Child Protection Officer
Qualifications of Child Protection Officer:
- Location: Peru
- Vacancy No: 58921
- Salary: N/A
- Organization: IRC International Rescue Committee
- Deadline: N/A
Brief details about Child Protection Officer:
About
Information about the organization that has offered the job:
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 humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues to worsen, affecting approximately 19 million people, 66% of whom require humanitarian assistance. More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have migrated in search of basic needs, generating an unprecedented migration crisis in Latin America and one of the largest displacement crises globally. Since January 2021, we have expanded our response to Ecuador and, in 2022, to Peru, establishing projects and strategic alliances with local partners, with an emphasis on services along border corridors to and from Venezuela and Peru. The IRC works to strengthen the capacity of local partners to provide access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, nutrition, basic needs, and decent livelihoods for the migrant population.
Purpose of the position:
This position leads the implementation of the UNICEF-funded child protection project in the department of Tumbes, Peru, under which the IRC acts as the implementing partner. The Child Protection Officer will be responsible for coordinating and directly supervising project activities in the field, including the operation of child-friendly spaces and the provision of psychosocial protection activities at the Tumbes Care and Guidance Point (PAO), coordination with local stakeholders, and strengthening community protection mechanisms.
She will be the IRC’s focal point in Tumbes for this project, leading coordination with public institutions and humanitarian and community agencies. She will also maintain ongoing technical and programmatic communication with the core program leadership team, contributing to project monitoring, analysis, reporting, and learning. This position reports to the Program Directorate, with functional reporting to the technical program team, including the MHPSS Senior Officer, and works closely with the Health, Monitoring and Evaluation, Operations, Grants, and Human Resources teams.
Key relationships:
In this role, the Child Protection Officer maintains close coordination with the Director of Programs (DDP) and the Senior MHPSS Officer, who provide technical, programmatic, and managerial support. This position reports directly to the Director of Programs. It also interacts regularly with the Monitoring and Evaluation (MEAL), Grants, Finance, Operations & Security, and Human Resources departments. It collaborates with other program project teams at the local and central levels. It also liaises directly with the Regional Child Protection Technical Advisor.
Externally, the project coordinates with representatives and technical staff from UNICEF, the project’s donor, local and regional public institutions such as the Special Protection Unit (UPE), the Ministry of Education (DEMUNA), the Ministry of Public Works (MIMP), and the Regional Directorate of Education (DRE), as well as other humanitarian agencies and implementing partners present in Tumbes. It also liaises with community leaders and other relevant stakeholders in the local protection system.
Main responsibilities
1. Technical implementation on the ground
•Lead the daily implementation of project activities at the Tumbes PAO, ensuring their technical and operational quality according to IRC standards in accordance with the work plan and schedule agreed upon with the donor.
• Oversee and actively participate in the delivery of direct services to children, adolescents, and their families, working closely with Child Protection Assistants to ensure safe, relevant, and high-quality interventions.
•Ensure the cross-cutting integration of protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and safeguarding activities into all project activities.
•Adapt programming to the dynamics of human mobility, ensuring cultural relevance and a focus on gender, age, and diversity.
•Serve as the focal point for communication with the donor at the local level (UNICEF), reporting on the progress of activities, responding to inquiries and requests, and sharing key information on implementation on the ground.
•Coordinate regularly with your supervisor (IRC Program Directorate) to report on the project’s progress, key bottlenecks, technical challenges, and the current context of the northern border. Escalate challenges that cannot be resolved on-site.
2. Operational management, logistics and reporting
•Coordinate operational planning of the project on the ground, including schedules, space usage, resource allocation, and logistical requirements.
•Manage the supplies, materials, and equipment necessary for implementation, in coordination with the IRC Operations and Logistics teams.
•Monitor the efficient use of resources and support the monitoring of the allocated budget.
•Prepare and consolidate technical inputs for programmatic, administrative, and financial reports, in coordination with the senior management team (SMT) at the central office.
•Maintain the project file (both in Box and physically) up to date, ensuring the traceability of documents and activities.
3. Inter-institutional coordination and local representation
•Represent the project before local public institutions (DEMUNA, UPE, MIMP), humanitarian agencies (UNICEF, ADRA, WFP, PRISMA, among others) and interagency coordination spaces (GTRM Tumbes).
•Participate in coordination spaces and ensure the effective use of referral routes for the protection of children and adolescents.
•Promote joint actions, coordinated messages, and complementarity with the actors present in the Tumbes PAO and nearby areas.
4. Team supervision and capacity building
•Supervise project staff on the ground, providing support, monitoring, and ongoing feedback.
• Facilitate capacity-building processes for the field team in child protection, MHPSS, PSEA, child safeguarding, and project methodologies, in coordination with IRC technical teams.
•Ensure compliance with the IRC Safeguarding Policy, ensuring that all field activities are conducted in safe environments for children, adolescents, and adults.
•Monitor the implementation of prevention, detection, and response measures against any risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or violence within the framework of the project.
•Coordinate with the IRC Operations & Security area to monitor the situation and ensure safe conditions for the execution of activities and the well-being of the field team.
5. Monitoring activities, quality and learning
•Coordinate with the MEAL team the implementation of monitoring tools (attendance lists, surveys, child-friendly feedback mechanisms).
•Periodically review the progress of indicators and the quality of activities, proposing necessary adjustments based on contextual conditions.
• Monitor the proper use of data collection tools, ensuring their correct application and registration on platforms such as Kobo.qu
•Directly complete, where applicable, the monitoring and feedback forms required by the project, ensuring the quality and timeliness of the information reported.
•Support the systematization of good practices and lessons learned from the project.
6. Other related tasks
•Provide support for strategic activities related to child protection and mental health in Tumbes, in coordination with other IRC projects.
•Participate in technical missions, needs assessments, workshops, or events promoted by IRC or its partners.
•Contribute to the efficient functioning of the team and the operational office, adhering to the principles of integrity, humanitarian ethics, and collective care.
Job Requirements:
Education and experience:
•University degree in Psychology, Social Work, Education, or related social sciences.
•At least two years of experience implementing child protection programs, preferably in humanitarian or development cooperation contexts.
• Solid understanding of key child protection principles and international standards such as the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.
•Experience leading or coordinating teams in the field.
•Ability to interact with local stakeholders, public institutions, and community organizations.
•Knowledge of the local context of Tumbes and understanding of migration dynamics and protection risks.
•Sensitivity to the needs of the migrant and refugee population, especially children and adolescents.
•Experience facilitating training processes or participatory activities with children and adolescents.
•Fluency in Spanish, both spoken and written.
•Dominio de Microsoft Office Suite, especialmente Word, Excel, PowerPoint y Outlook.
Skills
•High problem-solving capacity in changing and complex environments.
•Proactivity and autonomy to identify needs and implement solutions in the field.
•Positive leadership, with the ability to motivate, guide, and supervise teams in the field.
•Good organizational skills, task prioritization, and handling of multiple responsibilities.
•Strong interpersonal communication, coordination, and negotiation skills, with a focus on problem-solving.
•Ability to make informed decisions under pressure, maintaining focus on safety and response quality.
•Commitment to humanitarian principles, professional ethics, child protection, and a gender, age, and diversity approach.
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.