Field Support Officers at Christian Aid (CA) - 5 Positions

Christian Aid (CA) is a UK-based international NGO, partnering with others to end poverty in Africa. At the heart of this vision is the transformation of the lives of people who live in poverty, empowering them to have a brighter future. Christian Aid works in more than 30 countries and has been operating in Nigeria since 2003. The Nigeria Country programme focuses on Community Health and HIV, Accountable Governance including humanitarian response and Gender.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Field Support Officer

Location: Dikwa, Mongunu, Maiduguri & Shani, Borno
Slot: 5
Department: International
Reports to: Senior Program Coordinator
Contracted hours: 35
Contract length: 5 months

Role purpose  

• The role holder will support Christian Aid’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria with special focuses on monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning sector interventions.
• She/he will support Christian Aid’s funded programmes which are implemented by Christian Aid and it partners in Borno and other northeast states.
• The role holder will assist in the development, implementation and monitoring of Christian Aid’s WASH/Food security and livelihoods & humanitarian response, providing effective and timely support (including capacity building) to liberated communities and partner organizations, enabling them to implement the rapid, effective and principled WASH/Food security and livelihood response to emergencies, and ensuring that this is in line with Christian Aid’s country strategy and Humanitarian Standards.
• The role holder will be representing CAID in sector working groups meetings/activities and engage in the right networks, while increasing the profile of CA Humanitarian and resilience work and its visibility in the region. 

Role Context  

• The role is in the WASH/Food security and livelihood program family.
• The role is key in developing and implementing programs strategy across a country program, region and division, whilst supporting on partner portfolio projects.
• The role is key in developing and implementing programme strategy across a country, region or division, whilst leading on partner portfolio projects.
• The role also manages a team who recommend projects to partners and engage in Christian Humanitarian response.
• The role ensures Christian Aid is represented appropriately and positive relationships are developed thorough the WASH/Food security and livelihood work that this role is involved in.
  

Key Outcomes 

• Project proposals prepared which are based on strong planning, monitoring and evaluation procedures and financial policies and procedures complied with including reporting requirements.
• WASH/Food security and livelihood strategic principled readily available cutting across all Christian Aid programs.
• Decisions on supporting projects informed by Christian Aid’s strategy and strategic focus areas and strong program of institutional support and strengthening for Partners in place.
• Strong linkages between partner work & WASH/Food security and livelihood within the UK and Ireland, developed through positive relations.
• Clear and timely policy positions developed for standing and emergency issues and humanitarian strategy developed for the region or continent which reflects country priorities.
• Strong synergy between regional or continental strategy and Corporate WASH/Food security and livelihood Priorities developed and strong development of relationships with partners, ecumenical networks, sector clusters, and policy makers in the program region, continent and globally.
• Partner and beneficiary engagement successfully led.

Role requirements
Relationships:

• External: Build  strong relationships with partners, networks, donors, stakeholders and community beneficiaries.
• Internal: Build strong relationship with program departments, FSL/WASH Staff, MEAL officers, program managers, M&E units and all in-country and global staff.

Decision Making:

• Make decisions in order to manage team effectively, from recruitment of volunteers and program staff to day to day management of team members.
• Also providing technical input and overall leadership to WASH/Food security and livelihood team.
• Day to day decision to ensure partner portfolio projects are running effectively and higher levels decisions on supporting the projects informed by Christian Aid's strategy and strategic focus areas.
• Makes decisions around project proposals, ensuring they are prepared and comply with reporting requirements.
• Make policy decisions that support standing and emergency issues.
• Contribute to shaping and implementing WASH/FSL strategy, making sound decisions to support this.

Analytical Skills:

• Works on complex specialist/ technical issues.  Problems and issue, risks and benefits may have implications across a number of departments.  
• Required to develop new ways of doing things to better meet program goals requiring substantial creative or analytical ability.

Developing self and others:  

• Has direct responsibility for developing, coaching and motivating a team or teams of colleagues/project team members.
• Focus will be on advising and guiding senior management on policy issues/high level procedures and direct line management responsibility may be limited. 

Person specification
Applied skills/knowledge and expertise:

Essential: 

• The post holder should have a first degree in social sciences or B.Sc in mathematics, management, sociology, business administration, public administration, economics, statistics, biostatistics, engineering with 2-3 years’ experience of working in humanitarian response with local and/international partner organizations.
• Strong positive attitude and ability to manage a wide range of issues of complicated procedures, indicated by 2-3 years learning period.  

Desirable:

• At least a 3 years humanitarian response experience in WASH/FSL programming.
• Familiar WASH/FSL context in the northeast Nigeria.
• Ability to communicate fluently in Hausa and English language.
• IT competency required Intermediate.

Competency profile
LEVEL 2: You are expected to be able to:

Build partnerships:

• Take on different work when necessary to achieve a team or organisational goal.
• Actively consult with others to ensure you understand their needs or goals.
• Listen to and take on board fresh perspectives and views even if you initially disagree with them.
• Maintain on-going relationships with individuals and contacts through networks, based on mutual rapport and respect. Communicate effectively.
• Make complex things simple for the benefit of others.
• Actively listen and question to check your understanding and draw out others when they are not expressing themselves clearly or seem to be holding back.
• Be sensitive to what others may be feeling, based on what they say, how they say it and their non-verbal behaviour, adapting your style and approach to fit.
• Address difficult issues when they arise, being honest and open.  Steward resources
• Implement ways to reduce the inefficient use of resources or pass the ideas on to someone who can make them happen.
• Estimate the resources needed to achieve your own work plans or objectives and to deliver them in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
• Set and communicate realistic timelines for achieving tasks, working out how best to adapt as priorities change or unforeseen circumstances arise. 

Deliver Results:

• Prioritise, plan and monitor own work to meet own and team deliverables to agreed performance or quality standards.
• Acknowledge others’ priorities whilst being prepared to say “no” if there are genuine reasons why their needs cannot be met.
• Use logical processes and relevant tools and techniques to report on information or analyse options.
• Make timely and considered recommendations or decisions based on analysis of available data, information and evidence.

Realise Potential:

• Evaluate your own work and actively address gaps in knowledge and skills, without prompting.
• Recognise how you react to feedback and manage reactions positively, acting on specific feedback from others.
• Share your knowledge where it will help others to be more effective.
• Provide instruction, constructive feedback and guidance to others to help them learn.

Strive for improvement:

• Constructively challenge existing practice.
• Seek better ways of doing things, taking into account the possible implications.
• Make positive suggestions on a way forward when faced with challenges even if these falls outside own scope of work.
• Look inside and outside Christian Aid for new ideas and evaluate them for own work.

Remuneration
N3,528,327.96

Interview Date
27th February, 2018.

Application Closing Date
6th February, 2018

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

Click here to view more information (pdf)