LGA Officer 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: LGA Officer

Requisition ID: 220000DI
Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Employee Status: Fixed Term
Post Type: National
Team: Yobe EU Resilience
Grade: 4
Reports to: Programme Manager
Staff Indirectly Reporting  to this Post: Community Mobilization Assistant, Payment Assistant and Data Assistant

Background
Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in over 20 countries around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves.

The EU Support to Early Recovery from Conflict and Resilience Building Project in Yobe state is a three and half years EU supported project that aims to strengthen Yobe State Government and community capacity to build households’ and communities’ resilience to recurrent shocks (conflict and its negative effects). The project is expected to deliver results around various components including social protection, nutrition and health, food security and livelihoods, child protection, social cohesion and education in emergency. All of which have different targets that contribute to strengthening resilience at household, community and state level.

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 purpose of this role is to plan and manage the delivery of project activities for the EU Resilience Programme at LGA level including targeting and enrolment of beneficiaries via community-based structures, supporting the monitoring of beneficiary accountability mechanisms, post distribution monitoring and case management, social and behavior change communication, advocacy.
• The post holder will also act as focal point for partnership with LGA authorities.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities
Reporting to Programme Manager the LGA Officer will be accountable for in three main objectives  and will be  expected to perform the following duties:

• Objective 1: To plan and manage delivery of all project activities at LGA level:
  • Oversee technical and administrative aspects of all LGA level EU Yobe Resilience activities 
  • Provide support to the preparation and implementation of  annual project work plans
  • Build required partnerships and collaborative relationships with government and other partners at LGA level
  • Represent SCI  and participate in LGA level coordination platforms
  • Support LGA budget tracking and progress monitoring; and reporting  ( including drafting of quarterly and annual reports, activity reports and other related communications) Identify problems in the implementation process and propose solutions
  • Evaluate regularly the impact of the activities and propose changes for improvement
• Objective 2: Facilitate community mobilization activities to support targeting and enrolment of beneficiaries and improved nutrition education, attitudes and practices:
  • Oversee the use and application of programme SoPs for the cash transfer component of the programme
  • Support capacity building and awareness raising at community level
  • Oversee and facilitate capacity building and training of LGA stakeholders to support effective cash transfer implementation
  • Provide input and support the implementation of key cash transfer systems i.e. M&E, payments, grievance, targeting and MIS
  • Provide support at LGA level to planning, roll-out, deployment of  key programme components
  • Support enhancement and integrate agreed recommendations, tools, guidelines into the  various programme components
• Objective 3: Support the development, implementation and follow-up of beneficiary accountability mechanisms:
  • Provide input and support the design and implementation of the beneficiary accountability mechanism
  • Coordination activities  at LGA level in relation to building the programme beneficiary accountability mechanism
  • Support the review and assessment of prioritised components of the accountability mechanism
  • Provide support to planning, roll-out, deployment and piloting of the beneficiary accountability mechanism
  • Support enhancement and integrate agreed recommendations, tools, guidelines into the  systems.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree or HND in Programme Management, Health and Nutrition, or related Social Sciences
•  Any training on social protection will be an added advantage.

Skills & Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years’ experience working in Social Protection,  Project Management or Development
• Experience in planning, managing and delivering a programme, including costing, managing and monitoring budgets
• Sound strategic thinking and planning skills, including ability to think creatively and innovate and to set priorities, manageable work plans and evaluate progress
• Previous experience with local and international NGOs
• Strong programme management background, including HR management
• Effective resource planning
• Computer literate
• Ability to build support from staff across teams and across members, and to build the capacity of others.
• Ability to work in partnership with government and other organizations’ staff
• Strong communications skills (both written and verbal) in English and Hausa
• Ability to speak local language (Hausa, Kare-kare, Kanuri Ngizim)
• Independence, adaptability and flexibility
• Commitment to team working and understanding of how to contribute
• Commitment to Save the Children mission, values and approach (includes child protection, equal opportunities and health and safety).
• Experience working in the public sector will  be an added advantage.

Working Conditions:

• Ability and willingness to travel to remote projects sites and stay in basic conditions when necessary.

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values n Practice)
Accountability:

• Hold oneself accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children
• Accuracy and timeliness in all areas of responsibility

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for oneself and the team, take responsibility for his/her own personal development and encourage the team to do the same.
• Future orientated, think strategically and on a country programme wide scale.

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
• Values diversity and different people’s perspectives, able to work cross-culturally.

Creativity:

• Develop and encourage new and innovative solutions to problems faced
• willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

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

Application Closing Date
25th January, 2022.