Community Engagement Officer at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world's leading crisis response agencies, providing life-saving assistance and supporting recovery and reconstruction for people affected by war and natural disasters. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, IRC assists people from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Community Engagement Officer

Requisition ID: req6183
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Governance
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Scope of Work

• “Under the project entitled “From Response to Resilience (R2R)”, a consortium, led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), including ACTED and IMPACT Initiatives (IMPACT) will adopt an area-based, multi-risk, and multi-stakeholder approach to system strengthening for disaster risk reduction, durable solutions for displacement, and urban resilience for communities in Maiduguri, Nigeria.
• The consortium will focus on neighbourhoods acutely affected by displacement and rapid urbanisation, prioritising three areas with a high influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living alongside vulnerable host residents.
• The project will map urban risks, including risks related to human conflict and social dynamics, flooding, fire, and disease outbreaks, and local services and capacities, including humanitarian, public, and private inputs.”
• The IRC is seeking two Community Engagement Officers to support it’s From Response to Resilience project in Maiduguri, Nigeria.
• Through the project, we will build the resilience of the people, neighborhoods, and governmental systems of urban Maiduguri to address the risks the city currently faces.
• We will implement this project while supporting the local integration of internally displaced persons wishing to reside within Maiduguri permanently.
• As Community Engagement Officer, you will serve as the main point of contact for Maiduguri’s communities, ensuring that the project is effectively implemented on schedule and to maximum benefit for Maiduguri's residents, in tune with their needs and preferences.
• You will support the implementation of the three-year Area Based Approach project, including ongoing and consistent communication with community leaders and city stakeholders, representing the project in various fora, and organizing community engagement sessions.
• Working closely with the Senior Urban Resilience Manager and sector leads, you will communicate regularly with project partners to ensure the delivery of project activities in the city and that activities align with other sectors as much as possible.
• The position has a strong emphasis on community engagement and participation and treating all stakeholders with transparency and respect.

Major Responsibilities
Project Quality and Strategy:

• Oversee the successful delivery of the project within one specific neighborhood.
• Provide technical and management oversight to all project partners.
• Liaise with IRC Nigeria technical coordinators and the Urban Technical Advisor to ensure relevant support, tools and resources are being provided and integrated into project activities.
• Ensure activities are in line with the principles of social accountability, urban resilience, and community led development.
• Serve as the main point of contact for one specific neighborhood, collecting their feedback, reporting back to them on progress, and ensuring that all members of the community are able to freely and safely voice their needs and preferences.
• Design and implement a 2.5 year community engagement strategy in partnership with the Senior Urban Resilience Manager, Urban Technical Advisor, and Consortium Partners.
• Liaise directly with Maiduguri’s State and city authorities on behalf of your representative community.
• Ensure that actions identified through the action are representative of the communities they are meant to serve.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and mentorship to support successful staff performance.

Coordination & Representation:

• As needed and in coordination with other project sector leads and country program management, represents IRC in inter-agency forums and discussions.
• Regularly communicate with internal program and operational partners, the Protection/Rule of Law, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Children’s Protection, Economic Recovery and Development, Education and other IRC colleagues.
• Attend relevant donor meetings and present on project activities in support of the Senior Urban Resilience Manager.

Qualifications
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences, Economics, International Affairs or related field required. Master's Degree in International Development, Urban Planning, or Public Policy related field a plus.

Work Experience:

• Over two years of professional humanitarian/development experience; Experience with neighborhood-based projects highly desirable.
• Experience with community engagement and participatory processes. Knowledge of urban resilience concepts a plus.
• Strong presentation skills and writing ability.
• Able to solve complex problems through a reciprocal and consultative approach
• Prior experience working with government actors and/or community leaders is required.

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

• Strong program/technical and budget management skills, planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills.
• Strong technical and operational understanding of urban development programming in a marginalized context.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• You have a solid work ethic and desire to work every single day for the improvement of the lives of the people we serve.
• Excellent relationship-building, interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively represent IRC at forums and with donors.
• Strong negotiation skills essential with experience in conflict resolution desirable.
• Ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with community members.
• You have a positive attitude towards work, and are a self-starter, highly motivated, inspired, and collaborative.
• You promote teamwork, thrive in a multi-cultural environment, are flexible, and handle pressure with professional grace.
• You don't shy away from a challenge and are excited by the idea of piloting a new way of working in humanitarian contexts.
• You are patient with difficult processes and take time to collect feedback even if it slows down your work plan.

Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

• Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

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