Assistant Technical Officer - Protection at Family Health International (FHI 360)

Family Health International (FHI 360) is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology - creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 70 countries and all U.S. states and territories.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Assistant Technical Officer - Protection

Requisition No: 2023200665
Location: Bama, Borno
Employment Type: Full-time
Supervisor: Field Coordinator 
Technical supervisor: Senior Technical Officer- GBV

Project Description

• Northeast Nigeria is currently facing a growing humanitarian crisis with a vast number of Internally Displaced Persons in need of emergency assistance.
• These IDPs are living among host communities, lacking access to livelihoods and resources, ultimately leading to unprecedented levels of malnutrition and food insecurity.
• FHI 360 has been working in Nigeria for over 30 years and responded to the humanitarian crisis in the NE for five years. In anticipation of a new project, and in support of ongoing ones, FHI360 seeks an experienced Assistant Technical Officer - Protection to support our response to the humanitarian crisis in NE Nigeria.

Job Purpose

• Under the overall supervision of the Field Coordinator (FC)- and technical supervision of the Senior Technical Officer – GBV, the Assistant Technical Officer Protection will in day-to-day activities; implement Gender- Based Violence (GBV), child protection (CP) and psychosocial support (PSS) prevention and response activities at the field sites including safe spaces, SHLS, health facilities, IDP Camps and host communities. 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for implementation of the overall GBV, CP & PSS response including individual case management for children, women and girls, individual and group counselling, and psychosocial support activities for children, adults ( at SHLs)  and survivors of GBV in the Safe Spaces. 
• Adhere to survivor centered approach and GBV response guiding principles.
• Apply all GBV case management steps to provide specialized and individualized support to survivors of gender-based violence.  
• Record all GBV incidents on the primero including development of action plan and ensure that they are stored in a safe and confidential manner.
• With informed consent from the survivor, engage family members of survivors and empower them with skills to help survivors cope.
• Engage caregivers, parents, and other key relations of the child in implementation of case planning with an aim to provide social support to the child to cope with different distress they may face. Provide confidential referral based on the best interest of the child to other CP service providers as part of case management; do regular follow-up to ensure that all the cases adequately receiving needed support.
• Provide individual and group-based counselling as well as case management to beneficiaries in need and identify appropriate referral pathways for cases that require MHPSS and do necessary follow ups to ensure their full recovery.
• Provide appropriate care for people with special needs (older people, people with disabilities, etc.)
• In coordination with the local government, child protection management committees and the Technical officer- CP/PSS and other community stakeholders, identify children in need of alternative care placement. and implement it in compliance with related guidelines. 
• Identify alternative caregivers for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), abandoned and orphaned children as per the alternative care identification and placement process, vet and train them. Conduct regular and rigorous monitoring of children placed in alternative care to ensure children remain safe, well cared for and nurtured. 
• Work with community volunteers and community- based protection mechanisms  ( CBPMs) to identify other children with special needs (including children with disabilities) and do necessary referrals as well as advocacy from relevant services providers. 
• Provide confidential and appropriate referrals of GBV cases to critical services including child protection, clinical care, specialized mental health services (MHPSS), accompany of survivors to services where appropriate and do all necessary follow- ups to ensure appropriate support services have been provided to the survivor.
• Provide training, weekly coaching, on-the-job training and daily mentoring to community volunteers ( including  master trainers and  facilitators) and perform all tasks related to their contracts in VMS. Provide supportive supervision to community volunteers to monitor the application of their training knowledge.
• Monitor quality of message dissemination by community volunteers by conducting joint awareness sessions together with the community volunteers.
• Oversee awareness campaigns in handy collaboration with other sectors (Health, Nutrition and WASH) and various stakeholders (government authorities, local and religious leaders) especially during the celebration of Child Protection and GBV  related special/calendar events. 
• Conduct quarterly activity review sessions with beneficiaries to identify what activities are working and what activities need to be improved.
• Serve as organizational liaison to external organizations working in GBV, CP and PSS at coordination meetings in the LGA and conference as assigned.
• Work closely with CBPM, stakeholders, CVs and relevant humanitarian actors to organize the celebration of protection special events such as the International Women’s Day, International Day of the Girl Child, Day of the African Child and 16 days of Activism against GBV.  
• Design and implement expressive activities (drama), traditional rituals, context-appropriate sport/recreational activities, psychoeducation, family interventions, healing education to help adult people build resilience and social connection.
• Contribute to the development of appropriate IEC materials on GBV, Child Protection and PSS.
• Initiate creative facilitation skills to be used by community volunteers during dissemination of PSS related messages during indoor and outdoor activities.  
• Work closely with community stakeholders to establish and strengthen community-based mechanisms through   capacity building on CP/GBV prevention and response involving training, coaching, and mentoring.
• Liaise with other FHI 360 sectors; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition, Health including Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) to ensure protection (GBV, CP and PSS) is effectively mainstreamed throughout activity implementation.
• Contribute to Sector and Multisectoral Needs Assessment and related reports in collaboration with other ATO based in the location. 
• Contribute to the development of concept notes and project proposals when necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned by Supervisors.

External Coordination:

• With support from the Protection Coordinator, the STO GBV and the Child Protection and GBV Subsector Working Group (CP-GBVSS TWGs), conduct quarterly review of the Child Protection  and GBV Service director and update agency focal points.
• Attend or chair (where applicable) the CP and GBV monthly coordination meetings and share minutes including action points with the Supervisor (s) for review and submission to the Protection Coordinator for action and / or higher-level advocacy. 

Reporting:

• Conduct trend analysis for child protection concerns to inform community awareness messaging.
• Input all CP and GBV data into the CPIMS+ and GBVIMS, respectively on a regular basis and submit to the supervisor for review and approval.
• Complete and maintain case management records and ensure that they are stored in a safe and confidential manner.
• Compile weekly and monthly community outreach and group psychosocial support activities as well as monthly specific protection reports and share with STO- GBV /CP for review upon data validation by M&E.
• Contribute to the collection of lessons learned and project impact from beneficiaries in the community. 

Qualifications and Requirements

• BA / B.Sc in Social Work, Sociology, Social Sciences, Psychology or a similar Degree with 1-3 years relevant experience in GBV, child protection and PSS programming including Case management, PSS, GBV & child protection prevention  and response as well as setting up and management of child friendly safe spaces or SHLS and WGSSs.
• Extensive knowledge of GBV/CP/PSS in humanitarian context. 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality. 
• Proven experience in working with IDPs or refugees, returnees, and host communities.  
• Familiarity with Nigerian law enforcement systems and NGOs and CBOs is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

• Extensive knowledge of GBV, CP-PSS and Counselling in crisis situations.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• At least 3-year experience GBV/CP case management and PSS in humanitarian context.
• Proven experience in working with IDPs or refugees, returnees and host communities. 
• Experience in facilitating training and mentorship of local communities to support child protection, GBV and PSS activities.
• Understanding Protection related coordination mechanisms.
•  Proven experience in “Survivor Centered Approach” implementation and GBVIMs.
• Proven experience in CP case management and CPIMS+
• Excellent reporting writing skills.
• Strong communication (oral and written) and negotiation skill.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Understanding and commitment to child’s rights and child protection and GBV issues.
• Ability to live in the field with minimum access to services.
• Excellent computer skills.
• Dynamic, pro-active, and self-motivated.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and deliver high volumes of work with minimal supervision.
• Mandatory fluent in English and local languages – Hausa, Kanuri
• Acts according to FHI360 values; uses ethical considerations to guide decisions.
• Solid understanding of Safeguarding and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP).  
• Flexible, respectful, willing to cooperate with and support project stakeholders including colleagues, beneficiaries, local community, and local leaders.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Safeguarding of Children:  FHI 360 is committed to protecting the dignity, rights and well-being of all children involved in its programs and activities around the world.