Evidence, Learning and Advocacy Manager - Child Protection

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

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Coordinator, the Evidence, Learning and Advocacy Manager - Child Protection will lead evidence generation, learning capture, technical documentation, external reporting support, advocacy and policy engagement, and strategic government engagement for IRC Ukraine's Child Protection department. The position will serve as a key support to the Child Protection Coordinator for national-level positioning, regular engagement with government counterparts, coordination mechanisms, donors, UN agencies, and other strategic stakeholders.

The position will translate programme data, assessments, partner and field learning, and operational experience into high-quality external reports, analysis, briefing materials, presentations, learning products, policy and advocacy outputs, and technical documentation. The role will maintain a strong understanding of Ukraine's child protection system, institutional architecture, policy and reform environment, and key government and coordination processes, and will help ensure that IRC's Child Protection evidence and programme experience are consistently reflected in external engagement and sector-level discussions.

The role will support a complex Child Protection portfolio covering child-focused victim assistance, reintegration support for children returned from occupied territories and institutional care, alternative care and deinstitutionalization, justice for children, violence against children, case management, MHPSS and PSS, social service and systems strengthening, capacity strengthening, and integrated programming with other sectors. The position will help ensure that learning from field implementation is systematically captured, analysed, and used for programme adaptation, proposal development, donor engagement, government engagement, coordination leadership, and sector-level influence.

The position will work closely with central and field Child Protection teams, MEAL, Grants, Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications, and other technical sectors. The role is not intended to replace MEAL, Grants, Communications, or field implementation functions; rather, it will bridge these functions by ensuring that Child Protection evidence, external reporting, learning, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement are technically sound, ethically documented, strategically used, and followed through.

3. Primary Responsibilities:

Evidence Generation and Learning Management:

• Develop and maintain a Child Protection evidence and learning agenda aligned with IRC Ukraine's Strategic Action Plan, CP strategy, donor requirements, government and sector priorities, and field-level needs.

• Work with MEAL and CP teams to identify priority learning questions, evidence gaps, emerging trends, and documentation opportunities across CP programming.

• Support practical evidence-generation processes, including after-action reviews, lessons learned exercises, outcome harvesting, case trend analysis, field learning visits, qualitative documentation, and synthesis of assessment findings.

• Synthesize CPIMS+, MEAL, partner, assessment, monitoring, and qualitative data into clear analysis for programme adaptation, quality improvement, external reporting, donor engagement, government dialogue, and advocacy.

• Track and analyse key child protection trends, system gaps, service-delivery challenges, and emerging issues in Ukraine, drawing on field evidence, coordination discussions, assessments, and available secondary data.

• Institutionalize regular learning loops within the CP department, including quarterly learning sessions, action tracking, and follow-up with central and field teams.

• Ensure evidence and learning products apply ethical, safe, and child-sensitive approaches, including informed consent, confidentiality, data protection, child safeguarding, and do-no-harm principles.

Technical Documentation, External Reporting and Knowledge Management:

• Lead the development of high-quality CP technical documentation, including learning briefs, practice notes, case studies, technical notes, outcome summaries, programme snapshots, lessons learned products, and thematic analyses.

• Support and contribute to external reporting for donors, coordination bodies, government counterparts, and other external stakeholders by providing clear technical narrative, cross-location analysis, evidence of results, emerging needs, challenges, adaptations, and lessons learned, in coordination with Grants and MEAL.

• Prepare and quality assure briefing packs, presentations, evidence notes, speaking points, meeting briefs, key messages, and technical inputs for the CP Coordinator and other senior representatives for donor meetings, government engagement, coordination platforms, senior leadership discussions, and external events.

• Document IRC Ukraine's programme models and lessons learned in child-focused victim assistance, reintegration support, alternative care, justice for children, violence against children, and other priority CP areas.

• Create and maintain a structured CP knowledge management system, including programme models, SOPs, tools, training materials, good practice examples, finalized learning products, external reports, and key reference documents.

• Maintain practical trackers and calendars for CP external products, reporting deadlines, government and coordination requests, advocacy windows, stakeholder engagements, and follow-up actions.

• Ensure consistency and quality of technical language across CP documentation, including alignment with CPMS, IRC technical standards, donor terminology, and inter-agency guidance.

Government Engagement, Coordination and Strategic Representation:

• Maintain an up-to-date understanding and stakeholder map of Ukraine's child protection system, including relevant national and sub-national government institutions, social service structures, coordination mechanisms, mandates, reform processes, and key decision-makers relevant to IRC's CP portfolio.

• Track policy, institutional, legislative, coordination, and reform developments relevant to child protection in Ukraine and provide concise updates and analysis to the CP Coordinator and relevant technical leads.

• Attend regular meetings with key government counterparts, national and sub-national authorities, technical working groups, and inter-agency coordination mechanisms when delegated by the CP Coordinator, ensuring consistent and professional IRC Child Protection representation.

• Prepare for external meetings by developing agendas, briefing notes, presentations, talking points, evidence summaries, and key messages; present IRC Child Protection evidence, programme experience, and technical positions when delegated.

• Document key decisions, commitments, requests, and action points from government and coordination meetings; provide timely read-outs to the CP Coordinator and relevant teams and proactively follow up agreed actions.

• Maintain a simple government and strategic stakeholder engagement tracker to support continuity of relationships, visibility of commitments, and timely follow-up across the CP central team.

• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with government counterparts, UNICEF, UN agencies, CP AoR and relevant working groups, national and international NGOs, local partners, technical networks, and other strategic stakeholders.

• Support alignment between national-level discussions and field realities by bringing field evidence into policy and coordination discussions and communicating relevant national developments back to field teams.

Advocacy, Policy Engagement and Strategic Positioning:

• Support the CP Coordinator in developing and implementing a CP-specific advocacy and influence agenda aligned with IRC Ukraine priorities, programme evidence, client experience, and principled humanitarian action.

• Identify emerging policy, system, and service-delivery issues that may require technical positioning or advocacy and prepare evidence-based recommendations for the CP Coordinator and Advocacy team.

• Prepare policy briefs, issue notes, talking points, recommendations, position papers, meeting briefs, and key messages grounded in programme evidence and analysis.

• Ensure field evidence and client experience inform national-level technical discussions, standards, SOPs, coordination priorities, policy dialogue, and advocacy messages.

• Coordinate closely with Advocacy and Communications colleagues to ensure CP messages are accurate, evidence-based, sensitive, child-safe, and aligned with approved IRC positions.

• Support strategic positioning of IRC Child Protection by identifying relevant policy, coordination, research, donor, and public-facing opportunities where IRC evidence and technical experience can contribute to sector dialogue.

Donor Engagement, Reporting and Program Development Support:

• Support donor reporting by contributing strategic narrative, cross-location analysis, outcome documentation, learning synthesis, and evidence-based explanations of results, challenges, adaptations, and emerging needs.

• Develop donor-facing CP products such as outcome briefs, technical updates, programme snapshots, success stories, learning notes, thematic briefs, and presentations for existing and prospective donors.

• Work closely with Grants, MEAL, and CP programme teams to ensure proposals and donor communications are informed by evidence, lessons learned, needs analysis, client feedback, partner learning, and field realities.

• Support concept note and proposal development through technical writing, problem analysis, evidence integration, intervention logic, lessons learned, and strategic positioning.

• Support the CP Coordinator in preparing for donor meetings and visits, including concise briefing materials, evidence summaries, programme updates, presentations, and follow-up points.

High-Level Events, Presentations and External Engagement:

• Support the technical planning and delivery of high-level Child Protection events, government roundtables, technical launches, donor engagements, coordination events, learning events, and other strategic external engagements led or co-led by IRC.

• Develop or coordinate technical content for external events, including concept notes, agendas, presentations, speaking notes, moderator guides, briefing packs, key messages, and background materials, working with relevant technical leads.

• Present, facilitate, moderate, or support technical sessions when delegated, demonstrating clear communication and confidence with senior government, donor, UN, partner, and inter-agency audiences.

• Coordinate with Advocacy and Communications, Operations, and relevant programme teams on visibility, stakeholder engagement, and practical arrangements while retaining responsibility for the quality and consistency of CP technical content.

• Capture key outcomes, recommendations, commitments, and follow-up actions from strategic events and ensure they are communicated and tracked within the CP team.

Cross-Sector Learning and Integrated Analysis:

• Facilitate cross-programme learning across CP, Health, WPE, PROL, ERD, Cash, MEAL, and Partnerships to identify integrated programming opportunities and shared evidence.

• Support documentation of integrated approaches, including CP-Cash, CP-Health, CP-PROL, CP-WPE, and MHPSS integration.

• Contribute to IRC Ukraine's broader learning, programme quality, accountability, and SAP implementation processes.

• Support identification and development of strategic relationships with research institutions, academic partners, technical networks, and peer NGOs where relevant.

Staff Supervision and Technical Support:

• No direct line management is anticipated at the initial stage; however, the position may supervise officers, consultants, interns, or short-term technical support if assigned.

• Provide coaching and technical support to CP staff and partners on documentation, learning capture, evidence use, ethical case documentation, external reporting, presentation of findings, and technical writing.

• Support CP teams to strengthen the quality and consistency of information shared externally, including presentations, programme summaries, assessment findings, and technical reports.

Other Duties:

• Consistently and proactively monitor safety and security considerations related to field missions and external engagement, promptly reporting concerns to IRC management.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Child Protection Coordinator to enable and develop IRC programmes.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position directly/administratively reports to: Child Protection Coordinator

Position technically reports to: Child Protection Coordinator

Direct reports: None initially. Potential supervision of officers, consultants, interns, or short-term technical support if assigned.

Other internal contacts: Senior CP Manager, CP Managers, CP technical and field teams, MEAL, Grants, Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications, PROL, WPE, ERD, Health, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, and other relevant departments.

External contacts: National and sub-national government authorities and Ministry-linked stakeholders, UNICEF, CP AoR and relevant working groups, UN agencies, international and national NGOs, local partners, academic/research institutions, technical networks, and donor representatives when delegated.

Requirements:

The Evidence, Learning and Advocacy Manager - Child Protection will need to meet the requirements below:

• A degree desired in social work, child protection, social sciences, human rights, humanitarian studies, international development, public policy, law, research, or another relevant field; equivalent professional experience may be considered.

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian or development programming, with substantial experience in child protection, protection, programme quality, learning, advocacy, policy, technical documentation, government engagement, or related functions.

• Strong and demonstrable knowledge of the child protection system in Ukraine is required, including understanding of relevant institutional structures and mandates, social service and child protection actors, national and sub-national coordination mechanisms, and major policy and reform processes affecting children and families.

• Strong technical understanding of child protection in emergencies and one or more of the following areas: child protection case management, MHPSS/PSS, child-focused victim assistance, reintegration, alternative care, violence against children, justice for children, or systems strengthening.

• Demonstrated experience engaging with government counterparts, UN agencies, coordination mechanisms, local partners, or technical working groups, including the ability to professionally represent an organization, maintain relationships, and follow up agreed actions.

• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex child protection issues clearly and confidently to senior government, donor, UN, partner, and internal audiences.

• Excellent analytical and writing skills, including the ability to produce high-quality external reports, briefs, technical notes, learning papers, talking points, meeting briefs, presentations, and proposal inputs under tight deadlines.

• Demonstrated experience turning programme data, monitoring findings, assessment results, field experience, and qualitative evidence into clear written and visual products for donors, government stakeholders, coordination platforms, advocacy, or programme learning.

• Experience contributing to donor reports, concept notes, proposals, donor engagement materials, or technical positioning products. Experience with UNICEF, ECHO, SIDA, BMZ, UHF, CDCS, or similar donors is an asset.

• Experience with MEAL systems, learning agendas, needs assessments, qualitative documentation, data analysis, or knowledge management is highly desirable.

• Information management skills are an asset, including experience organizing and maintaining structured datasets, trackers, information repositories, dashboards or data visualizations, and presenting data in clear, decision-useful formats.

• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, including diplomacy, professional judgement, negotiation, and the ability to build trusted working relationships with diverse external counterparts.

• Strong understanding of ethical documentation, child safeguarding, informed consent, confidentiality, data protection, and do-no-harm principles.

• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions, including CP, MEAL, Grants, Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications, and field teams.

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple products, meetings, stakeholder follow-ups, and deadlines, and ability to work under pressure in a complex operating environment.

• Good spoken and written English and Ukrainian required. Russian is an asset.

This position can be based in any IRC Ukraine office location. Kyiv is preferred due to the role's regular national-level government engagement, coordination responsibilities, donor engagement, advocacy, and higher-level external events.

Frequent travel to field locations will be required, subject to security and operational considerations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

• This role requires full-time work in the office or hybrid type of work is possible after probation period
• Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace so they can effectively complete their work 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 in the 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