Global Lead, Women's Protection and Empowerment Systems Transformation

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.

The Violence Prevention and Response Unit (VPRU) is one of IRC's four Technical Units, bringing together Child Protection, Women's Protection and Empowerment, and Protection Rule of Law across over 35 countries. VPRU is increasingly strengthening connective tissue across GBV, child protection, and case management through a shared social work systems lens, in service of IRC's Safety Strategy.

The WPE field is at a strategic inflection point. The humanitarian system is contracting, siloed sectoral programming by default is under scrutiny, and the organizations that will define the next decade of protection practice are those that can ground a social work systems approach in feminist practice, building connective tissue with child protection, rule of law, and case management.

Major Responsibilities:

• Strategy, program design and business development: Lead the transformation of IRC's WPE practice, acting as the organizational reference point on GBV prevention and response, women's empowerment, and WPE systems strengthening, internally and externally.
• Global practice implementation support: Accountable for evidence-based technical oversight of WPE standards, methodologies, and tools, including cross-cutting issues such as diversity, inclusion, and climate adaptation.
• Research, data, knowledge management and learning: Bring intellectual credibility to debates about evidence standards and guide research and evidence use with a genuine intelligence orientation.
• External influence, representation and thought leadership: Exercise entrepreneurial judgment in external representation and build thought leadership presence across forums, publications, and cross-sector platforms.
• Team leadership and culture: Lead the WPE global team through transition with integrity and care, managing people whose roles may evolve.

Key Working Relationships:

On partnerships and collective action: Meaningful localization is a collective responsibility and organizational commitment. The Global Lead models this in how they build relationships with women-led and local organizations.

Desired Experience and Skills:

• Core WPE and GBV expertise (required): Established or growing recognition as an expert at regional or global level, with 12+ years of progressive experience designing, leading, and implementing programs, including 7+ years in GBV/WPE.
• Systems, financing, and cross-sectoral orientation (strongly preferred): Demonstrated interest in social work systems, case management practice, or integrated protection service delivery models.
• General leadership and management: Ability to shape the transformative vision and agenda, complemented with excellent communication, influencing, and storytelling skills.

Education: Master's/post-graduate degree in Social Work, Social Policy, Gender Studies, International Law, Human Rights Law, International Development, Public Administration, or a related field required.

This role is for someone who loves this field enough to want to see it move beyond itself, and who can hold a clear vision of the shifts it needs without losing sight of what makes it worth fighting for.