Protection Senior Manager (Rule of Law)

The Protection Senior Manager (Rule of Law) manages and supports Protection of Law (PRoL) teams across Ukraine, overseeing the design and implementation of protection programs including case management, legal advice, and protection monitoring. The role involves program management, technical quality assurance, program development, coordination, advocacy, partnership management, and staff supervision to ensure effective and high-quality protection interventions in humanitarian contexts.

Responsibilities

• Support the management of a complex, multi-donor, multi-year PRoL portfolio encompassing protection case management, PSS, legal advice provision, and protection monitoring activities.
• Assist the Coordinator in setting clear objectives and priorities for the PRoL portfolio, ensuring alignment with IRC’s global and regional strategies.
• Collaborate closely with the Protection Coordinator (Rule of Law) to coordinate and integrate PRoL activities across various sectors, enhancing program synergies and effectiveness.
• Contribute to the development of comprehensive programmatic frameworks that guide the implementation of PRoL initiatives.
• Support the MEAL team in establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess program impact and inform decision-making.
• Engage with donors and stakeholders alongside the Protection Coordinator (Rule of Law) to provide program updates and demonstrate accountability.
• Assist in facilitating capacity-building opportunities for field staff and partners to enhance the quality and sustainability of PRoL interventions.
• Participate in the regular review and adaptation of program strategies in response to evolving needs, contexts, and best practices.
• Support upholding high standards of technical quality throughout all stages of the project management cycle.
• Advise field staff in facilitating participatory planning processes that engage key stakeholders, social services providers, and community members.
• Provide ongoing technical guidance and support to field teams in navigating challenges throughout the project lifecycle.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor program delivery, gather feedback, and provide tailored technical support.
• Facilitate hands-on support to Protection Managers and Senior Officers during field visits.
• Lead capacity-building initiatives for field staff or local partners focusing on monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and data management.
• Assist in the collection, compilation, and revision of internal and external reports for the PRoL sector.
• Chair technical meetings, communities of practice, and learning events for PRoL teams.
• Support program development, project design, and proposal writing to secure funding and support for affected populations.
• Collaborate with the Protection Coordinator and key stakeholders to identify emerging needs and opportunities for PRoL programming.
• Assist in designing innovative project proposals addressing specific needs of affected populations.
• Conduct analyses of protection risks in Ukraine to inform project design.
• Ensure proposals incorporate monitoring and evaluation frameworks aligned with donor expectations.
• Support collaboration across IRC’s operations to develop multi-sectoral interventions.
• Build relationships with donors and participate in funding discussions.
• Support the Protection Coordinator in representing IRC in national forums and enhancing visibility and support for IRC’s programs.
• Assist in establishing and maintaining effective relationships with national authorities, NGOs, and international agencies.
• Support joint initiatives and information-sharing among stakeholders to develop coordinated strategies.
• Contribute to advocacy efforts to communicate national-level concerns and challenges.
• Support the development and implementation of national and sub-national PRoL advocacy strategies.
• Identify opportunities for collective advocacy with humanitarian actors, civil society organizations, and protection networks.
• Contribute to drafting and reviewing advocacy briefs, position papers, protection snapshots, thematic reports, and external communication products.
• Assist in identifying and developing partnerships with local implementing partners to enhance protection services.
• Support stakeholder mapping and analysis to identify key actors in the protection sector.
• Strengthen partnerships with relevant national and local organizations.
• Lead or support technical assessments of partners and develop capacity strengthening plans.
• Ensure technical quality of partner-implemented PRoL activities through monitoring, review, joint planning, and supervision.
• Review partner workplans, indicators, tools, and deliverables to ensure alignment with IRC standards and donor requirements.
• Engage in continuous dialogue with partners to share best practices and foster mutual learning.
• Identify technical, operational, and contextual risks affecting partner implementation and develop mitigation measures.
• Maintain open and professional relationships with team members, providing support to enable staff to excel.
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, and coaching for team members and local partner staff.
• Offer strategic technical support to Protection Managers and Senior Officers and facilitate performance reviews.
• Collaborate with HR to assist in recruiting PRoL staff.
• Facilitate training and continuous capacity-building opportunities for field and local partner staff.
• Visit field locations to provide technical support and mentorship.
• Support decentralization plan by empowering field teams to take ownership of programming.
• Foster ongoing learning, dialogue, and reflection to strengthen safeguarding, wellbeing, and duty of care.
• Lead by example and support IRC’s commitment to creating a safe environment and addressing misconduct.

Requirements

• Min. Bachelor’s degree in law, human rights law, international relations, social sciences, or other related field.
• Fluent in Ukrainian and English.
• At least 4 years’ experience in a leadership position managing multi-year programming and grants or implementing humanitarian protection programs.
• Solid knowledge of the humanitarian context in Ukraine.
• Demonstrated experience in resource planning and program management, including budget development, workforce planning, and oversight of complex multi-year projects.
• Proven record of technical expertise in programming in one or more of the following areas: protection.
• Strong understanding of donor compliance and reporting requirements (UHF, BMZ, ECHO etc), including experience with donor regulations, reporting, and grant management.
• Experience in participating in coordination forums.
• Experience managing partnerships with national and local organizations, including partner capacity strengthening, performance monitoring, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience applying digital tools and systems to support program management, data analysis, coordination, and reporting (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, Teams, SharePoint, Power BI or similar platforms).
• Change management and localization expertise.
• Demonstrated experience in technical staff supervision, capacity building, project design and budget management.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills with good analytical and writing skills.
• Strong team and people leadership, portfolio management, organizational and development skills.
• Proven networking, team building, organizational and communication skills.
• Strong analytical and evidence interpretation skills.
• Ability to handle pressure and multiple priorities well, ability to improvise, flexibility, adaptability to transitions.

Skills

• Humanitarian Protection
• Programme Management
• Grant Management
• Budget Development
• Workforce Planning
• Donor Compliance
• Donor Reporting
• Resource Planning
• Partnership Management
• Capacity Building
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Coordination Forum Participation
• Digital Tools for Program Management
• Microsoft Office Suite
• MS Teams
• SharePoint Development
• Power BI
• Change Management
• Localization Expertise
• Technical Supervision
• Project Design
• Protection Monitoring
• Legal Advice
• Case Management

Languages

Ukrainian, English