Colombia: Child Protection Manager

Requisition ID: req1957

Job Title: Child Protection Manager

Sector: Child Protection

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Location: Colombia

Job Description

BACKGROUND: A combined two decades of economic mismanagement, a drop in oil prices, deterioration of democratic institutions has resulted in a humanitarian crisis inside Venezuela. Insecurity has manifested following protests in April 2017 against the president and his government, particularly for failing to address the growing inflation rate which lead to large-scale food insecurity. The demonstrations were initially peaceful but grew in severity of violence as time passed. Venezuela's economic devastation worsened in the last half of 2017. This caused a massive migration of Venezuelans into neighboring Colombia in search of affordable food, medicine and work. The number of Venezuelans living in Colombia has increased to more than 550,000 people.

Cúcuta is the capital of Northern Santander department (Norte de Santander), it is a major access point for Venezuelans' coming into Colombia. It is also located in one of the regions of the country most affected by a number of pre-existing stressors including: armed groups1; drug cultivation, processing, and trafficking; trafficking of goods across the border; high unemployment and natural disasters. This complicated dynamic in Cúcuta goes back decades and has nearly exhausted the capacity of the Colombian government to respond to the needs of its citizens in the region.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Brief description of the position's role within the Project(s):

The Child Protection Manager will set up new or strengthen existing child protection and case management responses for children vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence (especially UASC) and oversee and support the implementation of case management responses and the operations and programming for Adolescent and caregiver focused programming.

Position objectives:

· To ensure children harmed or at risk of being harmed are identified and receive individual case management support by ensuring standard tools and procedures are in place and adhered to

· To plan and ensure the strategic building of the Child Protection sector and the implementation of daily field activities in relation to case management and focused adolescent and caregiver programming.

· To provide technical guidance to the Child Protection team in coordination with the Child Protection Coordinator.

· To coordinate with other child protection agencies on case management and referrals

Who this position reports to: The Child Protection Coordinator for Cucuta.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Quality

· Provide technical and management leadership to the child protection case management programs, and the adolescent and caregiver focused programs in accordance with best practices and IRC policy.

· Ensure that solid CP case management, referral and information management systems are in place for appropriate identification, responses and follow-up for children harmed or at risk of being harmed, and that these processes are happening in a timely manner.

· Ensure the adolescent and caregiver programs are contextualized and supported with appropriate technical support and through ERD cash transfers for vulnerable households.

· Develop and implement capacity building plans for all areas of child protection programming.

· Ensure regular communication with the WPE Senior Manager and the Child Protection Coordinator to integrate appropriate technical priorities in program design, in order to provide updates on achievements and challenges.

Staff Supervision & Development

· 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.

· Ensure timely completion and submission of monthly timesheets, probations reviews and annual performance reviews.

· Assist with the recruitment of Child Protection staff, in coordination with the Child Protection Coordinator.

· Ensure training, support and ongoing capacity building opportunities for staff on technical and project management skills. 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.

Grant Planning & Implementation

· Responsible for the overall achievement of grant which include case management programming.

· Supports implementation and ensure adherence to grant work plans, spending plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.

· Work closely and coordinates with IRC logistics, finance and grant staff to ensure timely and complaint program activities and expenditures; including active participation in grant opening/closing and review meetings.

Grant Monitoring & Reporting

· Develop and maintain effective and efficient oversight, support, quality control and reporting systems and processes.

· Ensure regular field monitoring and modifications as required.

· Monitor and consolidate information collected from weekly and staff activity reports

· Ensure high-quality IRC and donor reports on activities, indicators and achievements

Partner Management

· Develop and maintain effective working relationships with implementing partners

· Advocate with peer agencies, government and other stakeholders to promote timely and quality case management responses for children

Coordination & Representation

· Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors

· Regularly attend coordination group meetings at appropriate levels to contribute to the case management responses across agencies

Program Development

· Contributes to the development of the CP sector strategic direction for responding to children harmed and at risk of being harmed

· Contribute to proposal development activities (narrative and budget) through planning and program design with relevant field-based staff and ensure technical standards are taken into consideration

· Coordinate with other IRC sectors to receive and provide input and support regarding responses for children harmed and at risk of being harmed

Monitoring and Evaluation

· Develop and maintain effective and efficient oversight, support, quality control and reporting systems and processes.

· Manage staff that report into monitoring and evaluation systems in order to ensure data quality and timeliness in reporting.

· Monitor and consolidate information collected from weekly and staff activity reports

· Ensure high-quality programming according to international minimum standards and best practices

· Support data analysis and information dissemination to the appropriate coordinating mechanisms, field teams, beneficiaries and IRC implementing team accordingly.

Other

· Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs

· Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

Professional Standards

· All IRC staff are required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies, as well as IRC's Child Safeguarding Policy.

REQUIREMENTS:

· MA or equivalent in social work, human rights, or related degree desired

· At least 3 years of experience in implementing child protection programs, preferable social work or case management, in humanitarian or development settings

· Previous experience supervising and managing a team in a cross-cultural setting

· Demonstrated understanding of working with children and particularly vulnerable children

· Previous experience in emergency preparedness and response

· Demonstrated experience in capacity building and mentoring of staff

· Demonstrated experience in grant management and proposal writing

· Good computer skills such as: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint

· Capable of applying skills and knowledge in a range of capacities, including direct implementation, advisory functions, coordination function, training and the transfer of technical knowledge

· Personal qualities: Team player, flexible, network-builder, able to handle pressure well.

· Fluency Spanish required. Preference will be given to candidates who also have fluency English.

WORK ENVIRNOMENT:

Travel and other requirements: The position will be based in Cúcuta, Colombia.

Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with position.

IRC is an Equal 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, veteran status or disability.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=YXN0cmlkLm1hdGhldy44MjU5OS4zODMwQGlyY2NkLmFwbGl0cmFrLmNvbQ