Evidence, Learning and Advocacy Manager (Child Protection)

Job Overview

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Coordinator, the Evidence, Learning and Advocacy Manager — Child Protection will lead evidence generation, learning capture, technical documentation, external reporting support, advocacy and policy engagement, and strategic government engagement for IRC Ukraine’s Child Protection department. The position will serve as a key support to the Child Protection Coordinator for national-level positioning, regular engagement with government counterparts, coordination mechanisms, donors, UN agencies, and other strategic stakeholders.

The role will support a complex Child Protection portfolio covering child-focused victim assistance, reintegration support for children returned from occupied territories and institutional care, alternative care and deinstitutionalization, justice for children, violence against children, case management, MHPSS and PSS, social service and systems strengthening, capacity strengthening, and integrated programming with other sectors. The position will help ensure that learning from field implementation is systematically captured, analysed, and used for programme adaptation, proposal development, donor engagement, government engagement, coordination leadership, and sector-level influence.

Primary Responsibilities:

Evidence Generation and Learning Management:

• Develop and maintain a Child Protection evidence and learning agenda aligned with IRC Ukraine’s Strategic Action Plan, CP strategy, donor requirements, government and sector priorities, and field-level needs.
• Work with MEAL and CP teams to identify priority learning questions, evidence gaps, emerging trends, and documentation opportunities across CP programming.
• Support practical evidence-generation processes, including after-action reviews, lessons learned exercises, outcome harvesting, case trend analysis, field learning visits, qualitative documentation, and synthesis of assessment findings.

Technical Documentation, External Reporting and Knowledge Management:

• Lead the development of high-quality CP technical documentation, including learning briefs, practice notes, case studies, technical notes, outcome summaries, programme snapshots, lessons learned products, and thematic analyses.
• Support and contribute to external reporting for donors, coordination bodies, government counterparts, and other external stakeholders by providing clear technical narrative, cross-location analysis, evidence of results, emerging needs, challenges, adaptations, and lessons learned, in coordination with Grants and MEAL.

Government Engagement, Coordination and Strategic Representation:

• Maintain an up-to-date understanding and stakeholder map of Ukraine’s child protection system, including relevant national and sub-national government institutions, social service structures, coordination mechanisms, mandates, reform processes, and key decision-makers relevant to IRC’s CP portfolio.
• Track policy, institutional, legislative, coordination, and reform developments relevant to child protection in Ukraine and provide concise updates and analysis to the CP Coordinator and relevant technical leads.
• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with government counterparts, UNICEF, UN agencies, CP AoR and relevant working groups, national and international NGOs, local partners, technical networks, and other strategic stakeholders.

Advocacy, Policy Engagement and Strategic Positioning:

• Support the CP Coordinator in developing and implementing a CP-specific advocacy and influence agenda aligned with IRC Ukraine priorities, programme evidence, client experience, and principled humanitarian action.
• Identify emerging policy, system, and service-delivery issues that may require technical positioning or advocacy and prepare evidence-based recommendations for the CP Coordinator and Advocacy team.
• Prepare policy briefs, issue notes, talking points, recommendations, position papers, meeting briefs, and key messages grounded in programme evidence and analysis.

Donor Engagement, Reporting and Program Development Support:

• Support donor reporting by contributing strategic narrative, cross-location analysis, outcome documentation, learning synthesis, and evidence-based explanations of results, challenges, adaptations, and emerging needs.
• Develop donor-facing CP products such as outcome briefs, technical updates, programme snapshots, success stories, learning notes, thematic briefs, and presentations for existing and prospective donors.

High-Level Events, Presentations and External Engagement:

• Support the technical planning and delivery of high-level Child Protection events, government roundtables, technical launches, donor engagements, coordination events, learning events, and other strategic external engagements led or co-led by IRC.
• Develop or coordinate technical content for external events, including concept notes, agendas, presentations, speaking notes, moderator guides, briefing packs, key messages, and background materials, working with relevant technical leads.

Requirements:

• A degree desired in social work, child protection, social sciences, human rights, humanitarian studies, international development, public policy, law, research, or another relevant field; equivalent professional experience may be considered.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian or development programming, with substantial experience in child protection, protection, programme quality, learning, advocacy, policy, technical documentation, government engagement, or related functions.
• Strong and demonstrable knowledge of the child protection system in Ukraine is required, including understanding of relevant institutional structures and mandates, social service and child protection actors, national and sub-national coordination mechanisms, and major policy and reform processes affecting children and families.
• Experience contributing to donor reports, concept notes, proposals, donor engagement materials, or technical positioning products. Experience with UNICEF, ECHO, SIDA, BMZ, UHF, CDCS, or similar donors is an asset.
• Experience with MEAL systems, learning agendas, needs assessments, qualitative documentation, data analysis, or knowledge management is highly desirable.
• Information management skills are an asset, including experience organizing and maintaining structured datasets, trackers, information repositories, dashboards or data visualizations, and presenting data in clear, decision-useful formats.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions, including CP, MEAL, Grants, Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications, and field teams.
• Good spoken and written English and Ukrainian required. Russian is an asset.

This position can be based in any IRC Ukraine office location. Kyiv is preferred due to the role’s regular national-level government engagement, coordination responsibilities, donor engagement, advocacy, and higher-level external events.

Frequent travel to field locations will be required, subject to security and operational considerations.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

• This role requires full-time work in the office or hybrid type of work is possible after probation period
• Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace so they can effectively complete their work during regularly scheduled work hours.
• Travel to other locations is needed up to 30% of time
• Exempt from overtime
• Sometimes work on weekends may be required
• Work in the matrix organization
• Fast pace of working, multitasking and stressful work
• The organization cares about staff and provides flexible working options (start early-finish early, start later-finish later, remote work)

Staff can ask for accommodation in the workplace. Specific requests can be discussed with HR.

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. Please apply by the link: https://theirc.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/External_Careers/job/Kyiv-Ukraine/Evidence--Learning-and-Advocacy-Manager---Child-Protection_JR00004642