Social Protection Specialist at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Social Protection Specialist

Job ID: 210004PO
Location: Kaduna
Employee Status: Fixed Term
Grade: 3
Team: Nigeria Country Office

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3 - The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with children or young people and, in the overseas context all posts are considered to be level 3 posts in view of potential situations which may allow staff unsupervised access to vulnerable children and young people.

Role Purpose

• The post holder will strategically support the planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the technical aspects of a social protection systems strengthening programme that is working to reduce multi-dimensional poverty across Nigeria, with a particular emphasis on children and caregivers.
• With guidance from the senior social protection specialist, he/she will primarily provide technical support to the social protection programs of the governments of Kaduna and Zamfara states in four cores areas:
  • Ensuring the expansion of (child-sensitive) social protection coverage;
  • Promoting policy and programmatic synergies between other relevant sectors and social protection;
  • Promoting social protection measures, to improve gender equality in education; and
  • The development of risk informed and shock responsive social protection. The postholder may also be required to contribute to strategic planning on social protection at federal level under the supervision of the Senior Social Protection Specialist.

Scope of the Role:

• Reports to: Senior Social Protection Specialist.

Key Areas of Accountability:

• Support the delivery of timely and high quality technical assistance on social protection to relevant stakeholders at federal and state levels. 
• Contribute to strategic planning on social protection with relevant stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Governments of Kaduna and Zamfara states, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and the Social Protection Development Partners Group.
• Participate in national and state level advocacy initiatives on social protection with the aim of influencing key policy decisions to ensure more adequate consideration for the needs of children and their caregivers, people with disabilities and other social excluded or vulnerable groups.
• Provide technical support the development of policy and analytical tools for informing the design and implementation of shock responsive social protection systems at federal and state levels
• Support the development of key messages and materials to enhance policy outreach and advocacy for social protection.
• Plan and implement social protection capacity development activities, including but not limited to training, workshops, seminars, conferences and meetings.
• Support other technical leads within the programme to identify and respond to the capacity building needs of critical government and non-government partners and stakeholders.   
• Contribute to the body of knowledge on social protection to inform public dialogue and policy and programme decision-making based on new evidence.
• Alongside the Knowledge Management Coordinator, promote knowledge sharing and best practices in social protection within the programme.
• In partnership with other technical leads, support activities aimed at strengthening national civil society engagement in social protection.
• Support the monitoring and reporting of results as per the programmes ToC, log-frame and results framework.

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility
• High level of accuracy in work, and ability to analyse complex sets of relationships and situations
• Holds self and others accountable

Ambition:

• Future-orientated, thinks pro-actively
• Driving technical excellence

Collaboration:

• Working effectively with stakeholders to achieve common goals
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Designing more effective admin systems
• Willing to take disciplined risks
• Able to build evidence and develop innovative approaches

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency, demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Skills & Experience

• Post-graduate Qualification in International Development, Economics, Sociology, Social Policy or related relevant discipline.
• Strong grounding in social protection programming and policy, demonstrated through a combination of practical experience, including policy and research, and formal education or training.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in program planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation, ideally in social protection.
• Ability to represent the programme at a policy and strategic level as well as to engage with and influence key stakeholders at a high level
• Previous experience in a similar role
• Demonstrable track record of meeting or exceeding programme targets, while maintaining technical quality.
• Proven ability to motivate and develop others
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles
• Strong communication, and interpersonal skills in English.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Self-motivated and results orientated.
• Demonstrable understanding of Value for Money and the UK’s FCDO results agenda (desirable).

Additional Job Responsibilities:

• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

• The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Application Closing Date
24th August, 2021.