Job ID
45624
Job Title
Protection Sector Sub-National Co-Coordinator
To work for
International Rescue Committee
Country
Syria
City
Aleppo
Field of Work
H&S/Work Protection - Security/Guard Services
Job Type
Full time
Military service
Not Specified
Minimum Education Level
Bachelor/ License Degree
Responsibilities
BACKGROUND:
IRC has played a central role in co-coordinating the Protection Cluster for NW Syria for several years, initially through the Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator position based in Gaziantep under the former Whole of Syria (WoS) architecture. Following the transition to a unified Syria coordination structure and the consolidation of cross-border and in-country mechanisms, this co-coordination function was relocated from Gaziantep to the Aleppo hub. The Aleppo hub now serves as the primary coordination platform for protection partners operating in northwest Syria, with a specific geographic focus on Aleppo and Idlib governorates.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Sub-National Protection Sector Co-Coordinator (Aleppo Hub) will work in partnership with UNHCR, as Cluster Lead Agency, to provide leadership and facilitate a well-coordinated, strategic, coherent, and effective protection response in the Aleppo Hub (covering Aleppo and Idlib governorates). The Co-Coordinator will have specific responsibility for ensuring that the coordination reflects NGO perspectives, including those of national and local partners. The role will promote active engagement of NGOs in sector priorities and strengthen their technical and coordination capacity. The Sub-National Protection Sector Co-Coordinator, together with the UNHCR Sub-National Protection Coordinator, will represent the Aleppo Hub Protection Sector in national Protection Sector discussions and relevant inter-sector and inter-agency fora, as require.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
• Co-chair the Sub-National Protection Sector coordination meetings with the UNHCR Sub-National Protection Coordinator.
• Support coordination of the protection response in the Aleppo Hub (Aleppo and Idlib), enabling coherent, timely, and needs-based interventions.
• Proactively identify, reach out to, and support new and existing protection partners, including national and local Syrian NGOs; lead follow-up with prospective Sector members and encourage their active participation.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction that reflects protection partners’ and NGO perspectives within the core Cluster functions, including those related to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HNO, HRP, monitoring and review).
• Support relevant Technical Working Groups and operational working groups to facilitate emergency responses and strengthen response capacity and coordination.
• Contribute to the development of periodic and ad hoc protection analyses to inform strategy development, operational responses, and advocacy; in collaboration with UNHCR, support periodic response analyses to identify gaps between needs and response.
• Support other sectors and their members in integrating protection principles and analysis into their strategies, planning, and implementation, including through protection mainstreaming initiatives.
• Support representation of the Sub-National Protection Sector in inter-agency fora and promote protection mainstreaming through engagement with both protection and non-protection actors.
OTHER CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
• Work with the UNHCR Coordinator, the Protection Monitoring Task Force, and Protection Sector members to ensure that key protection concerns (including Child Protection, GBV, MA and HLP) are reflected in multi-sectoral and protection-specific assessments.
• In collaboration with the Sector Information Management Officer, support data collection and reporting, including by providing guidance and support to Syrian partners to submit accurate and consistent data; contribute to analysis for the Sector and relevant inter-agency fora.
• Provide or facilitate training on protection for key stakeholders, in line with agreed Sector priorities.
• Work with protection and non-protection partners to promote understanding of and adherence to humanitarian and protection principles and standards, in line with international legal frameworks.
• Represent the Protection Sector in key cross-sector working groups, as agreed with the Sub-National and National Protection Coordination teams.
IRC has played a central role in co-coordinating the Protection Cluster for NW Syria for several years, initially through the Protection Cluster Co-Coordinator position based in Gaziantep under the former Whole of Syria (WoS) architecture. Following the transition to a unified Syria coordination structure and the consolidation of cross-border and in-country mechanisms, this co-coordination function was relocated from Gaziantep to the Aleppo hub. The Aleppo hub now serves as the primary coordination platform for protection partners operating in northwest Syria, with a specific geographic focus on Aleppo and Idlib governorates.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Sub-National Protection Sector Co-Coordinator (Aleppo Hub) will work in partnership with UNHCR, as Cluster Lead Agency, to provide leadership and facilitate a well-coordinated, strategic, coherent, and effective protection response in the Aleppo Hub (covering Aleppo and Idlib governorates). The Co-Coordinator will have specific responsibility for ensuring that the coordination reflects NGO perspectives, including those of national and local partners. The role will promote active engagement of NGOs in sector priorities and strengthen their technical and coordination capacity. The Sub-National Protection Sector Co-Coordinator, together with the UNHCR Sub-National Protection Coordinator, will represent the Aleppo Hub Protection Sector in national Protection Sector discussions and relevant inter-sector and inter-agency fora, as require.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
• Co-chair the Sub-National Protection Sector coordination meetings with the UNHCR Sub-National Protection Coordinator.
• Support coordination of the protection response in the Aleppo Hub (Aleppo and Idlib), enabling coherent, timely, and needs-based interventions.
• Proactively identify, reach out to, and support new and existing protection partners, including national and local Syrian NGOs; lead follow-up with prospective Sector members and encourage their active participation.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction that reflects protection partners’ and NGO perspectives within the core Cluster functions, including those related to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HNO, HRP, monitoring and review).
• Support relevant Technical Working Groups and operational working groups to facilitate emergency responses and strengthen response capacity and coordination.
• Contribute to the development of periodic and ad hoc protection analyses to inform strategy development, operational responses, and advocacy; in collaboration with UNHCR, support periodic response analyses to identify gaps between needs and response.
• Support other sectors and their members in integrating protection principles and analysis into their strategies, planning, and implementation, including through protection mainstreaming initiatives.
• Support representation of the Sub-National Protection Sector in inter-agency fora and promote protection mainstreaming through engagement with both protection and non-protection actors.
OTHER CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
• Work with the UNHCR Coordinator, the Protection Monitoring Task Force, and Protection Sector members to ensure that key protection concerns (including Child Protection, GBV, MA and HLP) are reflected in multi-sectoral and protection-specific assessments.
• In collaboration with the Sector Information Management Officer, support data collection and reporting, including by providing guidance and support to Syrian partners to submit accurate and consistent data; contribute to analysis for the Sector and relevant inter-agency fora.
• Provide or facilitate training on protection for key stakeholders, in line with agreed Sector priorities.
• Work with protection and non-protection partners to promote understanding of and adherence to humanitarian and protection principles and standards, in line with international legal frameworks.
• Represent the Protection Sector in key cross-sector working groups, as agreed with the Sub-National and National Protection Coordination teams.
Qualifications
Essential
• Minimum of 5 years proven experience working on protection issues in humanitarian environments, including provision of technical advice to field teams; Excellent understanding of protection issues in emergency situations and detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and laws;
• Demonstrable leadership, coordination, capacity building, planning and analytical skills
• Demonstrable experience in policy and advocacy and negotiation
• Excellent written and spoken English
Highly preferred
• Graduate degree in international law, social sciences or related field;
• Prior experience working in Northwest Syria
• Previous experience of working within the sector/cluster coordination system.
• Strong prior experience with information management, protection monitoring systems and protection analysis as related to the protection sector,
• Demonstrable ability to work successfully under pressure and ability to make timely decisions;
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
• The Sub-National Protection Sector Co-Coordinator will be supervised by the Syria Protection Sector Coordinator in Damascus and will receive technical support from IRC’s technical leads in Protection and Rule of Law, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, and Child Protection.
• The Co-Coordinator will be based in the UNHCR office in Aleppo, with 1–2 days per week in the IRC office.
• IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct: Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In line with these values, IRC applies and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation
Working Environment:
• This position is intended for Syrian nationals
• 30% travel required
• Minimum of 5 years proven experience working on protection issues in humanitarian environments, including provision of technical advice to field teams; Excellent understanding of protection issues in emergency situations and detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and laws;
• Demonstrable leadership, coordination, capacity building, planning and analytical skills
• Demonstrable experience in policy and advocacy and negotiation
• Excellent written and spoken English
Highly preferred
• Graduate degree in international law, social sciences or related field;
• Prior experience working in Northwest Syria
• Previous experience of working within the sector/cluster coordination system.
• Strong prior experience with information management, protection monitoring systems and protection analysis as related to the protection sector,
• Demonstrable ability to work successfully under pressure and ability to make timely decisions;
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
• The Sub-National Protection Sector Co-Coordinator will be supervised by the Syria Protection Sector Coordinator in Damascus and will receive technical support from IRC’s technical leads in Protection and Rule of Law, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, and Child Protection.
• The Co-Coordinator will be based in the UNHCR office in Aleppo, with 1–2 days per week in the IRC office.
• IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct: Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In line with these values, IRC applies and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation
Working Environment:
• This position is intended for Syrian nationals
• 30% travel required
Specific Vacancy Requirements
-
Salary and Benefits
As per IRC scale
About us
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.
Healthcare
Since 2012, the IRC has provided comprehensive primary and secondary healthcare through hospitals, clinics, and mobile medical units (MMUs). Ensuring access to vital services like sexual and reproductive health, clinical psychosocial support, and other specialized care. Working alongside our partners, we’ve helped secure a steady supply of medicines and medical equipment into the country, trained healthcare providers, and deployed health personnel to maintain services in even the most challenging conditions.
Protection
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.
Economic Recovery and Development (ERD)
IRC has over 10 years of experience in Syria implementing cash, agriculture, and livelihoods programming, and was one of the first organizations to use cash transfers, supporting vulnerable communities with MPCT since 2014 in the northwest, and 2015 in the northeast.
Early Childhood Development (ECD)
The IRC, in partnership with Sesame Workshop, is implementing the 'Ahlan Simsim' program to provide early learning and nurturing care to children and caregivers affected by conflict and displacement across the Middle East. Our goal is to create inclusive environments where all children, regardless of their background, can reach their full potential, especially in communities that have experienced the brunt of the conflict.
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.
Healthcare
Since 2012, the IRC has provided comprehensive primary and secondary healthcare through hospitals, clinics, and mobile medical units (MMUs). Ensuring access to vital services like sexual and reproductive health, clinical psychosocial support, and other specialized care. Working alongside our partners, we’ve helped secure a steady supply of medicines and medical equipment into the country, trained healthcare providers, and deployed health personnel to maintain services in even the most challenging conditions.
Protection
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.
Economic Recovery and Development (ERD)
IRC has over 10 years of experience in Syria implementing cash, agriculture, and livelihoods programming, and was one of the first organizations to use cash transfers, supporting vulnerable communities with MPCT since 2014 in the northwest, and 2015 in the northeast.
Early Childhood Development (ECD)
The IRC, in partnership with Sesame Workshop, is implementing the 'Ahlan Simsim' program to provide early learning and nurturing care to children and caregivers affected by conflict and displacement across the Middle East. Our goal is to create inclusive environments where all children, regardless of their background, can reach their full potential, especially in communities that have experienced the brunt of the conflict.
Required employees number
1
Posted On
Nov 26, 2025
Expiry Date
Dec 10, 2025
