Sector Manager – Social Protection Vacancy at Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger works to save lives by combating hunger and diseases that threaten the lives of vulnerable communities, through nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, health and advocacy.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Sector Manager – Social Protection

Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Start date: As Soon As Possible
Direct Line Manager: Senior Project Manager

Tasks and Responsibilities
Objective 1-Provide technical lead in the implementation of the Social Protection programme:

• Develop detailed planning and implementation strategies for Cash based Transfer and IGA Social Protection  interventions in collaboration with the  economic empowerment officer and the assistance of the MPM
• In close coordination with the field team, coordinate mapping of most vulnerable groups and coordinate beneficiary selection, cash disbursement and regular monitoring of cash utilisation by target beneficiaries
• Identify program implementation modalities that enhance partnership & coordination with government official, local leaders and local communities, internal integration within sectors and other programs (Nutrition, WASH)
• Identify areas of cross-program linkages with other Action Against Hunger programs in Yobe State.
• Ensure program quality and adherence to program objectives, including respect of Action Against Hunger technical guidelines, systems, and established deadlines
• Support program budget design and updates, budget monitoring and cash projections
• Contribute to organizational and sector-wide learning through documentation of lessons learnt, best practices and evaluations from the Cash Based Transfer and IGA Social Protection components.
• Contribute to preparing social protection internal and external reports including case studies and success stories as relate to Cash Based Transfer and IGA Social Protection.

Objective 2-Social Protection Programme development and Management:

• Support the design and manage the AAH’s Social Protection programme component including planning, monitoring and management of the Mission’s support in the area.
• Spearhead policy dialogue on Social Protection including launch and operalization of Social Protection Policy in the state LGAs
• Design and develop purposive, persistent, context specific and innovative social behavioral change messages aimed at improving the capacity, ability and willingness of vulnerable people to improve their livelihoods
• Develop key partnerships with the LGA and State Government  and other stakeholders including traditional leaders
• Conduct relevant trainings to build capacity of LGA staff on cash based transfers and saving schemes, food production, food storage and investments at small scale. Strengthen livelihood enhancement  in social protection programmes
• Working with the FSL Manager, SPM and WASH and Nutrition Sector Managers to ensure gender equality, and in particularly, women’s economic empowerment, is effectively mainstreamed through the Mission’s programming in the area.
• Represent AAH on appropriate working groups and coordination structures for the Productive Social Safety Net programme and the Social Protection Policy.
• Support identification and commissioning of relevant research and analysis which informs AAH approach to social protection in Nigeria.
• Co-ordinate research and documentation of lessons learnt, ‘best practice’ and emerging thinking relating to social protection in Yobe State and the AAH Mission in Nigeria.
• Ensure effective management of project stakeholders, in-line with the AAH Management Standards.

Objective 3-Foster Coordination and Integration of Social Protection in other sectors:

• Build synergies between social protection and livelihoods, WASH and nutrition interventions
• Support the integration of climate resilience into social protection and foster the development of durable solution in the emergency – development nexus.
• Undertake effective coordination, and proper documentation to ensure proper and timely reporting to relevant clusters throughout the period i.e. food security sector working group, early recovery cluster and Cash working group.
• Represent AAH in external Sector Coordination meetings as requested;
• Prepare and share minutes and clear action points of meetings/trainings attended;
• Provide briefing material as required, including regular updates on  social protection policy environment

Objective 4-Support the strategy of building evidence for learning:

• Produce regular success stories on project implementation;
• Support wider learning by leading on project(s) based learning and research;
• Support development of project(s) proposals, concepts and improvements.
• Produce analytical summaries of lessons learnt for internal use and / or policy application;
• Take leadership in analyzing socio-economic behavior change practices to understand how adequately extremely vulnerable HHs can prepare for the long lean periods especially phasing of transfer amounts based on severity of lean periods in Yobe.
• Explore areas where AAH can enhance its contribution to policy research, in accordance with the commitments in the mission strategy;
• Contribute brief articles, accounts, photographs and or case studies with particular emphasis on demonstrating the evidence and impact of the AAH
• Actively engage with SPM – FSL Sector Manager, Field Co and Social Protection Staff on issues relating to social protection strategies, to ensure consistency with AAH policies.

Objective 5-Performance Management:

• Communicate Action Against Hunger performance standards and expectations to team members which includes ; 10 minutes monthly conversation, 3 months/end of probation performance appraisal and annual/ end of contract appraisal.
• Establish performance objectives, provide feedback, and identify strengths and areas for professional improvement.
• Ensure quarterly Social Protection including FSL are met and documented.
• Contribute to the professional development and improvement of team members by providing support, growing at least one officer in to manager potential for Social Protection in the wider ACF funding opportunities.
• Produce weekly, monthly and quarterly internal and external reports as requested;
• Track the progress of activities and outcomes as well as ensuring the tracking of relevant indicators;
• Participate in the weekly coordination meetings, or other ad hoc internal meetings as requested; Prepare handover/end of mission reports to cover periods of leave and/or upon exit from the project(s).

Internal & External Relationship
Internal:

• Senior Project Manager: Line Manager
• Multi sectorial Program Manager: Exchange of information
• Field Coordinator – Exchange of Information
• FSL Sector Manager: Exchange of information
• Other Sectoral Managers & team: close collaboration on planning and implementation; Exchange of information
• Social protection and economic empowerment Officers: Line management
• Support team: exchange of information, collaboration, coordination

External:

• Ministry of Agriculture, SPHCMB, SMOH: exchange of information, coordination
• LGA Team/ Department of agriculture team/Community leaders: exchange of information, coordination
• UN Agencies and other INGOs in the State
  

Position Requirements
Qualifications:

• A post-graduate qualification in development , social policy, rural development, development economics, Livelihoods or related discipline relevant to the requirements of this post
  

Skills & Experience
Essential:

• A minimum of four years relevant experience working in the field of social protection. It is desirable that at least 3 of these years will have been spent working at a senior level with a locally based or international organization.
• A sound understanding of the political, economic, social and cultural environments impacting on social protection and  livelihoods in North eastern Nigeria, including a clear understanding of the relevant Federal Republic of Nigeria policies and  institutional frameworks.
• Ability to influence and communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences at local and state level
• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability and ability to work effectively as a member of a team
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with community members and leaders, partner agencies and key contacts in the government
• Previous Managerial role
• Strong sense of organization and attention to details
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

Preferred:

• Experience in planning and management for  results
• Excellent management skills and experience of working with government authorities
• Experience with / proficiency in the analysis, management and synthesis of reports; research skills and experience in managing research also desirable
• Excellent communication skills including excellent written and verbal skills in English; fluency in Hausa and Kanuri will be desirable
• Experience in farmers institution development and management
• Value chain development and marketing
• Evidence of good interpersonal networking and communication skills.

Basic Gross Salary
NGN 308,589 – NGN 495,527 monthly.

Deadline: Wednesday, May 29th, 2019.

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