Senior Protection Manager (System Strengthening)

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.

Background/IRC Summary: 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 at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. The IRC has been operating in Thailand since 1975 and currently provides assistance to displaced persons in Tak, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, and Mae Hong Son provinces.

Established in 1975 to assist refugees from Vietnam, Loas and Cambodia, the IRC Thailand is one of the longest-running country programs. Operating from Mae Sot with a small representational office in Bangkok, the IRC is currently supporting the transition of residents of the Thai-Myanmar refugee camps to a life of self-reliance within Thailand. IRC also provides emergency assistance to people fleeing violence and unrest in Myanmar and supports the Royal Thai Government and local civil society to strengthen climate resilience in Thailand’s southern states.

The IRC Protection and Empowerment Program work to protect and promote the rights of crisis-affected and displaced populations along the Thailand – Myanmar border by ensuring people are safe in their homes and communities, receiving timely and appropriate support after experiencing harm, and are empowered to make free and informed decisions about their lives and futures. The program supports displaced populations to build self-reliance and future planning capacity, including through employability and life-skill development. It adopts a multi-sectoral approach, coordinating legal, medical, and psychosocial services to provide comprehensive and integrated protection assistance. Gender equality, diversity, and inclusion are mainstreamed across all activities, and the program is committed to strengthening the use of data for evidence-based decision-making and advocacy to improve protection system and outcomes for displaced population in Thailand.

Job Overview/Summary:
Under the direct supervision of Protection and Empowerment Coordinator, the Senior Protection Manager (System Strengthening) leads and support the delivery of high-quality programming, with a strong focus on system strengthening and service transition from CSOs to Thai Government mechanisms through institutional capacity strengthening, systems alignment, and strengthening workforce competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes), organizational systems, and enabling policy and coordination environments. The role oversees the development, implantation, and functionality of multi-sectoral referral systems, service mapping, and protection mainstreaming across sectors, while ensuring protection risks are systematically identified and addressed through effective coordination with partners, communities, and authorities and that services and referral systems are accessible, accountable, and responsive to affected populations through strengthened governance, accountability, and information management systems. The position plays a key role in operationalizing the Thai Government’s refugee transition strategy by contextualizing and supporting its implementation, contributing to protection service transition planning, and ensuring that all transition processes are inclusive, gender-sensitive and responsive to community needs.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Implementation

• Lead the development, updating, and dissemination of multi-sectoral referral SOPs in collaboration with government, NGOs, CBOs, and UN agencies; monitor referral trends and outcomes, contribute evaluation and reporting, and identify gaps in service coverage and system effectiveness and accountability.
• Coordinate with the Senior Protection Manager and Senior Caseworker to maintain, implement, and ensure the effective functioning of referral SOPs.
• Conduct and regularly update comprehensive service mapping across refugee camps, border areas, and Thai district systems in improved coverage, reduced service gaps, and more timely and appropriate referrals for affected communities.
• Lead mainstreaming of protection principles across all sectors, including health, education, camp management, WASH, and livelihoods by building sectoral capacity and integrating protection/GBV risk mitigation measures into sectoral programming and strengthening sectoral accountability for protection outcomes.
• Strengthening coordination with camp management agencies, local organization and government authorities to ensure protection concerns are systematically identified and addressed through formal coordination mechanisms and joint planning processes.
• Engage relevant stakeholders and community‑based mechanisms to support coordination and implementation of the Thai Government’s refugee transition strategy, ensuring community informed-voluntary participation, client feedback and response mechanisms, and accountability to affected populations (AAP) including strengthening community systems and local leadership structures.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of protection services transition plans from CSOs to local government structure, in consultation with CSOs, and relevant government authorities.
• Lead system strengthening initiatives to support the transition of protection services to Thai government mechanisms; ensure transition processes are inclusive, gender-sensitive, and responsive to community needs while promoting sustainability, local ownership, and continuity of services.
• Ensure documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and case studies to inform program learning, donor reporting, and technical guidance.

Program Management and Development

• Develop and manage project spending plans, ensuring expenditures for protection activities remain on track and compliant with IRC and donor requirements. Under the guidance of Protection and Empowerment Coordinator, ensure project budget is not over or under spent but on track.
• Work with Protection and Empowerment Coordinator in business development, proposal development and donor reporting processes.
• Support Protection and Empowerment Coordinator in identifying situations and evidence that contribute to advocacy efforts.

Program Strategy

• Engage with IRC’s Technical Advisor on Violence Prevention and Response Unit to provide meaningful technical support and guidance into program design, implementation, and research as well as proposal development and strategy discussion to strengthen system-level approaches and integration across sectors.
• Analyze trends, risks, and emerging protection issues to inform adaptive programming in collaboration with other Senior Protection Managers and to strengthen system-level responses, policies, and coordination mechanisms.

Partnership and Coordination

• Serve as a focal lead for coordination and technical support to partners delivering protection services, ensuring alignment with agreed quality standards.
• Represent Protection and Empowerment Program to national and local stakeholders, in close coordination with Protection and Empowerment Coordinator to develop and maintain meaningful relationships.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to Protection and Empowerment Coordinator
Position directly supervises: NA
Indirect Reporting: NA
Other Internal and/or external contacts:
Internal: DDP, MEAL team, Health team, Operations Team, Grants and Partnership team, technical unit in regional level
External: Sub-grant partners, and local stakeholders CBOs and community leaders (if necessary).

Job Requirements:

• A university degree in Social Work, Psychology, Law, Humanitarian Assistance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in program management, humanitarian assistance, development or protection.
• Strong communication skills in written, verbal and presentation in Thai and English, knowledge of Karen/Burmese language an asset.
• Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting
• Interpersonal Qualities: works in a teamwork with minimum supervision, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Demonstrated experience in critical thinking, analytical, negotiation and public presentation.
• Proven experience in networking and coordinating with the Thai authorities, community based organization and UN agencies.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work under pressure and remain flexible in fast-paced environments with competing deadlines.
• Computer proficient, with experience using Microsoft Office, PowerBi, Canvas including online communication platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft team.

Working Environment: This position is based in the IRC office in Mae Sot with extensive travel to other field sites.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding (including PSEAH, Adult Safeguarding and Child Safeguarding), Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION:                    29 May 2026

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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