Project Manager - Protection

"This position is contingent upon the availability of funding"

Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity, and hope to millions uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC had worked in Pakistan since 1980 when hundreds of thousands of refugees crossed the border from Afghanistan in the wake of the Soviet invasion. The IRC continued to support Afghan refugees and their host communities; it responded to the 2005 earthquake, the flood in 2010, COVID-19, the Flood of 2020, and the displacement caused by humanitarian crises, including Afghan Migration.  Currently, the IRC is responding the protection and other basic needs of Afghan refugees and their hosts communities mainly in KP and Balochistan through multi sectoral approach.

The IRC protection program in Pakistan seeks to safeguard the rights and well-being of those affected by conflict and natural disasters. The IRC approach to protection aims to increase the impact of its interventions and contribute to the safety and power of the most vulnerable populations in crisis situations, as committed under safety and power outcome areas in SAP 2025. IRC Pakistan’s programming regarding Safety had/has a wide-ranging focus, from safety within homes and schools to safety within the community, especially focusing on displaced women, girls, and children.

With this intervention, the IRC aims to reach primarily the at-risk population of Afghan nationals, including ACC holders, with a specific focus on those taking refuge in the identified districts of Punjab (Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock) and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The IRC will focus on individuals and groups at higher risk of protection within this population due to their demographic profile, legal status, and other vulnerabilities and work on reducing protection risk through strengthen community-based protection, case management and enhancing social cohesion among host and refugee communities. 

SCOPE OF WORK:

The International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) Project Manager Protection will oversee the IOM protection project for the emergency response in all targeted locations of implementation through IRC’s self-implementation. This position is based at Islamabad  IRC country office along with frequent travel to Attock, Lahore and Rawalpindi to support the implementation teams in protection activities. The Project Manager will be responsible for day-to-day supervision and oversight of the project staff and various activities, budget management, administration, and implementation of the requirements of the programs. The Project Manager will work closely with all Implementing staff including technical unit in Islamabad, donor, and with other protection actors including UN agencies in the emergency settlement and will be representing IRC in protection related working groups at provincial level.

This position will administratively report to the Deputy Director Program and technical supervision under Integrated Protection Coordinator. 

Job Responsibilities: 

Program Management:

• Overall management of project cycle to ensure timely implementation of project activities; develop and review work plans; develop/ monitor budgeting and fiscal accountability; monitor short term technical assistance.
• Provide mentorship individually and through group meetings, collaborate with staff and partners/ stakeholders to regularly report trends and communicate closely with the Case Management Supervisors, Case Workers and other Protection Staff to manage cases accordingly.
• Ensure timely progress towards planned outputs and results; keep project staff appraised of progress and issues; make recommendations to solve problems and take the lead in implementing agreed upon actions.
• Ensure achievement of project targets including but not limited to the development of referral pathways at districts level, establishment, and quality assurance of the project outcomes as per agreed detail implementation plans.
• Monitor all aspects of Protection implementation including formation and holding regular meetings with community-based protection committees/ stakeholders, reviewing, and providing comments on work plans and undertaking regular field visits to ensure quality and performance.
• Check validity of performance data acquisition and ensure that the data fulfils quality standards for validity, integrity, precision, reliability, and timeliness.
• Ensure timely data collection and analysis for Case Management Database, submission project progress report, learnings, and success stories by field staff including reporting on the 5Ws matrix at regular bases.
• Represent IRC in protection related working groups at districts and provincial level.
• Effectively involved in situation monitoring and update the senior management on changing scenarios for immediate response and changes in program approach/ design.
• Conduct regular review meetings to ensure smooth implementation of project as per agreed deliverables, work plan and MEAL plan.
• Monitor project related budget spending in line with the spending plans, budget vs actual analyses, and develop remedial plans where necessary to ensure budgets are optimally utilized.
• Identify capacity building needs of field staff and develop/ implement capacity building plans with support of relevant technical coordinators and support section.
• Proactively develop and maintain effective working relationships with other key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies and I/NGOs.
• Supervise and provide ongoing support, capacity development and mentoring to the project staff, to enable them to successfully perform in their positions, and supporting them to do the same with the staff they supervise.
• Ensure staff well-being and care is prioritized and is an integral part of work.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: DDP with technical reporting to Protection Coordinator.
• Supervision: Case Management Supervisors, Case Workers, Community Mobilizers.
• Internal: Emergency Team-Lead, Head of Office Sindh, Finance, Operations, Communications, MEAL, Ethics, and Compliance. 
• External: Donor, Government authorities,CCAR,SWD, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs, Community Groups, and other Protection Partners.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in project management, social sciences, or another relevant field.
• Five or more years’ experience in project management with a specific focus on Protection.
• Proven knowledge and experience of working with Community-Based Committees and Protection Case Management.
• Previous experience in emergency preparedness and response.
• Demonstrated coordination, networking and relationship building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organisations, UN agencies.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully leading and strengthening team in a dynamic, challenging and changing context.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising, mentoring, and building capacity of field staff.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, positive and professional attitude, ability to lead and work well in a team setting.
• Fluency in English Language, knowledge of local languages is preferred.  

Travel: Willingness and capacity to work and travel to project field areas

Gender Equality and Diversity:

IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures, and actions demonstrate this commitment. Women, minorities, persons with disability (PWD), and transgender candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments.

• 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.
• IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge they need to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Level of interaction with children: Less frequent direct contact with children
• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures, and actions demonstrate this commitment.

Women candidates and differently abled persons are highly encouraged to apply.