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.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Protection Officer Community Awareness and Engagement (Womens Protection and Empowerment) is responsible for leading community-based initiatives to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) within the Ukrainian context. The role includes designing and implementing awareness-raising activities, promoting positive behavior change, and engaging diverse community members in GBV prevention and response. The Officer works closely with women and girls, local authorities, community leaders, and service providers to foster a safe, supportive, and informed environment. This role also involves overseeing awareness campaigns to foster a protective and informed environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Planning and Coordination of GBV Prevention Activities:

• Develop and oversee community-based GBV prevention plans in coordination with the WPE team.
• Ensure interventions are grounded in the needs and priorities of women and girls through regular consultations and participatory methods.
• Integrate findings from community assessments into prevention strategies. 2. GBV Risk Assessments and Safety Audits:
• Lead safety audits and GBV risk assessment exercises in target communities.
• Conduct regular participatory assessments to identify risks, gaps in services, and protection concerns.
• Facilitate inclusive and safe engagement of community membersespecially women and girlsin the design and delivery of prevention activities. 3. Awareness Campaigns and Information Dissemination:
• Plan and implement information and awareness campaigns (e.g. 16 Days of Activism, International Womens Day).
• Ensure culturally appropriate and inclusive messaging tailored to community contexts.
• Coordinate with communications and advocacy teams to amplify prevention messaging and reach. 4. Psychosocial Support Activities:
• Oversee the planning and delivery of structured psychosocial support (PSS) group activities for women and girls in safe and accessible community spaces.
• Ensure that PSS sessions are conducted using approved methodologies and in alignment with GBV guiding principles.
• Support staff in creating inclusive, non-judgmental spaces for emotional support, empowerment, and healing. 5. Coordination and Representation:
• Build and maintain effective relationships with local authorities, community leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure a coordinated GBV prevention response.
• Represent the WPE program at local coordination meetings and community forums.
• Ensure that community voicesparticularly of women and girlsare reflected in coordination efforts. 6. Reporting:
• Monitor the implementation and impact of prevention and awareness activities using program MEAL tools.
• Ensure accurate documentation of activities, participant feedback, and lessons learned.
• Contribute to donor and internal reports with clear and timely updates on progress and challenges. JOB REQUIREMENTS Education:
• Masters degree or higher in social work, psychology, sociology, pedagogy or a related humanitarian or social science field.Experience:
• Proven experience in protection programming, particularly in working with women and girls or implementing gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response activities.
• Strong experience in supervising field teams and implementing community engagement strategies.
• Solid understanding of GBV guiding principles, risk mitigation, and survivor-centered approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct safety audits and participatory assessments. Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:
• Strong organizational and documentation skills, with proficiency in office software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Workspace).
• Experience in working with data collection platforms such as KoBoToolbox and CommCare is highly desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work respectfully and empathetically with individuals from diverse backgrounds and vulnerabilities.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team in a dynamic humanitarian context.
• Fluency in Ukrainian and English is required.
• Strong commitment to humanitarian values, including adherence to safeguarding policies, the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) standards. REPORTING STRUCTURE AND TEAM COLLABORATION Position reports to: Protection Manager (Womens Protection and Empowerment) Internal collaborations within IRC: Protection Senior Officer Case Management and Community-Based Protection (Womens Protection and Empowerment) WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION These are some examples of other relevant information to include, but is not an exhaustive list. Include the points that are relevant for your position or add more.
• 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
• 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 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct . Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding , Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients. Cookies: https://careers.rescue.org/us/en/cookiesettings