Protection Expert Capacity Strengthening and Systems Engagement
International Rescue Committee · Kyiv
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The Protection Expert Capacity Strengthening & Systems Engagement (Women Protection and Empowerment) provides national-level technical expertise to strengthen GBV prevention and response systems and IRC’s engagement with national and local partners in Ukraine. The position works closely with relevant institutions and organizations to assess existing capacities, identify systemic and institutional gaps, and develop practical approaches to strengthen the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of GBV prevention and response.
The role manages the technical engagement with a portfolio of WPE partners, leads capacity and needs assessments, develops tailored capacity strengthening and institutional development plans, and initiates relevant programme interventions to address identified priorities. The position contributes to strengthening linkages between humanitarian programming, local organizations, and national systems and supports the application of survivor-centred approaches, GBV standards, and sustainable models of service delivery.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Establish and maintain effective technical engagement with relevant institutions and partner organizations at national and local levels to strengthen GBV prevention and response capacities, systems, and practices.
- Maintain a strong understanding of the mandates, roles, capacities, operational challenges, and priority needs of institutions and organizations involved in GBV prevention and response and identify opportunities for relevant programme engagement.
- Conduct and coordinate institutional and partner capacity and needs assessments, identify technical and organizational gaps, and develop tailored capacity strengthening and development plans based on identified priorities.
- Manage the technical engagement with the WPE partner portfolio, regularly review partners’ capacity strengthening priorities and progress, and identify areas requiring further technical assistance, mentoring, or programme support.
- Design and deliver capacity strengthening activities for institutions and partner organizations, including trainings, practical workshops, mentoring, coaching, peer learning, and other appropriate learning and professional development approaches.
- Develop and apply tools to monitor capacity strengthening results, assess progress against agreed capacity development plans, document changes in institutional and organizational capacities, and adapt approaches based on results and feedback.
- Provide technical guidance and accompaniment to WPE partners throughout project design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, supporting the application of GBV technical standards, survivor-centred approaches, and programme quality requirements.
- Support partners in identifying programme priorities, developing technically sound interventions, addressing implementation challenges, documenting results, and incorporating learning into ongoing and future programming.
- Initiate and technically guide programme interventions aimed at addressing identified institutional and system-level gaps, including interventions that strengthen professional capacities, service quality, coordination mechanisms, and sustainable GBV prevention and response practices.
- ·Maintain technical engagement with relevant public institutions and authorities at national and local levels and facilitate technical consultations, joint planning processes, and other forms of collaboration related to GBV prevention and response.
- Contribute to the development and adaptation of technical guidance, SOPs, methodologies, assessment tools, training resources, and other technical products in response to identified institutional and partner needs.
- Maintain and regularly update mapping of women-led organizations (WLOs), women’s rights organizations (WROs), and other relevant Ukrainian organizations working on GBV prevention, response, and women’s protection and empowerment to identify opportunities for engagement, partnership, and collaboration.
- Work closely with the Partnerships Department to support partner identification and engagement, capacity assessment and development processes, partnership planning, and monitoring of organizational and technical capacity strengthening results.
- Facilitate connections, peer exchange, and learning opportunities among institutions, partner organizations, WLOs/WROs, and relevant professional networks to promote exchange of expertise, good practices, and locally led approaches.
- Monitor relevant institutional, policy, and regulatory developments affecting GBV prevention and response in Ukraine and provide technical recommendations to inform engagement with institutions, partners, and programme planning.
- Coordinate closely with Protection Technical Experts and other WPE team members to ensure that regional evidence, partner experience, and identified institutional needs inform capacity strengthening priorities and systems-level interventions.
- Document results, lessons learned, promising practices, and emerging needs from institutional and partner engagement to inform programme adaptation, future interventions, and continuous improvement of WPE partnerships and systems-strengthening approaches.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Education:
• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, gender studies, education, adult learning, human rights, public administration, law or a related field.
• Additional qualifications in curriculum development, instructional design, adult learning methodologies, Training of Trainers (ToT), professional certification systems, capacity strengthening, or GBV programming are considered a strong asset.
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in GBV programming, workforce development, capacity strengthening, systems strengthening, adult education, or professional learning initiatives.
- Demonstrated experience developing training curricula, learning programmes, facilitator guides, training packages, and capacity strengthening strategies.
- Proven experience designing and facilitating trainings, workshops, ToT programmes, mentoring initiatives, and professional development activities.
- Experience developing SOPs, technical guidance, methodologies, standards, and quality assurance frameworks.
- Experience working with government institutions, educational institutions, professional associations, accreditation bodies, or professional networks.
- Demonstrated experience supporting institutional strengthening and professional workforce development within humanitarian, development, social protection, health, education, justice, or related sectors.
- Experience engaging with national-level stakeholders and facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration processes.
Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
- Advanced expertise in adult learning, curriculum development, instructional design, and capacity strengthening methodologies.
- Strong technical knowledge of GBV prevention, mitigation, response programming, and survivor-centred approaches.
- Excellent technical writing skills, including development of SOPs, methodologies, guidance documents, learning products, and professional standards.
- Strong facilitation, public speaking, coaching, and mentoring skills.
- Ability to design competency frameworks, professional development models, and learning assessment approaches.
- Strong stakeholder engagement, representation, and relationship management skills.
Languages:
- Ukrainian – Native.
- English – Upper-Intermediate to Advanced (B2–C1).
REPORTING STRUCTURE AND TEAM COLLABORATION
Reports to and is supervised by the Protection Coordinator (Women’s Protection and Empowerment). Works in close collaboration with the Protection Senior Manager (WPE), Protection Senior Officers, Protection Technical Experts.
WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
- This role requires full-time work in the office or hybrid type of work is possible after probation period
- Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace so they can effectively complete their work during regularly scheduled work hours.
- Travel to other locations is needed up to 30% of time
- Exempt from overtime
- Sometimes work on weekends may be required
- Work in the matrix organization
- Fast pace of working, multitasking and stressful work
- The organization cares about staff and provides flexible working options (start early-finish early, start later-finish later, remote work)
Staff can ask for accommodation in the workplace. Specific requests can be discussed with HR.
IRC employees are eligible to the following benefits:
- Competitive salary
- Purposeful job and development opportunities
- English classes and unlimited online training courses
- Life Insurance
- Medical insurance for staff and family members
- Free psychological support to employees and their family members
- 30 calendar days of annual vacation with flexibility beyond the legally set minimum requirements
- Up to 10 days of paid medical leave
Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
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