Specialist, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

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

The Health Technical Unit is a team of more than 70 professionals across Primary Health Care, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Nutrition, and Mental Health, supporting IRC’s 40-plus country offices with technical expertise, capacity building, and a cross-country perspective on what works.

Job Overview

The Specialist, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) sits within the Health Unit and provides targeted technical support for SRHR programming, with a focus on family planning (FP) and comprehensive abortion care (CAC). Reporting to the Senior Specialist, SRHR, the Specialist leads day-to-day support for strategic projects — including the IRC-supported Family Planning Impact Lab in South Sudan and Somalia — and provides surge support to scale contraception in humanitarian and fragile settings.

The Specialist collaborates closely with country program teams, Health Technical Advisors, Regional Practice Leads, Airbel Impact Lab, and external partners to ensure program quality, fidelity, and learning.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Support for Strategic Projects (50%)

• Lead day-to-day technical oversight of the Family Planning Impact Lab in South Sudan and Somalia, including:

• Coordinating multidisciplinary research, user-centered design, and SRH technical teams

• Overseeing program pilots and iterative adaptations

• Liaising with partner and donor teams on project timeliness, quality, and coordination

• Serve as the technical focal point for country program, Health Unit, Airbel, partner, and donor stakeholders on assigned projects

• Monitor program implementation and key indicators; drive course correction as needed

• Identify priorities and opportunities for strategic SRHR programs and research in collaboration with the Senior Specialists, GPL, Airbel and country programs

Technical Assistance & Scale (20%)

• Identify and address technical support gaps in IRC country programs working to scale family planning in humanitarian settings in collaboration with Health TAs and SRHR leadership

• Develop, disseminate and support the implementation of training materials, program tools, evidence briefs, and measurement frameworks to support contraception scaling

• Provide specialized technical assistance on contraception and abortion to Health TAs and country programs, ensuring alignment with global best practices

Knowledge Management & Learning (10%)

• Work with the SRHR Research team and Project Coordinator to support the documentation and use of best practices and evidence across the health unit and in country programs

• Support communities of practice on contraception, fostering cross-country peer exchange

• Ensure key lessons from strategic projects inform country-led program design and implementation

External Influence & Representation (10%)

• Contribute to thought leadership on select SRHR topics through blogs, working groups, and internal and external conference presentations

• Represent IRC in priority external forums including technical, policy, and advocacy workshops

Business Development (10%)

• Support strategic business development opportunities in partnership with Health Unit leadership, AMU, and country programs

• Provide specialized program design support on SRHR to TAs and country programs on request

Key Working Relationships:

Reports to: Senior Specialist, SRHR

Internal: Health TAs, Regional Practice Leads, Airbel Impact Lab, Global MEAL, SRH GPL, Violence…