Background/Context:
The IRC has operated in Syria since 2012, providing protection, health, economic recovery, and early childhood development programs in Idleb, Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Hassakeh, and Deir ez-Zor, with new programs expanding into Hama, rural Damascus, and Homs. With a team of over 700 members, the IRC has established trust and strong community relationships, ensuring access and effective service delivery. It plays a significant role in Syriaโs NGO, donor, and coordination forums, holding key positions and adapting to the evolving context.
With the new realities under the new government, as of December 2024, the IRC has deployed a team to Damascus to set up operations and engage in coordination structures for newly accessible areas across Syriaโincluding parts of NES, NWS, and other previously unreachable locations in South and Central Syria, adjusting operations to maximize coverage and efficiency.
The IRC has been delivering protection programs in the northwest since 2013 and in the northeast of Syria since 2014, focusing on Protection/Rule of Law (PRoL), Womenโs Protection and Empowerment (WPE), and Child Protection (CP). These efforts include specialized case management, PSS, protection monitoring, service mapping, and advocacy. Collaborating with partners, IRC improves access to protection services, raises community awareness, and strengthens referral pathways. Protection capacity building, community outreach, and rapid response through mobile protection teams have also been provided since 2017.
Job Overview/Summary: The Senior PRoL Officer will support the implementation of IRCโs Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL) programming in Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor governorates. The role includes supervision of Protection Officers, technical support to field activities, and day-to-day management to ensure quality protection programming. The Senior Protection Officer will be responsible for the daily oversight of protection monitoring, case management support, community-based protection activities, referrals, and capacity building. The position will ensure activities align with project objectives, donor requirements, and IRCโs protection standards. As well as overseeing partner activities to provide the necessary technical support and ensure coordination for smooth implementation and workflow.
Major Responsibilities: Major responsibilities of the Senior PRoL Officer (not exhaustive) are listed below:
Program Implementation and Technical Support
Oversee daily implementation of PRoL activities, including protection monitoring, case management support, PSS, community-based protection, legal, referrals, and information provision. Provide technical support and supervision to Protection Monitoring Officer, Senior Legal Officer, and Case Management Officer, ensuring quality and consistency across all protection streams. Ensure activities adhere to IRC protection principles, sector standards, and project objectives. Ensure harmonization and integration of protection activities across sectors. Support development of work plans, training materials, and awareness-raising tools. Support the design and implementation of community-based protection initiatives, including community risk profiling and response planning. Ensure timely reporting on protection activities, trends, and achievements to the Integrated Protection Manager.Staff Supervision and Capacity Building
Directly supervise Protection Officers, providing coaching, mentoring, and daily guidance. Conduct regular performance monitoring, including bi-weekly check-ins, timesheet approvals, and annual reviews. Identify staff training needs and facilitate or arrange capacity-building opportunities. Foster a positive team environment that promotes accountability, professional growth, and staff well-being.Coordination, and Partnership SupportSupport coordination and referral pathways with internal IRC sectors (WPE, Child Protection, Health, ERD) and external partners, including UNHCR, local NGOs, and community structures.
Support IRCโs protection partners with technical guidance, capacity building, and joint planning. Represent IRC in field-level protection coordination meetings, PWG sub area coordination meeting legal coordination meetings, and inter-agency forums, when delegated by the Integrated Protection Manager. Maintain effective communication with community-based structures and local stakeholders to strengthen protection networks. Collaborate closely with the IRCโs WPE, Health, Child Protection, and ERD UnitsMonitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
Ensure accurate and ethical data collection in line with IRC information management protocols. Review protection monitoring and case management data to identify trends, risks, and gaps in services. Support development and revision of tools and SOPs. Support the Integrated Protection Manager in preparing donor reports and program updates.Key Working Relationships:
Position Reports to: IP Manager
Position directly supervises: Protection officers (PRoL officers: Protection monitoring officer, case management officer, sr.legal officer, CBP officer).
Indirect Reporting: PRoL senior Manager.
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal: WPE, CP Officers, Field Managers, Health, ERD, and MHPSS teams.
External: Protection partners, camp management, local authorities*,*** other relevant actors
Job Requirements:
Education:
University degree in law, social work, human rights, political science, or a related field.Work Experience:
At least 4 years of experience in protection programming, with a minimum of 2 years in a supervisory role. Demonstrated experience in community-based protection approaches, protection monitoring and case management. Excellent analytical and reporting skills, with keen attention to detail. Outstanding organizational and time management abilities, with a proven track record of meeting tight deadlines. Experience working with displaced or conflict-affected populations. Experience coordinating with humanitarian actors and local authorities.Skills and Competencies:
Strong leadership, team management, and organizational skills.
Ability to analyze protection data and identify trends.
Excellent communication, coordination, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
Strong problem-solving abilities and capacity to work under pressure.
Computer literacy (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Language/Travel: Fluency in Arabic and strong written and spoken English.
50% field-based position with travel required for supervising the protection activities in Hasaka, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa, depending on work needs.
Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:
Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and management competencies. Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of the teams in NES. Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews. 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. Approve and manage time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews. Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, minimally on a monthly basis. Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths. As required, identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies. 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. 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.Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment
Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way โ 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.
Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the country where this position is based and are currently residing outside of your home country, you may be eligible for an attractive relocation package. Eligibility is determined based on IRC's operational needs and specific role requirements. IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs.
Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.