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.

Background/Context:  

The IRC has operated in Syria since 2012, providing protection, health, economic recovery, and early childhood development programs in Idleb, Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Hassakeh, and Deir ez-Zor, with new programs expanding into Hama, rural Damascus, and Homs. With a team of over 700 members, the IRC has established trust and strong community relationships, ensuring access and effective service delivery. It plays a significant role in Syria’s NGO, donor, and coordination forums, holding key positions and adapting to the evolving context.

With the new realities under the new government, as of December 2024, the IRC has deployed a team to Damascus to set up operations and engage in coordination structures for newly accessible areas across Syria—including parts of NES, NWS, and other previously unreachable locations in South and Central Syria, adjusting operations to maximize coverage and efficiency.

The IRC has been delivering protection programs in the northwest since 2013 and in the northeast of  Syria since 2014, focusing on Protection/Rule of Law (PRoL), Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE), and Child Protection (CP). These efforts include specialized case management, PSS, protection monitoring, service mapping, and advocacy. Collaborating with partners, IRC improves access to protection services, raises community awareness, and strengthens referral pathways. Protection capacity building, community outreach, and rapid response through mobile protection teams have also been provided since 2017.

Job overview:

As part of its Syria response, the IRC is expanding its programs to support women and girls throughout Al-Hasaka, Der Ezzor and Ar-Raqqa governorates in Syria. The IRC provides psychosocial and case management services to women and girls throughout northeast Syria. The Adolescent Girls Assistant works in the Women’s Listening Center and is based there. Her role is to support adolescent girls in the center through the provision of activities including setting up information sessions, recreational sessions, and emotional support sessions. She will assist in the provision of age-appropriate group activities, skills building, information sessions, and other recreational activities that promote support networks and cohesion with adolescent girls at the women and girls Centers/safe spaces. She will also engage guardians in describing the importance of social connectedness for adolescent girls.

Responsibilities:

Enforce and proactively promote the women-, girl- and survivor-cantered support approach, and the GBV guiding principles.Consult and work with adolescent girls in the centers to identify their needs, interests, and priorities, and what’s important to them, and where possible, adapt activities according to these to ensure activities offered are culturally appropriate and meet the needs of adolescent girls.Assist in the planning and implementation of training activities for adolescent girls participating in center services and activities.Assist in the planning and implementation of activities aimed at community leaders and parents (or guardians/gatekeepers) of the adolescent girls accessing the centers and safe spaces.Conduct, prepare, and help plan and organize activities with adolescent girls with an understanding of the age range of adolescent girls and the varying risks adolescent girls face.Provide Psychosocial First Aid and appreciative support and services to adolescent girls.Assist with dignity kit distributions, appropriate messaging, and feedback from adolescent girls on dignity kits and other discretionary items provided.Know, understand, and use the internal and external referral pathways.Work in close, daily collaboration with relevant and available health services to ensure women and girls have safe, discrete, and confidential access to/from the WPE and health services via the agreed safe and confidential referral procedures.Know, understand and be able to apply the best interest and determination for children, specifically girls.Share with the adolescent girls’ what options for her care are available, including what services can be provided and what services cannot.

Outreach and Community Mobilization

Build positive, productive, believing connections with adolescent girls, their parents/carers, and their communities, ensuring to always maintain of professional boundaries and humanitarian ethics.In collaboration with the whole Centre team, conduct community outreach and engagement activities to build community support and agreement for the Centres in a safe and appropriate manner, and awareness activities on GBV and its health consequences, promote available services to adolescent girls, and listen to adolescent girls on barriers to accessing services with activities for women only groups.Advise adolescent girls and their guardians about available services and material support in accordance with their needs.

Other duties and responsibilities

Ensure supplies/resources for adolescent girls’ activities in the centers are requested in a timely manner and are efficiently applied.Track participation numbers of adolescent girls attending center activities.Maintain positive and productive collaboration, coordination, and relationships with the Center team, external partners, and other sectors.All other tasks as requested by the Women’s Center Officer
Minimum Qualifications:

 Education: A relevant higher national diploma or university degree or other advanced technical qualifications in psychology, gender or women’s studies, social work, or other relevant/related studies.

•Studies in psychology, gender or women’s studies, social work, or other relevant/related studiesWork Experience: Professional experience of 1-2 years in counselling and implementing activities for women and girls or proven engagement in women’s rights/groups.Other Requirements: Proven clear and genuine willingness to work and learn quickly and be committed to developing professionally in the field of GBV, in particular - supporting adolescent girls protection and empowerment – crucial.A clear understanding of and interest in the well-being of adolescent girls.Strong understanding of basic counseling and psychosocial support concepts; previous training and experience in these areas are strongly preferredDemonstrated understanding of the impact and dynamics of violence against women and girls, and a strong interest in working on adolescent girls’ protection and empowerment.Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes collaboration, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible, and able to handle pressure well.Strong communication and facilitation skillsThe ability to keep records and write simple and basic reports of activities would be an added advantage.Excellent listening and observation skills, including the ability to create trust, support, respect, and interact with survivors of all ages, backgrounds, and diversityDemonstrated commitment to girl’s empowerment and protection through current/ previous volunteer or paid work in girls’ clubs or other validated experience is an added advantageThe ability to maintain confidentiality and respect always is crucial.Comfortable speaking about sensitive topics in an honest, professional, and thoughtful mannerBasic computer skills and familiarity with Word/ExcelPrevious experience in an emergency or conflict-afflicted setting is required

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

A commitment to IRC’s mission, vision, values and IRC Way – Professional Code of Conduct.Credible written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development.Validated sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to handle complex situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.Excellent management and interpersonal skills and a solid ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.Validated ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional patience.Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other partners to maximize cooperation and productivity.Curiosity, a desire to continually learn and develop is a must.Analytical ability in creating effective solutions to complex matters while adhering to labor laws and internal policies.

Language/Travel:

Arabic  is required, Travel: attending regional and global workshops and meetings

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  WPE Officer
Position directly supervises:   NoneIndirect Reporting:
Key Internal Contacts: Child and PROL DepartmentKey External Contacts:  Beneficiaries

Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the country where this position is based and are currently residing outside of your home country, you may be eligible for an attractive relocation package. Eligibility is determined based on IRC's operational needs and specific role requirements. IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs.

Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.

#li-dni

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.