Project Officer (Digital Peacebuilding) at Search for Common Ground (SFCG) - 2 Openings

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Officer (Digital Peacebuilding) - Nigerian Youth CARE, Nigerian Youth Collective Action for Religious Engagement

Locations: Plateau and Bauchi
Employment Type: Full-time

Position Summary

• We are seeking Project Officers with some experience in digital peacebuilding for a consortium project in Bauchi, Plateau, and Gombe.
• The role will specifically provide program implementation support for a 24-month project funded by the United States Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL).
• The project will be implemented in consortium with an implementing Partner - The Youth Leaders Network (YLN) with the overall goal of empowering diverse youth in Bauchi, Plateau, and Gombe States to advance inter-religious tolerance and FoRB.
• The position requires basic experience in conflict transformation, peacebuilding, digital literacy, and social media engagement in addressing the root causes of conflicts related to FoRB and inter-religious tolerance which are driven by young people.
• The position holder must be organized and experienced in program implementation, utilizing digital and social media listening tools in responding to real-time conflict, peace efforts, security, and the overall aim of conflict transformation.
• This position will be based in our Bauchi office, with frequent travels to Gombe and Plateau States. She/he will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager.
• The position holder will support the project implementation in collaboration with a team of Officers and Assistants.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the Project Manager in establishing the youth led advocacy platform in Bauchi State
• Coordinate with the Project Manager and support units in engaging youth activists in Plateau, social media influencers and community stewards in Bauchi, Plateau and Gombe
• Organize monthly meetings with the youth led advocacy network and other platforms supporting in partnership with Youth Leaders Network. 
• Participate and share analysis of snapshots and other reports with the youth network and other stakeholders 
• Support the utilization of social media platforms and other online resources to connect young people from different religious backgrounds and facilitate dialogue and exchange. This could include creating online communities or forums where young people can discuss their beliefs, practices, and challenges in a respectful and open-minded manner.
• Support the development of educational materials and resources, such as videos, podcasts, and interactive quizzes, that teach about the beliefs, practices, and histories of different religious communities in the state. These resources could be shared through social media platforms and other online channels.
• Lead implementation of initiatives that utilize virtual and augmented reality technologies to create immersive experiences that bring young people from different religious backgrounds together and facilitate dialogue and understanding.
• Use data analytics and other digital tools to track the impact and effectiveness of inter-religious programs and activities, and make adjustments as needed to ensure that they are meeting their goals and objectives.
• Work with tech companies and other organizations to create partnerships and collaborations that can support the use of digital tools to promote inter-religious understanding and respect for diversity among young people in the state.
• Engage with young people directly to gather feedback and ideas about how digital tools can be used most effectively to promote inter-religious understanding and respect for diversity in the state.
• In collaboration with the Communications Coordinator, document key success stories from the project’s engagements.
• Support programmatic and logistical support and assistance to the Project team
• Provide weekly and monthly progress reports to supervisor and other country teams

Education

• A Degree in Conflict Resolution, Peace Studies, Peacebuilding, Conflict Management, or related field
• Additional education in conflict management, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution.

Required Experience:

• At least 3 year’s experience as a Project Officer, two of those years should be in the non-profit and NGO sector in relevant topics (as per the above-mentioned list) for a diverse range of audiences (from communities to authorities); 
• Understanding of and experience in the use of Google Analytics, real-time monitoring and tracking, and utilization of social media platforms for peacebuilding.
• In-depth knowledge of the conflict and FoRB context in Bauchi, Plateau, and Gombe State

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrate integrity and promote Search values and ethical standards;
• Promote the vision, mission, and strategic objectives of Search;
• Demonstrate capacity to adapt to a multicultural context, tolerance, and respect for issues related to gender, religion, race, and nationality;
• Proficiency in the use of MS Office 
• Demonstrate capacity in developing concept notes for activities and engagement with youth groups and youth led organisations.

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Good knowledge of the local languages will be an asset.
• Knowledge of civil society organizations, government agencies, private sector companies, and international development agencies, with experience working in partnership within some of these sectors;
• Written and verbal communication skills including the ability to synthesize complicated policy issues into digestible products and to deal with both elite and popular media and specialist and non-specialist audiences;
• Experience in partnership building, with experience in influencing stakeholders and establishing and maintaining strong partnerships;
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and strong interpersonal skills;
• Commitment to Search’s aims and a clear understanding of the links between policy, lobbying, campaigning, and how policy change can be achieved through effective advocacy;
• Organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Ability to respond flexibly to opportunities and requests sometimes with little notice;
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a rapidly changing environment;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism and solves problems in collaborative ways.

Application Closing Date
24th November, 2023.