Graduate Job Opportunities at Search for Common Ground (SFCG) - 9th January 2020

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 Coordinator - Nigeria Location: Yola, Adamawa

Position Summary

• We are currently seeking a Project Coordinator who will work with program teams and successfully implement project activities under a project which is directed at increasing agricultural production and income for over 62,722 herders and farmers in an equitable, inclusive and sustainable manner. The position entails overseeing the day-to-day implementation of the project as a Project coordinato.
• The Project Coordinator will be primarily responsible for organizing and conducting activities, budget management and logistics, and reporting, managing a project assistant. S/He will also contribute to the design and strategic development and management of subsequent projects, and to representation, conducting meetings with a variety of stakeholders, including peer organizations, donors, and government officials.
• The position holder advises the Head of Office on program needs, strategies, staffing issues, local context and dynamics. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Office and closely with the project team, M&E team and the support unit.

Program Planning:

• Ensures proper, timely implementation of project activities, taking into consideration partner capacities, the operational environment and potential security issues, and based on the principles of inclusivity and do no harm.
• Ensures effective application of results-based management methodologies;
• Monitors and manages the projects’ costed work-plans, preventing delays and maximizing cost-effectiveness;
• Keeps abreast of context developments and drafts regular context updates to steer project activities as needed; and
• Ensures all donor and internal reports are submitted within the given deadlines and to the expected quality standards.
• Develop and implement a costed work plan for the project;
• Coordinate and arrange all logistics for various meetings, and workshops, including invitations, venue, participants travel and accommodation;
• Work closely with the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning (DMEL) Manager to monitor and track project’s progress and draw out results, success stories and lessons learned;
• Work closely with the Communications team to capture the stories and highlight the outcome and results of the project;
• Ensure that the project meets all its deliverables on time and the expected results are of high quality;
• Develop and nurture relations with relevant state, NGO, religious bodies and other stakeholders at the national, regional and state level;
• Analyze the context within the scope of the project and provide inputs for regular context updates;
• Writing and producing reports that include but not limited to context updates, monthly reports, quarterly reports, success stories, and case studies
• In collaboration with M&E officer, assist with the implementation and development of Monitoring and Evaluation tools;
• Provide the necessary financial guidance for financial request for community/LGA level activities
• Work with the finance team to complete retirement and financial report
• Produce activity and monthly reports
• Any other duties as may be assigned by the line manager.

Qualifications Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, Arts, Development Studies or related field;

Required Experience:

• At least 3 years of professional experience in project cycle management, coordinating project activities, outreach, and/or advocacy; agriculture management
• Experience working in election and/or peacebuilding projects will be an added advantage;
• Past working experience in the project state with CSOs and relevant state actors
• Other Relevant Requirements:
• Resident in Adamawa state is an added advantage
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace; and
• Ability to prioritize, plan and organize workflow, handle multiple tasks, and be flexible with changing priorities.
• Familiar with the Common Ground Approach

Job Title: Monitoring and Learning Officer Location: Yola, Adamawa

Position Summary

• The Monitoring and Learning Officer supports the design, development and implementation of a monitoring and evaluation system within the assigned area
• S/he gathers, analyzes, and processes complex information related to all aspects of program activity implementation
• The incumbent carries out his/her work according to an established standard operating procedure for collecting data, monitoring project progress and measuring program inputs/outputs
• These positions would  be based in Bayelsa state, with frequent travel to the field within the respective regions.
• In Yola, s/he will line managed by the DMEL Associate Manager and work in close coordination with the Senior DMEL officer in Maiduguri and support team.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Coordinate weekly with Associate DMEL Manager to determine priority tasks. Ensure the state team is aware of and up to date on all DMEL tasks and reports.
• Conduct site visits during the project implementation phase in assigned areas.
• In concert with the Associate DMEL Manager, develop Monitoring and Evaluation plans for field-level Activities .
• Implement Search M&E standards around project planning meetings, data collection tools, monitoring missions as required.
• Produce a “routine monitoring report” (RMR) according to an approved template for each site visit prior to the indicator verification visit.
• Identify lessons learned, constraints, and project impacts based on determined theme and / or sector for inclusion in Monthly and Quarterly Reports.
• Share observations from monitoring visits with Associate DMEL Manager when findings demonstrate questionable actions.
• Serve as primary point of contact for Media & Communications office when developing impact assessments, success stories, newsletters and weekly reporting.
• Undertake comprehensive analysis of projects based on history of site visits; present findings to Associate DMEL Manager in a concise and professional manner.
• Support quality, conflict sensitive, innovative and effective DMEL process in Bayelsa;
• Implementing SFCG M&E standards around project planning meetings, baseline studies, listenership surveys, data collection processes, monitoring missions and evaluations in the Bayelsa;
• Coordinate monthly and quarterly reflection and learning sessions with Search Staff in the State offices.
• Represent the program positively and professionally in both internal and external environments.
• Participate in professional training and development activities, as necessary.

Strategic Objectives

• Collection of case studies and success stories across the projects suitable for external audiences
• Conduct project monitoring visits on a regular basis and report findings to the project teams and DM&E team through spot checks with project volunteers,
• Maintenance of up to date databases and indicator tracking table of the project capturing progress against target.
• Conduct / Support monthly review and quarterly project reflection meetings for projects within your jurisdiction.
• Conduct Quarterly DQA and share report on a quarterly basis.
• Support evaluations for all projects within your jurisdiction

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties. Qualifications Educational Background:

• University Degree is required; University Degree in International Development, Social Science, Economics, or a related field is desired.

Years of Experience:

• Minimum of two years experience in field monitoring, evaluation design, empirical and statistical analysis, management information systems and/or information management design is required.

Other Requirements:

• Resident in Adamawa State is an added advantage
• Proficiency at using Microsoft office software: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc. is required.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace; and
• Ability to prioritize, plan and organize workflow to tight timeframes, handle multiple tasks, and be flexible with changing priorities.
• Attention to detail and ability to follow up on tasks to completion is required.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Written and spoken fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in one or more of the local state languages in the Bayelsa part of Nigeria is required.

Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply

Job Title: Enterprise Coordinator - Nigeria Location: Maiduguri, Borno

Position Summary

• Search Nigeria is seeking an Enterprise Coordinator who will support the direct implementation of the “Supporting the Socio-Economic Reintegration of Children Associated with Armed Groups including the Civilian Joint Task Force in North East Nigeria” program by supporting the economic reintegration of children through capacity building, enterprise skills development and accessing self or wage employment in local markets.
• This role will provide technical leadership to the economic reintegration program component, under the direction of the Deputy Program Manager. This will involve developing tools to quality assess and assure interventions, and take proactive measures to address needs identified within the program.
• The Enterprise Coordinator will work closely with Enterprise Officers, under the direct supervision of the Deputy Project Manager, supported closely by the Child Protection Manager.

About the Project

• In the past decade, states in the North East region of Nigeria have faced frequent attacks by Boko Haram militants leading to widespread displacement, violations of national laws, international humanitarian and human rights laws, and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Children, who are the most vulnerable members of society, have suffered the worst impacts as pre-existing problems of access to social protection, education and healthcare increase, new threats emerge, and the systems to protect children fail.
• This project aims to ensure that children verified and separated from CJTF, and other vulnerable children, receive a comprehensive child protection package including psychosocial support and socio-economic reintegration, and that their communities understand the importance of their separation and reintegration. Search will work closely with the children, their families and communities, and CJTF to address the psychosocial and economic needs of the children, and to influence the attitudes of communities and CJTF so they understand the negative impact of associating with armed groups on children and prevent grave violations against children.
• By increasing resilience of children associated with CJTF and increasing their employability, this project will facilitate lasting reintegration of these children and amplify positive narratives around their role in communities as productive civilian actors and agents for peace.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide support to Deputy Project Manager/ Economic Reintegration Specialist to carry out local market analysis to better understand the local livelihood systems, household economies, and market opportunities so that appropriate and economically relevant training and economic reintegration opportunities can be sought for the children.
• Use the analysis report to identify constraints and opportunities for livelihoods improvement of children in Maiduguri.
• Facilitate work plan development, implementation and ongoing monitoring to train targeted children of legal age in skills that will cater to the needs and demands of the local markets within Micro-Enterprise Trainings and ongoing mentoring.
• Coordinate all enterprise related training activities that will take place in targeted communities.
• Organize and coordinate business opportunities and administrative support sessions that will help trained children of legal age in identifying and accessing small business seed grants, employment opportunities, and information on available economic resources.
• Identify, assess and select local artisans / small business owners in targeted communities.
• Sensitize local artisans / small business owners in targeted communities by providing necessary support to empower children.
• Monitor each young person’s partnership with his / her employer and carry out quality assurance visits each quarter to all businesses. Report findings and address any challenges observed.
• Support teams to produce timely high quality reports and documentation both to meet donor and internal requirements as needed.
• Provide technical input to project implementation to achieve targets.
• Provide ongoing supervision and mentoring to Enterprise Officers.
• Maintain record of expenditure and report these to Deputy Project Manager and Child Protection Manager.
• Keep abreast of local context and security situation and share updates with the team as necessary.
• Perform other functions as may be reasonably assigned by line Managers

Qualifications Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: social work, international development, human rights, Psychology, Sociology, International Law, or another relevant social science field.

Required Experience:

• A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in enterprise development, business management or other relevant field, particularly in the field of adolescents of legal age.
• Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is considered as an added advantage
• Training experience relating to business and enterprise.
• Familiarity with tool development and best practices in skills development trainings.
• Experience working with Children Associated with Armed Groups, and knowledge of economic reintegration best practices.
• Minimum 1 year management / supervisory experience.

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Highly organized and systematic with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral.
• Excellent cross-cultural communication and working skills, enjoys a multicultural work environment;

Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply

Job Title: Project Officer Location: Yola, Adamawa Employment Type: Full-Time Minimum Experience: Entry-level

Position Summary

• We are currently seeking for a Project Officer to provide programmatic support, including planning, organizing, and coordinating communication and project activities. The position is full time, based in Plateau State with frequent field visits within and outside the State.
• S / he will support work closely with the project manager in the production of weekly, monthly, quarterly and biannual report for the project.
• S / he will provide logistics support for the organization and running of workshops as necessary.
• S / he will work directly under the supervision of the Project Manager. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator and closely with the project team.

Program Planning:

• In collaboration with the state coordinator, facilitate the creation and implementation of a detailed annual work-plan, which identifies sequences of activities needed to successfully implement the project and ensure project objectives are met
• In collaboration with key stakeholders, facilitate the development and roll out of detailed implementation plans in communities and LGAs
• Review the project schedule with State Coordinator and all other staff that will be affected by the project activities; revise and regularly review the schedule as required.

Program Management:

• Document project activities and ensure that all project data is appropriately secured;
• Monitor the progress of the project implementation and make adjustments as necessary to ensure the project remains on track and is successfully implemented;
• Establish a communication schedule to update stakeholders including appropriate staff in the organization on the progress of the project;
• Develop, coordinate and implement all community level activities including trainings for WAY, CSAD, EWER activities and be part of the situation room efforts in the state

Program Monitoring & Evaluation:

• In collaboration with M&E officer, assist with the implementation and development of Monitoring and Evaluation tools;

Financial management:

• S / He will ensure successful management of the budget for community / LGA level activities:
• Financial request for community / LGA level activities
• Retirement and financial report

Documentation and Reporting:

• Produce activity and monthly reports

NB: As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties. Qualifications Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Social Science, Arts, Development Studies or related field;

Required Experience:

• At least 2 years of professional experience in project cycle management, coordinating project activities, outreach, and / or advocacy;
• Experience working in election and/or peacebuilding projects will be an added advantage;
• Past working experience in the project state with CSOs and relevant state actors

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Resident in Adamawa state is an added advantage
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace; and
• Ability to prioritize, plan and organize workflow, handle multiple tasks, and be flexible with changing priorities.
• Familiar with the Common Ground Approach.

Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply

Job Title: Admin and Logistics Officer Location: Yola, Adamawa Employment Type: Full-Time Minimum Experience: Entry-level

Summary of Position

• The Admin and Logistics Officer will provide the main logistical support to their office, liaising closely with the Admin and Logistics Officer and the finance team to ensure good recordkeeping, as well as liaising with the housekeeping staff to support the smooth running of the office.
• S / he will work under the direct supervision of the Admin and Logistics Coordinator and closely with the finance and programs team. The position holder will supervise the Drivers and Office Assistants.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Liaise with the landlord of the office premises and other operational contacts such as vendors, suppliers and courier services to keep the office fully functional
• Coordinate package delivery and pick up
• Ensure that SFCG’s inventory list is updated on regular intervals
• Develop and oversee safety protocols, including the management of the security company
• Ensure that the door security system and key management is functioning properly
• Manage the telephone/intercom/internet system
• Provide logistical support for meetings and conferences on-site and off-siteRespond to general emails and forward to the appropriate members of staff
• Provide orientation for new staff, visitors or consultants on the use of the general office equipment and other office systems
• Maintain office equipment and oversee repairs
• Manage the office fleet and approve any private vehicle hire
• Oversee vehicle repairs
• Maintain office logs on travel, inventory and fuel usage for generator, vehicles etc.
• Prepare travel arrangements, relevant documentation (tickets, visas etc.) and any necessary travel materials (Meeting confirmations, background or reference confirmations)
• Prepare and submit a monthly logistics report about the above to the Admin and Logistics Coordinator.
• Coordinate procurement process of goods and services, ensure necessary documentation
• Maintain and update vendor’s database for necessary goods and services
• Monitor quality and control cost on various office supplies, stationery, hotel accommodation, transportation and other equipment
• Provide support to HR where needed
• Any other function required to undertake broadly in line with above functions.

NB: As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties. Qualifications Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting & Finance, Business Administration, Management, Procurement

Required Experience:

• 2 - 3 years ́ professional experience providing finance, administrative, logistical and/or operational support
• Experience working in an NGO or civil society is a plus
• Experience working with little or no supervision

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Resident in Adamawa state is an added advantage
• Proven interest & commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict/post conflict development contexts
• Excellent in English (oral and written)
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines; team player and effective communicator,
• Strong IT skills (Email, Microsoft Office applications, Google Drive, Google Docs, Sheets, Presentation).
• Good reporting capacity and experience
• Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions such as heavy workloads, and deadlines.

Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply

Job Title: Head of Office Location: Based in Jos, Plateau, with frequent travel to other field offices Employment Type: Full-Time Minimum Experience: Experienced

Detailed Description

• We are looking for a Head of Office for our Middle Belt program currently covering Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue states in Nigeria. Based in Jos, Plateau, with frequent travel to other field offices, the position will be responsible for all aspects of programmatic, financial and administrative coordination and leadership of the office and various programs.
• Principle tasks will be to oversee the entire Middle Belt regional program portfolio, determine appropriate implementing mechanisms to achieve projects’ strategic goals, serve as the primary program liaison for donors, partners and stakeholders in the region, oversee regional-level planning and budgeting, and reporting/evaluations, ensuring compliance with management and financial procedures and overseeing and managing security of teams and organizational assets.
• The position will report to the Country Director, and work closely with the West Africa Regional Program Manager. Working language for this position is English. The Head of Office is a Senior level position and is a members of Search Nigeria’s Leadership and Management Team (LMT).
• This position is contingent on funding

Duties and Responsibilities Representation:

• Represent SFCG at the regional level with partners, donors, local and international organizations, and government authorities and ensure SFCG activities are visible. In accordance with SFCG advocacy policy, advocate for common ground solutions to various conflict situations in the region;
• Represent SFCG in strategic meetings, conferences, forums and other public events and contribute towards consolidating and raising the profile of SFCG;
• Develop and strengthen relationships with local organizations and networks and establish national and regional strategic relations and alliances with partners and civil society working in common cause with SFCG objectives; and
• Promote SFCG's organizational identity and capacity to all stakeholders and partners in the Middle Belt and ensure SFCG remains relevant to the changing needs of the people who most need it.

Program development and Management:

• Ensure a conscious program approach in line with the “Common Ground” principles;
• Provide leadership and oversight to program staff charged with implementing programs;
• Manage the field-based SFCG operations staff and program staff;
• Contribute creative ideas for program development and provide inputs for technical and financial proposals to local and international donors ;
• Provide content material to the Communications Team for updating the websites, as well as for quarterly program updates, newsletters, and other SFCG literature;
• Lead in the development of the Middle Belt program, providing sound methodological and technical support to ensure use of participatory methodologies, human rights and social exclusion framework as per the organizational thematic alignment and programming approach;
• Coordinate the program participatory annual planning and budgeting as per organizational guidelines;
• Promote a participatory approach in programming work and create space in the structure for staff participation and involvement in decision making;
• Oversee and coordinate the program portfolio to ensure the highest level of project quality and accountability, while fostering continuity through building local capacity and developing innovative program interventions;
• Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of research and advocacy plan on issues of relevance in the Middle Belt aligned with SFCG’s global programmatic and policy priorities;
• Participate in national and international campaigns in line with the advocacy plan and other relevant opportunities;
• Facilitate trainings, researches, and learning of cross-cutting relevance to programs;
• Ensure that participatory systems and processes for monitoring activities, results and impact assessment at program level are in place and involves the team and partners;
• Provide continuous monitoring and support to field offices and existing projects, coordinate program reviews, evaluations, and follow up implementation of evaluation findings in close collaboration with the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DM&E) Manager, Program Managers and Coordinators;
• Coordinate the production of timely and quality program reports in line with SFCG and donor requirements;
• Support monitoring and evaluation work in collaboration with SFCG’s DM&E Manager;
• Verify and analyze work-plans, progress reports, final reports and other data for clarity, consistency and completeness; and
• Ensure close monitoring of the political and security environment and develop contingency plan for the office.

Donor Funding and Grants Management:

• Keep abreast of the trends within the donor environment in the Country and Internationally;
• Undertake diversified local and international fundraising initiatives to strengthen program funding and sustainability;
• Coordinate the production of good quality funding proposals and respond to call for proposal;
• Facilitate donor visits, donor meetings, round table discussions and evaluations as necessary; and
• Be aware of all donors conditionality in the Middle Belt programs and monitor adherence to donors conditionality

Financial Management:

• Provide oversight to all finance and administrative services in the Middle Belt in close coordination with the Director of Finance and Administration;
• Ensure effective implementation and compliance with the overall finance and guidance manual and compliance with procedures required by grant or contract agreements;
• Ensure that the Project Managers and Coordinator carry out monthly budget versus expenditures analysis, make budget projections and keep up with the targeted burn rates;
• Oversee and verify the Monthly Financial Report (MFR) from the Middle Belt program;
• Ensure that adequate internal control mechanisms are in place; and
• Supervise monthly financial reports according to SFCG procedures.

Human Resources Management and Organizational Development:

• Provide leadership support to Middle Belt region staff and promote best practices in human resources management;
• Ensure compliance with Nigerian law and SFCG procedures in admin and operations;
• Provide leadership support for adequate implementation of the performance management system including performance objectives and planning, review, appraisal and staff development; and
• Provide Coaching and Counseling advice to staff when necessary and lead initiatives to develop staff capacity

Information, Communication and Learning:

• Ensure that all programs in the Middle Belt are maintaining a coordinated and agreed information exchange both internally and in its dealing with external parties;
• Ensure that all communication infrastructures are set up in the programme and smooth information flow is maintained; and
• Ensure that experiences, context updates and lessons learnt are documented and shared across the organization

Leadership:

• Attend the regular LMT meetings and contribute to the discussions around overall strategy and direction of the country program and the organization;
• Be part of the management and leadership decision making around programmatic and operational issues.

Accountability:

• Supervision: Works independently under the supervision of the Country Director and within approved strategy and policy guidelines;
• Decision Making: Has full responsibility of decisions at the Middle Belt in line with approved policy; and

NB: As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities. Qualifications Education:

• Master's degree in a relevant field such as social sciences, law, development studies, etc. However, a Bachelor's degree and five (5) additional years of relevant international development experience can be substituted for the Master’s degree.

Required Experience:

• At least 8 - 10 years of progressively responsible experience in the successful implementation of international development activities, with preference given to conflict mitigation and/or violent extremism prevention programs – at least three (3) years of which must be in senior program management, including direct supervision of professional and support staff.
• Prior experience in awarding and managing sub-grants to local organizations to promote conflict mitigation, violent extremism prevention, and/or democracy and governance goals.

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Strong knowledge of and experience in conflict transformation, dialogue, negotiation, and mediation approaches
• Significant experience in project management at a high level in a non-profit environment
• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, project development, fundraising, proposal and report writing, and grants management
• Deep understanding of the social, political and conflict dynamics in Nigeria;
• Demonstrated skills of using different conflict analysis frameworks;
• Excellent analytical and writing skills;
• Excellent working knowledge in English
• Attitude for teamwork and good leadership skill
• Knowledge using qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis tools;
• Knowledge of early warning systems;
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace; and
• Ability to prioritize, plan and organize workflow to tight timeframes, handle multiple tasks, and be flexible with changing priorities.

Interested and qualified candidates should: Click here to apply

Application Procedure Interested candidates should send the following via the link above:

• Current resume
• Cover Letter (which includes expectations of compensation)

Note

• Please compile your writing sample and resume into one document as the system only has the functionality to upload two documents per application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please

Jos, Plateau State, Adamawa State, Yola