Protection Caseworker

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.

The Protection Caseworker (Rule of Law) will provide direct assistance to individuals at risk, including case management, referrals, and psychosocial support. This role requires fieldwork in affected communities and close coordination with IRC’s protection teams and external service providers. The Protection Caseworker (Rule of Law) will be responsible for assessing individual needs, ensuring access to protection services, and protection risk mitigation. The Protection Caseworker (Rule of Law) will be supervised by the Protection Manager (Rule of Law)/ Protection Case Management Manager to ensure qualitative and effective case management and will be based in Kharkiv and conduct regular field visit trips.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify individuals at risk through engagement with local authorities, direct community outreach, referrals from PRoL and other IRC sectors, and participation in Humanitarian Coordination Mechanisms.
• Conduct protection needs assessments and risk evaluations, and develop case plans in accordance with IRC’s case management SOPs. These SOPs are aligned with international standards and provide detailed, context-specific guidance. Key references include Your Guide to Protection Case Management (IRC/UNHCR) and the Inter-Agency Protection Case Management Standard Operating Procedures for Humanitarian Actors, ensuring high-quality, consistent, and client-centered case management services.
• Provide client-centered support and regular follow-up to ensure timely and appropriate service delivery.
• Lobby on behalf of individuals and families to access services and support individuals and families to effectively represent their views, needs and capacities in all meetings affecting them. 
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date, and confidential documentation of all casework in line with data protection standards.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with Organizations for Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in the area of operation, acknowledging their expertise in navigating systems and services for persons with disabilities. Collaborate with OPDs and other community-based structures to ensure inclusive and accessible support for persons with specific needs.
• Participate in regular case management meetings, technical supervision, and capacity-building sessions.
• Support service mapping and maintain updated referral pathways to strengthen inter-agency coordination.
• Engage with local authorities (free legal aid centers, social services, local government etc.) to improve access to protection services.
• Contribute to IRC’s Protection Monitoring activities by conducting structured interviews at the household level and with key informants, in accordance with established tools and methodologies.
• Adhere to IRC’s Code of Conduct, safeguarding principles, and protection standards in all interactions with clients and stakeholders.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education:

Bachelor/Degree in Social work, Counseling, Psychology or other related field.  

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Skilled in using CommCare, Primero, and Kobo

• Language: Bilingual in Ukrainian and Russian and  verbal and writing skills in English desired. 

• Excellent communication skills 

• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients 

• Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting 

• High degree of flexibility and strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail 

• Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Excel 

REPORTING STRUCTURE AND TEAM COLLABORATION

• Position Reports to: Protection Manager (Rule of Law) and Protection Case Management Manager.
• Internal collaborations within IRC: Specialists from other departments who will be involved in the client work plan.

• External collaborations to IRC: Engage with government and non-government institutions involved in providing assistance to the population, MHPSS organizations and agencies 

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

• This role requires office work (approximately 20%) and field work (approximately 80%).
• This role may require travel to other locations (sub-offices).
• The organization cares about staff and provides flexible working options (start early-finish early, start later-finish later, remote work)

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.

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Why Choose the IRC?

Work that has meaning: Every day at the IRC is a chance to make a difference through a purpose-driven career. Whether you're working directly with communities or providing support behind the scenes, you will be part of a dynamic team that is always innovating, scaling, and testing new and better solutions to ensure the best possible outcomes for the people we serve.

Global scale, dynamic workplace: At the IRC, we believe that the dynamic, global make-up of our team is our strength. When you join us, you're not just starting a job—you will be part of a global organization positively impacting millions of lives in over 40 get to work with colleagues from all around the world—working across time zones and regularly exchanging different ideas, perspectives and insights. You’ll join a team that is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard.  

Challenging work, innovative solutions: We’re committed to excellence and innovation, and pride ourselves in setting industry-leading standards while practicing evidence and data-lead strategies. Come challenge norms, shatter conventions, and pioneer change while working on real, nuanced and complex issues we face in the world today.  

Community centered: We’re an empathetic community that truly cares for one another. Our comprehensive safety and security initiatives ensure a safe work environment, while our continuous learning and development programs provide ongoing opportunities for personal and career advancement.

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Our Typical Recruitment Process

The interview process typically includes three rounds, though the number may vary depending on the role and level of seniority. It usually begins with a conversation with our recruiting team to learn more about you and your goals. This is followed by an interview with a hiring manager or business stakeholder to explore your background and provide more insight into the role. The final round focuses on assessing your role-specific expertise and may be conducted as a panel interview to evaluate your cross-functional strengths. Before extending an offer, we generally conduct reference checks, and after an offer is made, a standard background check is completed. While we strive for consistency, the process may differ based on the role, business unit, location, job type, legal requirements, and other factors.

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