Humanitarian Program Officers at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is a leading international organization helping children in need around the world. First established in the UK in 1919, separate national organizations have been set up in more than twenty-eight countries, sharing the aim of improving the lives of children through education, health care and economic opportunities, as well as emergency aid in cases of natural disasters, war and conflict.

In Nigeria, Save the Children has been working since 2001. The early focus was on getting children actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Today, Save the Children is working in seven federal states - Zamfara, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi and Kaduna - focusing on providing basic healthcare and protecting children.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Humanitarian Program Officer

Job ID: #1158056
Location: Abuja

Role Purpose

• The post-holder provides key support to several functions within the team including, but not limited to Communications (Comms), Grants, Human Resources (HR), aiding the Humanitarian Programme Manager, Project Managers as well as programmatic and general administrative tasks.
• The Programme Officer facilitates effective communication and coordination within SCI, CSO implementing partners and other organisations as required.

Scope of Role

• Reports to: Humanitarian Program Manager
• Staff directly reporting to this post: N/A

Key Areas of Accountability
Administrative Support:

• Ensure appropriate administrative and electronic filing systems within the Humanitarian Programme Team are developed and maintained to allow an efficient and largely self-servicing administrative environment to support functioning of the team
• Ensure that key documents are easily accessible and archived on as well as its management Dropbox
• Support up to date and accurate information relating to team travel and ensure trackers and boards are kept up to date.

Provide administrative back-up to the team including but not limited to the following:

• Organising team meetings
• Organising workshops and events (local, internal and external - eg meetings with other teams, partner trainings and staff trainings Co-ordinating office equipment/supplies
• Taking minutes and ensuring action points are shared
• Provide support to the Humanitarian Programme Manager including diary and inbox management, arranging meetings, dealing with enquiries
• Support the coordination of other departments and Humanitarian programme.

Communication Support:

• Lead information and communication flows between the Humanitarian team and a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Ensuring effective linkages with all team members and other stakeholders for enhanced capacity and needs and resources identification.
• Ensure timely, accurate, consistent and compatible data and information on the program situation and needs is provided, for operational analysis and decision making. This includes data and information collection, collation, analysis and dissemination through materials such as briefing documents and factsheets.
• Coordinate the production of regular Weekly and monthly Reports and disseminate to country backstop
• Produce weekly updates of latest news stories relating to the humanitarian Programme
• When required support deployed Consultants and TAs to go about their work. Maintain an overview of member media visits and VIP trips and support the coordination of visits as necessary.
• Support the team in responding to ad-hoc internal and external requests for information about Humanitarian Programme and communications materials
• Proactively gather information and attend meetings with/from other sources such as clusters, NGOs regional networks and government which may provide a more comprehensive regional picture.
• Collect case studies from beneficiaries to support fundraising efforts.

Human resources (HR) support:

• Manage the induction process and relevant reading materials for all new starters, scheduling all relevant meetings with team members, colleagues from other teams and departments and ensuring they are aware of organisational policies, procedures and relevant legislation
• Help to process new identification cards and update email distribution lists/ phone books with new starter’s information.
• Follow up on all recruitment of staff and consultants for the program.
• Liaise closely with HR for timely recruitment, orientation/induction and follow up with technical leads on the process.

Programme Support:

• Ensuring coordination and information sharing between technical and operation teams (finance, logistics)
• Participate in reviews, audits and ensure findings are documented and action plans /recommendations are shared with relevant persons in the Humanitarian team.
• Coordinate the preparation of timely programme and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal SC requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• Work closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation team to ensure sector technical leads have the required tools to put in place sectoral M & E plans
• Maintain and update the funding and budget tracker
• Ensure all monthly reports and briefing notes to donors and HQ are reviewed and approved by the Humanitarian Manager as appropriate
• Act as focal point for all queries and additional information requests from donors, SCI or SC Members.
• Support program staff and re-inforce their capacity in order to document the case studies and centralise them for follow up in collaboration with the communications and advocacy teams.
• Maintaining movement plans for all Humanitarian staff
• Follow up on the trackers for all departments for Humanitarian Programme e.g. HR planner, Procurement tracker.
• Follow up on minutes from the different clusters/stakeholders and meetings with partners and donors.

Grant/Award Support:

• Tracking grants when required
• Creation of a good award file system ( electronic and hard copies)
• Maintain an updated programme equipment, tools and accessories in liaison with Logistic and Admin including those of programme partners supported by SCI.
• Planning and programming work to be done quarterly in reference to the workplans
• Aware and upholding the donor rules and regulation/compliance issues
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving results together with children and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved
• Creates a managerial environment in-country to lead, enable and maintain our culture of child safeguarding.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for self and team, takes responsibility for own personal development and encourages team to do the same
• Widely shares personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with own team, colleagues, members, donors and partners
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency
• Always acts in the best interests of children

Qualifications and Experience
Essential:

• Minimum of first Degree or HND in Economics, Development, Business Admin or Finance and a postgraduate degree will be an added advantage.
• Significant prior NGO experience 3 - 5 years within a complex/large scale country programme and in emergency response/humanitarian environments
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work proactively and flexibly alongside a wide range of team members A flexible approach to work, with understanding of team working in a rapidly changing environment and at times under extreme pressure
• Ability to solve problems, work under own initiative and see tasks through to completion
• Proven organisational and time management skills with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while maintaining attention to detail
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including presentation skills
• Excellent computer literacy, confident in using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and use of e-mail and electronic diaries
• Excellent administrative and general office experience, including knowledge and experience of developing administrative systems
• Strong numeracy skills and experience of tracking and monitoring budgets; budget planning, phasing, forecasting and reporting experience; experience of working to tight budgets
• Commitment to support cross organisational initiatives and team work-planning and understanding of how to contribute to these
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Understanding of and commitment to development work.
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.

Desirable

• Experience of Cash transfer programming.
• Experience with Save the Children.
• Experience of writing or supporting writing of proposals for institutional donors.
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts.

Application Closing Date
11th September, 2015.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should kindly send their C.V. and covering letter explaining why you are suitable to: [email protected] State position clearly in the subject field as applications without appropriate subject will be disqualified.

Note: Female candidates are encouraged to apply. Applications received after the Closing Date above will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.