Social Work Organizational Development Specialist Job at The American International Health Alliance

The American International Health Alliance is a nonprofit organization working to advance global health by helping communities and nations with limited resources build sustainable institutional and human resource capacity. Through twinning partnerships and other programs, we provide technical
assistance using the knowledge and skills of experienced physicians, nurses, administrators, educators, allied health professionals, and civic leaders. Our programs address critical issues such as HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, maternal and child health, primary care, emergency and disaster preparedness, and health professions education and development.


Job Title: Social Work Organizational Development Specialist
Job description
Despite efforts to ramp up care and support activities for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and their caregivers through policy development, Nigeria continues to face significant hurdles to deliver for the nation’s most vulnerable children. A recent OVC situational analysis revealed that extreme poverty, abuse and neglect, and the inadequacy of social welfare systems to prevent children and families from falling through the cracks continue to make Nigeria’s 17.5 million OVC at risk of significant harm and unable to reach their developmental potential. HIV and AIDS compound these issues. With family and social support systems currently overwhelmed, children and families are falling through the cracks, not meeting their basic needs for survival thus continuing a vicious cycle of poverty and vulnerability.

In partnership with Save the Children’s Systems Transformed for Empowered Action and Enabling Response (STEER) project, AIHA is helping to scale up the movement to Community Case Management Workers (CCMW) and professional cadres of social workers at the STEER partner offices and community level in Lagos. AIHA is strengthening existing institutions and working in concert with state and local governments, as well as local community-based organizations (CBOs), to provide a community-level response to the unmet needs of enrolled vulnerable children. AIHA is currently implementing activities in states in both the North (Bauchi, Plateau, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano) and South (Enugu) of Nigeria. Through our work with the Schools of Social Work, we have trained over 2000 Auxiliary Social Workers (ASWs) who are linked to CBO partners. CBOs operating in the North have greatly benefited from this approach to ensuring that children are receiving appropriate services.

Through its Volunteer Healthcare Corps (VHC), AIHA seeks to deploy a volunteer to build the organizational capacity of a local CBO in Lagos and who will serve as a local resource to actively support Nigeria’s social welfare workforce. The volunteer will provide hands-on coaching, mentoring, and technical assistance to the organization’s officers to strengthen organizational deficiencies and gaps.

In-country placement site:
The volunteer will report to AIHA’s Social Work Advisor on the STEER Project, however he/she will be placed within a CBO office in Lagos State. The volunteer will generally help develop and carry out the mission of the organization, which is to form a functional, cohesive association of committed CBOs that is continuously improving capacity of member organization for quality service delivery and mobilizing resources to address critical issues of OVCs in Nigeria for holistic child development.

Length of the assignment: 6-12 months, full time (8 hours per day; 5 days per week; with appropriate holidays and vacation)

Volunteer qualifications:
Required:

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in social work
• At least 2 years’ experience in social work
• Experience in organizational development and assessments, budgeting, and financial management
• Knowledge of public health, particularly related to OVC and HIV/AIDS programs
• Experience training and enhancing the skills of others in an interactive manner
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and to work independently, as well as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Self-starter with strong problem-solving skills

• Experience at a social work association and/or council
• Experience with social work in the African or international context
• Yoruba language and pigin English skills