Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Program Manager

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 WPE Program Manager will lead the strategic and operational roll-out of IRC’s gender-based violence (GBV) response and prevention programming. This is a key leadership role responsible for delivering high-quality, survivor-centered, and feminist-informed programming that responds to the evolving needs of conflict-affected women and girls. The Manager will oversee the implementation of GBV case management, psychosocial support, Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS), GBV risk analysis, and safety audits, while ensuring cross-sectoral integration and inclusion of social and economic support components. A strong emphasis is placed on local partnerships, capacity building of national actors and women-led organizations, and the development of tools that empower women and girls to lead community-based protection initiatives. The role also entails strategic planning, team management, budget oversight, monitoring and evaluation, and high-quality internal and donor reporting. It requires proven expertise in GBV prevention and response, protection analysis, multisectoral coordination, and a strong command of both written and spoken English and Ukrainian. Key Responsibilities Context Evaluation and Protection Analysis • Lead continuous analysis of the protection context, including displacement trends, conflict-related risks, and changing needs of women and girls. • Conduct and update stakeholder and service mappings to identify strategic actors and local partners. • Lead GBV risk assessments and safety audits of Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces (WGSS), mobile units, and static service delivery sites. • Systematically integrate risk and safety findings into IRC strategic and operational planning. Program Design and Strategic Planning • Co-design GBV prevention and response programs with partners, IRC technical teams, and community representatives. • Ensure programming is survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and evidence-based. • Design community-based protection initiatives and programs that strengthen women’s leadership and social cohesion. • Integrate social and economic support approaches for women and girls at risk or survivors of GBV in collaboration with ERD teams. • Develop and implement tailored initiatives and tools to strengthen women’s resilience, leadership, and participation in local decision-making. Program Management and Delivery • Lead program implementation, supervise field teams, and provide coaching and performance management. • Ensure timely and high-quality procurement, budget execution, and activity planning. • Oversee implementation of case management, psychosocial support (PSS), WGSS operations, referral mechanisms, and community outreach. • Ensure integration of protection analysis into activity design and roll-out. • Lead development of internal and donor reports, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with compliance requirements. • Collaborate with MEAL teams to ensure quality data collection, analysis, and use for learning and accountability. • Support adaptive program management through periodic reviews, after-action reflections, and documentation of lessons learned. Capacity Building and Technical Oversight • Ensure compliance with IRC and global GBV standards, including Inter-Agency GBV Minimum Standards. • Develop and contextualize operational tools, guidance, and SoPs for WGSS management, case management, and community engagement. • Design and facilitate technical trainings for IRC and partner staff on GBV core concepts, case management, psychosocial support, GBV risk mitigation, and safe referrals. • Implement mentorship and coaching plans for GBV response staff and partners. • Promote evidence-based practices, continuous quality improvement, and staff wellbeing. Partnerships and Localization • Cultivate equitable partnerships with women-led organizations and civil society actors, including through co-creation processes. • Provide structured technical support to partners in program planning, implementation, and monitoring. • Lead capacity strengthening plans for partners based on needs assessments and tailored mentorship. • Promote local leadership, feminist values, and community-led solutions throughout all programming. Coordination and Representation • Represent IRC in coordination fora including GBV Sub-clusters, Protection Cluster, and relevant technical working groups. • Coordinate with humanitarian actors, government institutions, and service providers to improve referral pathways and GBV response mechanisms. • Contribute to joint advocacy efforts and communication initiatives that elevate the voices and rights of women and girls. • Ensure IRC representation reflects the organization’s values, expertise, and commitment to localization. Requirements: • Master’s degree in social work, human rights, psychology, gender studies, or a related field. • Minimum 5 years of experience in GBV/protection program management in humanitarian or conflict-affected settings. • Proven expertise in GBV case management, Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS), psychosocial support, women empowerment and community-based protection. • Experience in program and team management, budget oversight, procurement planning, and results-based reporting. • Demonstrated capacity to develop and facilitate trainings for diverse audiences. • Solid experience in partnership management, particularly with national NGOs and women-led organizations. • Proven commitment to feminist values and survivor-centered approaches. • Strong analytical, coordination, and representation skills. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Ukrainian and English are mandatory. • Proficient in Microsoft Office, KoBoToolbox, and data visualization/reporting tools. • Commitment to IRC’s values of integrity, service, accountability, and equality. WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION • This role requires full-time work in the office or hybrid type of working is possible after probation period • Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace they can effectively complete their work from 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 of a 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 Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.