Livelihood Officer at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Each year, we and our partners reach millions of children in communities around the world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Livelihood Officer

Ref No: 190000A2
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employee Status: Fixed Term

Role

• To support implementation of FSL component of project. More specifically, assist in the improvement of livelihood programs. S/he is principally responsible for the implementation Livelihoods project.

Main Responsibilities
The post holder will receive a context specific ToR for each deployment, which will draw upon the responsibilities outlined below.

Programme Support (typically will be at field level):

• Oversee the implementation of Livelihoods activities and administration of the teams across program field locations;
• Develop activity work plans and manage day-to-day activity implementation;
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to community needs, meets targets, and is carried out in line with best practices;
• Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to vulnerability criteria;
• Establish and maintain effective program reporting, and monitoring and evaluation systems (to track, analyse and report on results) for both internal and external use;
• Integrate community approaches, protection mainstreaming, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate;
• Ensure program filing system is in place, adheres to internal and donor regulation and filing is regularly maintained;
• Coordinate with MEL team to map, identify and register program participants.
• Lead in the selection and registration of beneficiaries with support from MEL Team and Livelihood Assistants.
• Coordinate the sensitization of beneficiaries.
• Facilitate training of beneficiaries on financial literacy, bookkeeping and smart saving practices.
• Lead the market assessment to ascertain the most profitable skills in the intervention locations.
• Coordinate post distribution monitoring with MEL team.
• Ensure effective community engagement to create enabling environment and ownership.
• Submit monthly program update including success stories to the supervisor.
• Identify emerging issues related to the livelihood programme and make recommendation for further solution.
• In collaboration with project and partner staff, train Livelihood Field assistants on program component, its implementation and prepare narrative report of activities carried out.
• Working closely with the Livelihoods Coordinator and/or other senior programme staff, support timely programme and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal SC requirements and any relevant external donor requirements.
• With support from the Livelihoods Coordinator and/or other senior programme staff, identify programme supplies needs and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.
• With support from the Accountability Lead ensure accountability is enforced in all project activities as well as ensuring that feedback from children and their families is considered in project design/implementation
• With support from the community mobilization lead, ensure effective and efficient information sharing to relevant stakeholders and continuous programme sensitization.
• Work closely with partners and their staff to ensure project activities are implemented in time and within the stipulated quality.
• To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Capacity Building:

• Supervise, hire and orient team members, as necessary.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
• Identify any gaps or capacity needs within the team and ensure training and capacity building are incorporated into program planning.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children
• This may involve supporting coordination working groups within the IDP camps and host communities or target project sites.
• Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information and sharing with the project heads

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Core Behaviours
Understanding humanitarian contexts and application of humanitarian principles:

• Participates in disaster coordination mechanisms and interagency cooperation
• Recognize opportunities to evolve the current humanitarian portfolio into a more effective and impactful portfolio addressing the changing needs of conflict-affected populations.
• Contribute to countrywide strategy development.

Achieving results effectively:

• Ensures efficient and transparent use of resources in accordance with internal controls
• Establishes staff engagement mechanisms.
• Addresses difficult situations and makes tough decisions confidently and calmly
• Considers the wider impact of decisions to be made in the short and long-term.
• Continuously provides feedback and updates to achieve improved results
• Coordinates with stakeholders to avoid duplication and maximise resources
• Documents lessons learned and applies them to future projects

Maintaining and developing collaborative relationships:

• Establishes and maintains clear communication and dialogue with disaster and conflict affected people and other stakeholders
• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with communities, local authorities and other stakeholders.
• Ensure effective coordination with relevant working groups, UN, ICRC and colleagues I/NGO agencies.

Operating safely and securely:

• Identifies and communicates risk and threats and minimises these for oneself and the agency
• Takes measures to do no harm and to minimise risks for partners and the communities
• Reduces vulnerability by complying with safety and security protocols set by the organisation
• Demonstrates an understanding of wider UN/NGO security coordination and how the organisation can benefit from, and contribute to, those mechanisms

Managing yourself in a pressured and changing environment:

• Helps team members to practise stress management through prioritisation of workloads and modelling of appropriate self care
• Remains effective and retains perspective in the face of difficult or demanding situations
• Demonstrates personal integrity by using one’s position responsibly and fairly
• Maintains ethical and professional behaviour in accordance with relevant codes of conduct
• Plans, prioritises and performs tasks well under pressure
• Takes responsibility for own work and for the impact of own actions

Leadership: Action; Thinking; Self; Inspiring; Developing Others:

• Demonstrates managerial courage by confronting difficult situations and seeking resolution, and stating willingness to champion ideas
• Demonstrates approachability and trust by listening carefully to others and valuing their contribution, and making others feel comfortable by being open and honest about their thoughts and feelings
• Demonstrates self-development and management by taking responsibility for own development, and actively seeking out feedback to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Makes positive statements about work
• Effectively influences others by understanding their interests and showing how they will be met by own preferred solution
• Gives constructive feedback to enhance capabilities and responsibilities to another for the purpose of his/her development

Qualifications & Experience
Essential:

• Minimum of a First Degree qualification - Bachelor of Agriculture or equivalent in any related field and experience (in agricultural research programme) Income generating activities
• Minimum of 2 years post NYSC progressive relevant experience of working in Livelihood programme, IGA
• Relevant experience of working in livelihoods, including report writing.
• Previous experience of project management and implementation
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation
• Experience of training and capacity building staff
• Some experience of representation and ability to represent SC effectively in external forums.
• Knowledge of institutional donors and experience of developing proposals
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Excellent communication and strong influencing skills
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Desirable:

• High level of communication in a local language related to working environment
• Familiarity with integration of programme Livelihood and FSL programming
• Experience in gender mainstreaming, social protection programming.

Application Closing Date
12th February, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Applicants are advised that Save the Children International does not require any payment or expense during the entire recruitment process. Any request in this direction should be immediately reported as it is contrary to the values and practices of our organization.
• Due to the volume of applications received, Save the Children may not provide feedback to all applicants. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as received. Save the Children reserves the right to change the closing date, if considered necessary.