSS-Protection programming to ensure the program is implemented according to well- planned schedule annual, quarterly, month work plan and budgets-spending plan, and that program objectives are well-met.
• Provide consistency technical guidance, oversight and support to the response team in provision of quality case management and psychosocial support services to ensure that; timely and quality services are provided through regular auditing of case files and providing feedback to MHPSS-Protection Officer.
• Lead in the update/establish of a functional referral system and maintain good coordination mechanism with other actors to ensure comprehensive response intervention, risk mitigation and psychosocial and physical harm against women, girls and child services provision.
• Direct responsible for information management systems (IMS) are accurately collected, entered with data protection and confidentiality - for analysis, planning, evaluation, and coordinate with other stakeholders, accordingly to Data Sharing Protocol (DSP) with timely internal and external monthly submission (as agreed by the DSP) and participate quarterly IMS data analysis and interpretation meeting with signatories/Gov/agreed partners.
• Oversee women’s safe spaces and activities to ensure women and girls access to information and group/psychosocial activities in a safe, secure and dignified manner, including lead in the design and with the Response Officer to implement age-appropriate psychosocial activities at the safe space and other specific safe-space interventions to meet the needs of adolescent girls.
• Oversee safety audit activity and ensure consistency of its implementation, and ensure the recommendation are followed and effective through coordination mechanism and community solution.
• Directly responsible for all Assosa MHPSS-Protection grants, in collaboration with field/camp team; develop and maintain work plans, spending and procurement plans. Participate in all grant opening, and closing meetings, track expenditures and ensure they are allowable and allocable according to IRC and donor compliance and regulations; review monthly BvA and bring any over/under expenditure, miss-charge or double charging issues etc to the attention of the Field Coordinator/Finance team in a timely manner and jointly develop corrective plans.
• Timely, informative and quality inputs to funding proposals, including writing, log frames, and budgeting; and timely, and quality inputs to project reports this include the completion of all section required WPE and CP inputs.
• Lead in effective working relationships with all stakeholders at all level in best representation of IRC (WPE & CP) Program with Government of Ethiopia, RRS, community leaders, Partners, Ops, LNGO, UN Agencies, Community Based Organizations to enhance multi-sectoral cooperation and coordination, ensure that relevant information from coordination meetings is shared internally with the Assosa MHPSS-protection team, other IRC sectors and Field Management team.
• Support the Ethiopia Country SAP implementation at Assosa level coordinate with other IRC actors particularly WASH, and Operational Department to achieve the IRC strategy outcome with support of the Field management and WPE Coordinator.
• Inform the WPE coordinator Assosa team technical capacity needs and their professional development and foster a positive team spirit to encourage innovative and quality programming include concrete formal and informal capacity planning and training for staff once every quarter. 
• Ensure, in coordination with Field coordinator, Program Managers and TCs, all the IRC projects are implemented in accordance with IRC Program Framework and support that implementation follows the core programming principles.
• Facilitate timely submission of cash projection by respective program and support sector representatives, refugee staff’s payment sheet, construction labor cost and daily laborers’ sheet, etc for timely action by the field finance department.
• Work closely with the finance team for successful implementation of the IRC Integra system and complete /cascade guidance and directions provided from field and country office to the respective operation areas.
• Coordinate and facilitate grant opening, review/closing, and BVA review meetings as per agreed timeline in collaboration with program managers and sector reps.
• Provide administrative, operational, and logistical assistance to all programs managers to ensure planned training, workshops and awareness raising events are conducted as required.
• Ensure timely submission of field/camp level required reports (sector reports, management, donor, and government reports).
• Provide input on operational, administrative, and human resource needs during proposal design
• Any other duties and responsibilities that can be given by immediate and technical supervisors.

Safeguarding Responsibilities:-

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion, and cohesion in IRC [team/officer.
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue, and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.

Job Requirements

Educational Requirements:

• BA or BSC in social sciences or health sciences with two years of relevant experience

Preferred experience & skills:

• Previous experience supervising, managing and leading a multi-disciplinary team.
• Mandatory to have experience working in refugee camps.
• Experience in grant/budget management.
• Experience in GBV, child protection, MHPSS or social services.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive gender and protection issues.
• Strong knowledge and application of GBV guiding principles and PSEA.
• Experience working with women, adolescent girls, and at-risk children.
• Proven experience in staff supervision and field coordination.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills across diverse communities.
• Ability to deliver a concise quality report in English
• Excellent project management/administration, representational communication and interpersonal negotiation skills are an asset.
• Good coordination and networking skills.
• Good knowledge of humanitarian and protection principles.
• Excellent digital literacy: MS Word, Excel, Power point, outlook.

Language Skill:

• Strong oral and written communications skills in English, Amharic and other local languages.

How To Apply

How to apply:

Candidates meeting the above qualifications are encouraged to apply only through the below IRC On-line recruitment website: 

IRC Career Site:-

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.