Senior Anti-trafficking Specialist

Job Description:

Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life- changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries, the IRC aims to restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure.

The IRC has been operational in Serbia since October 2015 supporting programs in response to the mass influx of refugees, mainly in the areas of women and child protection. In February 2018, the IRC launched a program in partnership with a national anti-human trafficking NGO to strengthen systems, services, and support for victims of human trafficking in Serbia, including victims of trafficking (VoTs) in populations of refugees and migrants.

Job Summary

The Senior Anti-Human Trafficking Specialist is a part-time national staff position based in Belgrade. This position supports Head of Office to effectively represent IRC in national efforts to improve protection and empowerment of women and children refugees and combat human trafficking, and provides technical leadership to IRC’s efforts to combat human trafficking and GBV, strengthen capacities of relevant national stakeholders, and support national anti-trafficking and protection mechanisms in the development, revision and operationalization of national strategies, action plans, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the protection of VoTs, Gender Based Violence (GBV) survivors and vulnerable women and children including within populations of refugees and migrants. The Senior Specialist will report to the Head of Office (HoO).

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Develop and lead capacity building efforts, including trainings and technical support, of stakeholders and frontline service providers to strengthen identification, protection, and support to victims of trafficking and children in contact with the law (CiCL) in Serbia, including refugees and migrants, and capacities for protection of women and children.
• Lead capacity building efforts of children’s institutions (such as shelters, reception centers, and alternative care providers) to strengthen identification, protection, and child-centered support to child victims of trafficking and other vulnerable children, including refugee and migrant children, ensuring that children are protected and cared for in line with their needs and best interests.
• Ensure that technical guidance, tools, and SOPs are in line with national and international guidelines, principles, and best practice, and adequately consider the unique needs of victims of trafficking and other vulnerable groups of women and children within populations of refugees and migrants.
• Provide technical support to the relevant bodies of the Government of Serbia (including National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator) in their efforts to strengthen and implement the national anti-trafficking and other relevant strategies, action plans, SOPs, and referral mechanisms, including through the organization of meetings, workshops, roundtables, and technical working groups.
• Provide technical support to partners and stakeholders regarding protection of victims of human trafficking, in line with national and international guidelines, principles, best practice, and survivor-centered approach.
• Provide technical guidance and leadership to implementation of IRC and partner programming to combat human trafficking and provide protection to women and children.
• Identify key protection concerns related to victims of trafficking, and women and children -refugees, and share patterns and trends with the HoO to inform IRCs response and advocacy efforts.
• Reference: 75oG77WN2GPMwvGHFj_XlpR8Hf9gmRphSj5tiYgN9V0.

Coordination and Representation

• In close collaboration with the HoO, develop and maintain effective and productive working relationships with relevant government stakeholders, service providers, and partners in the field of counter-trafficking and child friendly justice: NGOs Atina, Astra and Center for Child Rights (CPD), Office of the National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Center for the protection of trafficking victims, Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research (ICSR), the Juvenile Justice Council (JJC), the Judicial Academy (JA): etc.
• Represent IRC at coordination and technical working group meetings as needed. Ensure that information and minutes from interagency meetings are shared with program and country team.
• In collaboration with IRC program team and partners, identify opportunities to promote and amplify the work of IRC and partners through advocacy, networking, coordination, etc. with local, national, and international stakeholders.

Implementation, Reporting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• In close collaboration with the HoO, monitor delivery of trainings, conferences and meetings, and ensure corrective actions are initiated and tracked when required.
• Support the HoO in program development, monitoring and evaluation, communications and external relations activities as requested.
• Assists on needs assessments and data collection as necessary to feed into project design.
• Draft reports and sub sections of reports on IRCs progress with regards to project implementation.
• Work closely with the M&E Manager to track technical indicators and identify key lessons learnt throughout the project lifecycle.

Other responsibilities

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to ensure that goals and objectives of Women Protection and Empowerment/Child Protection projects are met.
• Foster opportunities for new business development.
• Support the country program as required in developing anti trafficking and WPE/CP portfolio in Serbia and in other neighboring countries as needed, including through contributing to proposal writing.

Professional Standards

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values,
• The IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in social work, social science, access to justice, international relations, and/or another relevant field;
• Minimum of 5 years of experience working in the field of counter-trafficking in Serbia and/or the region. Prior experience in direct service to victims of trafficking or other forms of trauma preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant legal and strategic framework in the field of counter- trafficking in Serbia and trauma-informed service delivery to victims.
• Excellent understanding of key stakeholders, their roles, and mandates in the field of counter-trafficking in Serbia.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, ability to improvise, excellent relationship-building, effective in representation and liaison with external actors, team player and comfortable in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to work under pressure and to handle sensitive situations diplomatically.
• Willingness and ability to travel across Serbia.
• Fluency in Serbian and English required.

Preferred

• Prior experience working in CP, prevention, and response to GBV, and/or women’s protection and empowerment.
• Prior experience working with refugees and migrants.
• Knowledge of international and national protection guidelines, including child protection and GBV.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional

Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.