Child Protection Project Manager at Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and a European office in Brussels, Belgium, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 600 staff worldwide, SFCG implements projects from 55 offices in 34 countries, including in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

The organization is an exciting and rewarding place to work, with a dedicated and enthusiastic staff that is committed to its mission and values. You will be joining a highly motivated staff with a good team spirit and there will be opportunities to grow in the role.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Child Protection Project Manager

Location: Maiduguri
Employment Type: Full-Time
Duration: 12 months

Our Program in Nigeria

• We launched our programs in Nigeria in 2004. Now in 2017, the country program has offices in Abuja, Jos, Maiduguri, and Yola. We work with partners in target states of the country to support peaceful resolution of conflict. Each program is adapted to specific local context and conflicts, and all apply common ground tools from our toolbox.
• Search has established a permanent presence in Abuja as an operational base and all our Nigeria offices are currently supporting a host of programs with activities that include capacity building, dialogues, peace architecture, media programming, participatory theatre and collaborative joint activities.

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 fails.
• This project, in cooperation with UNICEF, aims to ensure that children verified and separated from the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) receive a comprehensive child protection package including counseling, 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, local governments and UNICEF 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 the CJTF from using 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.

Job Description
We are searching for:

• Search Nigeria is seeking a Child Protection Project Manager who leads both the technical aspects of child protection and the overall management of the project.
• S/he is responsible for the planning, management, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the project within the country program.
• S/he provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes.
• S/he facilitates the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable contributions with the overall goal to support the long-term reintegration of children associated with CJTF in North East Nigeria using Search’s Common Ground Approach.
• The position requires a child protection specialist who is also experienced in conflict transformation and peace building, and conversant with project management cycles and relevant experience in program development in child protection related areas.
• S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Office, North East and work closely with the Country Director, DMEL Manager and other senior managers.
• The position holder will supervise the project team consisting of Economic Reintegration Specialist, Media Coordinator, Education Officers and Community Mobilisers. This position is based in Maiduguri with frequent visits to the different working local government areas (LGAs) in Borno.

Your Contribution
The roles and responsibilities include:
Program strategy, capacity development, and planning:

• Support the planning, design and updating of the situation analysis for the child protection project to set program priorities, strategies, and design and implementation plans. Keep abreast of development trends to enhance program management, efficiency and delivery;
• Provide senior technical and management leadership to the delivery of a comprehensive child protection package including counseling, psychosocial support and socio-economic reintegration;
• Build the capacity of the team in child-protection and community-based approach;
• Takes primary responsibility for the development of the work plan and technical decisions as well as for program management, implementation and monitoring of assigned activity, in compliance with the defined project strategies and approaches; and

Program implementation, quality assurance, reporting:

• Ensures proper implementation of the project based on continuous monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews to determine required actions and interventions to achieve results;
• Leads the project and facilitate attainment of project expected results in close collaboration with the Head of Office, North East, DMEL Manager and the Country Director;
• Ensure that the socio-economic reintegration efforts are conflict-sensitive, promotes an inclusive and community-based approach to reintegration, as guided by the Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children formerly associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups, and are in the “best interest of the child”.
• Ensures effective application of results-based management methodologies;
• Actively monitor the project through field visits, surveys and exchange of information with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems. Take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution;
• Collaborates with relevant staff in other Search offices for quality program development and planning. The position holder will also be a member of the Program Quality Team (PQT).
• Monitors budgets versus actuals and cash-flow for the project; confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, as well as standards of accountability and integrity. Ensure timely reporting and liquidation of resources;
• Steer the project’s activities to meaningfully address needs in the context;
• Ensures all donor and internal reports are submitted within internal deadlines and to expected quality;
• Build coalitions and networks with local partners for project’s effectiveness; and
• Prepare regular and mandated project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of project progress.

Representation and coordination:

• Provides strong coordination support to NGOs, partners, and national authorities through establishment of wider consultation and collaborative processes to strengthen and to achieve sustainable and broad results in child protection;
• Prepare communication and information materials to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances and be Search’s media contact for the project;
• Responsible for the coordination of all project activities; and
• Participate and/or represent Search with donors and in appropriate inter-agency discussions and planning on child protection related issues, including participation in the Child Protection working groups at Abuja and Maiduguri levels.

Requirements
You meet the following qualifications:

• An advanced University degree in one of the following fields is required: International Development, Human Rights, Psychology, Sociology, International Law, or another relevant Social Science field;
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in planning and management in child protection related areas is required;
• Experience in emergency response and volatile environments is essential;
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset;
• Relevant experience of working and collaborating with UN agencies and INGOs in program development and implementation in child protection related areas is considered as an asset;
• Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is considered as an added advantage;
• 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.

Competencies
You are expected to be:

• Leading and supervising: Has the ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of Search. Is able to build trust within team and acts with integrity.
• Accountability: Being accountable and passing on accountability for one's own actions and those of colleagues and the organization.
• Attention to detail: The ability to process detailed information effectively and consistently
• Collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others in order to achieve a shared goal - even when the object at stake is of no direct personal interest possibilities.
• Creativity: The ability to come up with original and innovative ideas and solutions, to adopt points of view outside the usual parameters.
• Focus on Quality: Setting high quality standards and striving for continuous improvement and quality assurance.
• Learning Ability: The ability to absorb new information readily and to put it into practice effectively
• Adaptability: The ability to remain fully functional by adapting to changing circumstances (environment, procedures and people).

Application Closing Date
21st May, 2018.

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

Kindly include the following in your cover letter:

• Minimum salary requirements (or current salary)
• Projected start date,
• Where you found this posting.

Note: We are looking to fill this position with the right candidate. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.