ActionAid is a global movement of people working together to achieve greater human rights for all and defeat poverty.

ActionAid Bangladesh is looking for suitable candidate for the following position:

Shelter Coordinator

Background/Job Summary

According to the Population and Housing Census 2022 conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Chattogram Division has a population of 33,202,326 people (33.7%) across 7,528,141 households. The incidence of extreme poverty, as per estimates from the lower poverty line, stands at 13.10% in the division. The youth population (15-24) increased from 18.16% in 2011 to 19.11% in 2022. Widows, divorced women, and separated women represent 8.94%, 0.46%, and 0.46% respectively of the division's population.

The Chattogram Division, including Cox’s Bazar District, has recorded some of the highest gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) prevalence rates in Bangladesh, as indicated by the 2024 Violence Against Women (VAW) survey conducted by BBS in collaboration with UNFPA. Findings revealed that 78.5% of ever-married women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, with 45.5% subjected to physical violence, 34.1% encountering sexual violence, and 70.8% reporting controlling behaviors from an intimate partner. Despite these concerning statistics, 72.8% of survivors did not disclose or report their experiences, underscoring the urgent need for strengthened intervention mechanisms, survivor-centered services, and comprehensive policy frameworks. Only 6% women seek legal support and 50% women are unaware of where to report a GBV incident.

To respond to these challenges, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) manages one district level One Stop Crisis Center in Cox’s Bazar and four One Stop Crisis Cells (OCC) in the upazilas of Ukhiya, Teknaf, Moheshkhali and Kutubdia. The facilities are located within the premises of the district and upazila hospitals managed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). From 2021 to 2024, the Health and Gender Support Project (HGSP) - funded by the World Bank and supported by UNFPA - provided support to strengthen the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services in these facilities. The project also upgraded the GBV services to ensure their alignment with the international standards, i.e. survivor-centered GBV case management services, enhanced provision of psychosocial counseling, stronger referral system, and a safe, ethical and confidential GBV data management system. The HGSP catalysed partnership and collaboration among MoWCA, MoHFW and UNFPA, improving access and utilization of the multi-sectoral GBV response services. Today the OCCs are fully functional and provide the upgraded services to women and girls in need.

In continuation with the achievements of the HGSP, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MOWCA) is leading the implementation of the “Inclusive Services and Opportunities (ISO) for Human Capital Development and Livelihood” project with UNFPA technical assistance and the World Bank financial support. The ISO Project aims to increase access to life-saving and comprehensive gender-based violence (GBV) and child marriage prevention and response services, skills development support, information and awareness for women, adolescents, and youth in the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and Bhashan Char, as well as for Host Communities (HCs) in Chattogram Division. In the context of the project, MOWCA will run various GBV response facilities - One Stop Crisis Centres, Cells, Regional Trauma Centre, and safe shelters - across the 11 districts of Chattogram Division in order to continue provide essential GBV response services and align them with international guidelines and tools. UNFPA will provide human resource deployment and capacity enhancement support to these facilities.

In this context, the MHPSS officer will closely work with the Department of Women Affairs (DWA) and MoWCA representatives to ensure the quality implementation and provision of the GBV response services in the MOWCA run facilities - One Stop Crisis Centre, One Stop Crisis Cells, Regional Trauma Centre and safe shelters - in the Chattogram Division.

The Shelter Coordinator will oversee the ISO–MoWCA Safe Shelter facility and ensure a secure, supportive, and well-managed environment for all residents and staff. The position is responsible for supervising 24/7 shelter operations, monitoring service delivery, and ensuring compliance with policies and quality standards. The role includes providing technical guidance to shelter staff, delivering both individual and group counselling, strengthening staff capacity on MHPSS, and coordinating with relevant service providers to ensure comprehensive, survivor-cantered support

Key responsibilities include (not limited to)

Shelter Management (60% of Time)

• Operate 24/7 Shelter services, providing comprehensive care for residents to support their physical and mental well-being.
• Prepare and manage the monthly duty roster for 24/7 operations.
• Ensure residents' basic needs are met, including food, shelter, medical support, and clothing, adhering to organizational policies.
• Respond effectively to referral requests received via the office hotline, managing the admission, registration, and discharge processes in line with guidelines.
• Supervise Shelter Caregiver in preparing and maintaining care plans for residents, conducting regular client meetings, and ensuring team updates.
• Monitor residents' individual case files, maintaining accurate documentation, entry registers, and client feedback records in both softcopy and hardcopy formats.
• Ensure timely stock and supply management to support residents' needs.
• Oversee procurement and financial processes related to the Safe Shelter.
• Communicate with beneficiaries and clients to ensure effective project implementation.
• Coordinate transportation and other logistical needs for residents to access external services.
• Ensure adherence to international best practices, ISO-MoWCA policies, and guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policies.

Staff Management (20% of Time)

• Directly supervise Shelter Caregiver, Cooks, Cleaners and Guards, providing regular monitoring and follow-up on assigned responsibilities.
• Develop and implement an annual capacity-building plan for Safe Shelter staff, facilitating training and orientation sessions.
• Manage staff leave, time sheet submissions, and maintain an up-to-date tracker.

Work Planning & Reporting (10% of Time)

• Prepare and submit monthly and periodic reports of the highest quality to the line manager within specified deadlines.
• Develop and share monthly work plans with the line manager.

Embedding Leadership Practices Across the Team (10% of Time)

• Foster an inclusive and equitable work environment that reflects strong leadership values.
• Encourage team members to address power imbalances and promote collaborative decision-making.
• Serve as a role model by demonstrating empathetic leadership and prioritizing shared accountability within the team.

Impact of the results and deliverables

The main results/deliverables include - but are not limited to

• Survivors receive quality care and services and express their satisfaction.
• Smooth, functional and up-to-date GBV referral services are developed and maintained through strong linkages with relevant stakeholders including hospital authorities, justice, legal, and other social services.
• Survivor-centred referral and GBV data management is ensured.
• Women and girls have improved help seeking behavior, based on their access to information and services - disseminated through the available networks, platforms and community outreach

Relationships

The Shelter Coordinator directly report to the ISO-MoWCA Gender Specialist.

Required Educational Qualification and Experience

• Graduation degree in psychology or in a related discipline
• Minimum 2 years of experience in child protection, GBV, social work, or case management.
• Experience in GBV protection in protracted crises or early recovery is an advantage.
• Experience of working within the Chattogram Division, will be considered highly desirable.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and IT tools.
• Knowledge of GBV protection systems in Bangladesh, including best practices in GBV and protection case management.
• Experience in adolescent engagement, community engagement, and counseling.
• Demonstrated ability to work with marginalized communities and uphold humanitarian values.
• Strong analytical, planning, and training facilitation skills.
• Fluent in Chittagong and good English proficiency

Application instructions

Only those who meet the above requirements are requested to apply following these instructions:

• The last date of application is 09 December 2025. Due to emergency, recruitment may be on rolling.
  The interested candidates are requested to apply early before deadline
• Please click here to submit your application. 

ActionAid Bangladesh aims to attract and select a diverse workforce ensuring equal opportunity to everyone, irrespective of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, HIV status, class, ethnicity, disability, location and religion. Any personal persuasion/phone call will result in disqualification of candidature.

ActionAid Bangladesh has a non-negotiable policy of ZERO TOLERANCE towards Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (SHEA), Child Protection Policy and other relevant safeguarding policies and expects all employees to abide by the Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct of ActionAid Bangladesh.

N.B: There is no cost involved with applying for positions at ActionAid Bangladesh. Any solicitation of fund / money from job applicant should be regarded as fraudulent