Gender and Protection Officer at Albarka Health Spring Foundation (AHSF)

Albarka Health Spring Foundation (AHSF) is a non-governmental organization dully registered with Nigerian government through Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC/IT NO: 91613). Existing since October 2016, AHSF focuses on improving the quality of life of vulnerable population across communities in North East Nigeria. AHSF operates both in emergency and developmental context and have its program principally rooted in identifying gaps that affects population or increases vulnerability of population and bridging those gaps through resource base planning and implementation. Our Mission is to Improve the quality of lives of Children, Women, the Elderly and other Marginalized Vulnerable groups through Human Development and Interventions to Strengthen Communities.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Gender and Protection Officer

Location: Gwoza and Bama, Borno
Employment Type: Contract
Contract Duration: 6 Months
Expected Start Date: ASAP
Sector: Nutrition / Health

Project Implementation

• Provide lifesaving quality Health care and Nutrition services to the conflict affected individuals in Bama and Gwoza    LGA's during the 2023 Lean season. From July 2023 to December 2023. Tom brown approach will be used for nutrition program in Gwoza LGA only.

Job Purpose

• The Gender-Protection Officer’s main assignment will aim at building the capacity of local stakeholders, such as community leaders and other members of the project team on Protection and GBV principles.
• He/she shall work closely with the beneficiaries on a daily basis to ensure programming is gender sensitive and takes into account the needs of all beneficiaries.
• The Gender Officer will support the Project Team in conducting the gender assessments throughout the life of the project and will be present at every training session to ensure activities are being implemented in a gender sensitive way.
• The Gender-Protection Officer will support the NUT/HLTH team in providing protection specific outreach and awareness sessions to the beneficiaries. The Gender-Protection Officer will design, organize, and chair the Gender Discussions Meetings with the beneficiaries, to promote the participation and empowerment of women throughout the project cycle.
• The incumbent will report to the Project Coordinator and will support the implementation of gender and protection programme activities.
• The main aim of this position is to support developing community-based protection practices, programs, and activities and mainstream gender in all programming focusing on resilience building

Duties & Responsibilities of the Position

• Build the capacity of all project staff on Protection and GBV-related issues, in order to enhance internal knowledge and expertise and provide qualitative delivery of activities with high protection standards and enhance protection sensitive approach within the targeted communities.
• Work closely with the project team and the beneficiaries to ensure activities are being implemented in a gender sensitive manner.
• Hold regular meetings with the beneficiaries to determine needs
• Build a strong and working relationship with the female beneficiaries, ensuring they feel supported throughout the life-span of the project.
• Support Gender and Protection program and the communities to implement protection, GBV and gender related projects and activities.
• Conduct capacity building trainings for staff and communities in implementation of minimum standards and various SOPs on gender and protection.
• Coordinate and monitor all gender and protection activities in the field, ensuring quality implementation and achievements of results by communities.
• Undertake regular travels to field locations to conduct monitoring visits, activities and/or provide technical support to the communities.
• In case of delays and concerns relating to implementation, raise red flags to the relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure smooth implementation of the direct implementation components of the gender and protectionprogramincludingcomplaintsandfeedbackmechanism.
• Attend the field coordination meetings in collaboration with the other program teams.
• Prepare, organize and conduct the protection-oriented Focus Group Discussions and Gender Discussion Meetings during project implementation
• Ensure equal participation of women and men in the activities and ensure to have an appropriate complaint and feedback mechanism to collect the communities’ feedback in a gender sensitive manner and ensure that the programme includes these feedbacks throughout the project implementation
• Meet regularly with the program team to fine-tune programming, ensuring activities are implemented using a gendered lens.
• Support in developing training materials, modules and material for sessions, oversight on whether staff and mainstreaming gender by appropriately apply the skills acquired through trainings, include planning, evaluative monitoring and reporting.
• Assist in monitoring protection needs and service provision in sites according to agree upon guidelines, standards and indicators.
• Support vulnerable individuals identified during project implementation.
• Ensure Do No Harm approach is applied in all activities conducted with the site and host communities.
• Support/help to prepare partner organizations monthly reports and specific reports on programme related topics.
• Review and improve the quality of organization’s existing data collection tools/databases/reporting templates on gender and protection specific activities.
• Provide support in reviewing monitoring and evaluation reports as well as conducting gender and protection related assessments.
• Ensure close coordination with the M&E team to report quality data for gender and protection related outputs.

General Responsibilities:

• Keeping detailed, organized records of project information and documentation.
• Submit weekly and monthly work plans along with detailed activity reports to the Project Manager.
• Maintain constant contact with team members, direct and indirect beneficiaries.
• Respect the total confidentiality of information collected and circulated.
• Adhere to the AHSF Code of Conduct and security management system.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• BA or equivalent in Social Science, Social Work, Psychology, Counselling, Women/ Gender Studies related programs.
• 5 years of experience in protection gender programming, including significant experience on GBV, women’svoice and/or economic empowerment.
• Proven skills in partnership building, influencing and negotiation with a range of actors.
• Excellent interpersonal and team skills;
• Effective procurement and contract management skills;
• Excellent skills MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Power point;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to multi-task;
• Ability to manage competing priorities
• Languages: Ability to speak local dialects is mandatory (Kanuri Language).
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, ethics and respect for aid recipients at all times.
• Ability to engage with community members, partners, government and other stakeholders in a respectful manner (essential).
• Experience with participatory fieldwork, methodologies, monitoring and reporting.
• Patience, good personal organization, good communication and ability to work in teams.
• Efficient and responsible, with good personal accountability.
• Initiative, flexibility, team spirit, willingness to learn, and a positive attitude.
• Ability to work under time pressure, independently and with limited supervision.
• Computer literate (IT) and good level of numeracy.

Essential Skills & Knowledge Required:

• The holder of this position should have a university degree in Gender Studies, Social Work, Human Rights or any other relevant field.
• This position requires at least 5 years of experience working in child protection and gender development programming, preferably in fragile contexts

Application Closing Date
8th July, 2023.

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

Important Information and Notice
Carefully observe the details as follow:

• Contact details (name, position, email address and tel. no.) of 3 professional references must be provided, whereas 1 must be for the latest employer including that of the HR/Admin person. Please do not attach any written recommendations.
• Only motivated applicants who are able to perform the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications will be considered. CV's - only applications will not be considered. Please note: The position title and location must be written in the subject line of the e-mail; otherwise, it may not be considered
• CVs will be reviewed on rolling bases
• Due to the large numbers of expected applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted and invited for an interview.
• AHSF considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability.

Brief Conditions:

• AHSF reserves the right to transfer position as per need / project demand any time during the project.
• Travelling from home to duty station will be staff own responsibility but facilitation could be provided as per situation;
• AHSF reserves the right to close the application before deadline, if the required number of candidates is attained rolling basis review of applications.
• Candidates will be responsible for his/her own travel, accommodation and feeding during the recruitment process;
• Other Terms & Condition will be part of Job Contract;

Note

• Women are strongly encouraged to Apply.
• AHSF is an Equal Opportunity Employer AHSF considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
• The AHSF and AHSF workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in AHSF - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Transparency, Accountability, Partnership, Integrity, Team work (TAPIT). In accordance with these values, the AHSF operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
• Treat beneficiaries with dignity and apply AHSF’s Code of Ethics and Conduct, the UN Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in the field.

Inclusivity Statement:

• Albarka Health Spring Foundationis an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics.
• As part of their adherence to the values of AHSF, all AHSF Intern and Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other state.