Experience Inc. Jobs

Requisition ID: req52311

Job Title: Duty of Care Senior Manager, Gaza

Sector: Human Resources

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Gaza, occupied Palestinian Territory (oPT)

Work Arrangement:In-person

Job Description

The IRC launched an emergency response in oPt in 2023, responding to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Prior to October 7th, in June 2023, we conducted a scoping mission to oPt, in West Bank, and subsequently developed a strategic plan to initiate programming in West Bank. Since then, and in the context of catastrophic fighting and renewed violence, the IRC has initiated an emergency response in Gaza and developed a response plan with partners which includes Gaza and West Bank. Implementing a diverse, integrated program of health, protection, cash and scaling up in WASH and nutrition, these programs prioritize local partnerships with both public institutions and civil society, and span emergency, humanitarian, recovery, and development modalities, while serving vulnerable Palestinians in oPt.

Summary

IRC understands that staff care means an institutional responsibility to all staff, regardless of position, location, or employment category, to ensure safe and secure working conditions and a work environment that promotes staff well-being, increases individual resilience, and supports a healthy and productive workforce.

Major Responsibilities:

• Provide multiple channels of marketing for IRC Employee Assistance and Resilience Program including but not limited to distributing materials produced regionally and globally, supporting the initiatives in creating locally relevant materials, speaking at staff forums, and serving as a focal point of contact for staff questions on the EARP programs.

• Design and roll out staff awareness campaigns about Duty of Care services and resources and existing IRC policies and benefits that support staff care; consult with and bring a staff care perspective to other HR functional areas.

• Utilize various methods to understand the support needs, concerns, and stress levels of staff, and report this to the Regional DOC Advisor through regular consultation on how to better meet the needs of staff to minimize staff care risks.

• Develop specific staff care plans to be incorporated into strategic action implementation plans and support country program to develop responsive and appropriate staff care plans the social, physical, and psychological well-being of staff.

• Receive training in Psychological First Aid (PFA) and basic counseling by the Regional DOC Advisor. Use this knowledge to triage incoming staff concerns and to link staff with appropriate caregivers within IRC’s medical and psychosocial support vendors.

• Advocate for staff care and facilitate access to counselors (through the EARP and in person) during critical incidents and other high stress periods like program closure, political instability, and other times of heightened security restrictions.

• Under the direction of the Regional DOC Advisor respond to critical incidents in the country program by providing recommendations and guidance to CD and HRL around staff care plans to support impacted staff.

• Coordinate and help set up individual, group support sessions/webinars, and on-site support for staff with KonTerra counselors upon demand.

• Consider staff health issues and how we can promote health and wellness in IRC workplaces (Ex: Health Day events, health awareness sessions, tobacco cessation, NCD screening, sleep, nutrition—linkage to local resources from government/NGO campaigns/ insurance benefits.)

• Conduct field visit to lead workshops on basic self-care and, in the process, raise awareness of and drive demand for counseling services.

• Partnering with the Regional Duty of Care Advisor to identify optimal ways of talking about counseling that help to destigmatize and demystify the process as relates to any local misconceptions.

• Work with the Regional Duty of Care Advisor and HR Lead in the country, to develop locally relevant marketing approaches that target attitudes about counseling.

• With the support of the Regional Duty of Care Advisor and HR Lead, design and implement local assessments on staff welfare and workplace environments. Modalities could include Surveys, focus groups, site visits, listening and dialogue sessions and key informant interviews. Ensure staff concerns with staff care recommendations are properly reported to the regional DOC Advisor.

• Assist with Arabic translation and cultural contextualization of Duty of Care messages.

• Participate in regional working groups around Duty of Care topics as a country representative.

• Attending training, and meetings with the regional DoC Advisor on IRC’s staff care models and attending external training with staff care vendor(s) as part of capacity development around basic staff care content.

• Regularly develop, gather, and distribute stress and trauma management resource tools and materials to all staff.

• Direct delivery of services: pre-deployment training; reactive availability during service period; post-deployment debriefs and R&R support; critical incident aftercare; PFA, event debriefing, and resilience building activities for hub office staff

• Supporting any gaps in the HR team

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports Directly to: HR Lead and Regional DOC Advisor: Management in Partnership

Position directly supervises: n/a

Internal Contacts:

• Country Program Team: Primary - HR Leads and CDs.

• Senior Management Teams and relevant program staff

External Contacts: INGO counterparts: relevant health and well-being colleagues, associations, and networks.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in psychosocial health, public health, self-care, psychology, Human Resources, or Organizational Psychology.

• Experience delivering trauma-informed interventions (individual and group), as well as experience working with individuals exposed to vicarious trauma in the context of humanitarian work and active conflict work.

• Experience in client-facing MH/PSS is preferable.

• 5 years of professional experience with at least 2 years of work experience in emergency or humanitarian relief, community development in difficult circumstances, trauma, Human Resources, occupational mental health, or psychosocial support, preferably in the Middle East and North Africa region

• Strong training, presentation, and facilitation skills

• Excellent writing, policy development, and communication skills

• Formal training or working knowledge in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)

• Ability to work in a high-stress, rapidly changing environment with professional grace and a positive approach.

• Demonstrated consultative leadership style and problem-solving approach that promotes social support, flexibility, and team cohesion.

• Ability to develop a scalable strategy and apply creative and innovative techniques to address staff care needs in a remote management and emergency context.

• Excellent listening skills

• Ability to build trust, operate with the highest standards of integrity and be inspired by IRC’s humanitarian mission.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Arabic