New Jobs at the North East Regional Initiative (NERI) Nigeria

Job Title: Program Officer

Location: Jos, Plateau

Position Summary

• The Program Officer (PO) is responsible for grass-roots development of project concepts and activity submissions.
• The Program Officer will interact with community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), associations and other groups implementing NLCB-funded activities or potential activities.
• The Program Officer will work with groups to develop activity ideas and summaries, refine project concepts during the design phase, assist in the creation and negotiation of budgets, as well as be the primary field oversight for ongoing activities.
• This position will be based in Jos, with frequent travel within the program LGAs and to Abuja.

Reporting & Supervision:

•  The Program Officer reports to the Program Manager.

Primary Responsibilities and Deliverables
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Liaise with community groups, NGOs, CBOs associations and other community stakeholders to identify potential partners for the project activities.
• Liaise with Nigerian security forces and government officials to gain access to communities, and build acceptance for the program’s activities.
• Identify potential activities at the community level for project support.
• Work with Program Manager (PM), and Abuja-based Program team, develop project ideas identified for support and submit them for approval by senior management and USAID/OTI.
• Work with community organizations to budget and prepare logistics.
• Monitor and report on routine program operational activities and scheduled program events, reporting activity summaries through well-written activity notes to Program Manager.
• Work with staff to ensure project attendance at local events.
• Collect information on program activities, including beneficiary targets.
• Work with Program, M&E and Grants teams to create and maintain project trackers.
• Take photos and videos of activity events to contribute to the program’s communication efforts.
• Support review of final Evaluation Reports and grant closing.
• Attend focus groups to derive lessons learned to inform future project activities.
• Assist in the development of activity ideas based on information collected in the field.
• Facilitate linkages between communities as needed.
• Any other duties suitable to task and commensurate with ability.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• University degree in Political Science, International Affairs or other related Social Sciences field is required.
• Three years of general work experience with at least two years of related experience is required.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills is required.
• Prior experience with international organizations or international-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Problem solving, stress management and time management skills are required.
• Proficient at using Microsoft office software: MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, etc.
• Excellent record keeping and documentation skills are required.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.

Job Title: Grants Officer

Location: Kafanchan-Kaduna

Position Summary

• The Grants Officer (GO) is responsible for supporting a distinct portfolio of program activities.
• This includes developing grant ideas in collaboration with the Program Team, supporting and monitoring grant implementation, closing grants and maintaining all required electronic and paper files.
• The GO will closely coordinate with Program Managers and the Program Team to ensure that projects are developed and implemented in a manner that advances project goals and current strategy objectives.
• This position is based at Kafanchan with with frequent travel within the program LGAs and to Abuja.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The Grants Officer in Abuja reports to the Nigeria Program Manager. Grants Officers based outside of Abuja report to the Nigeria Program Manager and maintain strong and consistent communications with the Grants Officer in Abuja.

Primary Responsibilities And Deliverables
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Manage all aspects of assigned grant portfolio throughout all stages of project development, implementation and closure. Manage associated timelines and donor reporting requirements for individual grant activities. Maintain internal trackers, such as the grant status and closing trackers. Monitor grant portfolio pipeline of financial commitments and disbursements.
• Serve as a key point of contact for information on related project issues, coordination with partner organizations and sociopolitical and development trends.
• Develop project ideas in coordination with Program Manager and Program Team.
• Manage strategy objectives/action plan for assigned grant portfolio.
• Draft project ideas with estimated budgets and present them in internal reviews.
• Prepare potential activities in grant database incorporating project objectives, activities, deliverables, monitoring and evaluation plan, media plan, budget and timeline.
• Ensure compliance with donor and organizational policies, procedures and regulations, throughout activity implementation. Ensure thorough, audit-compliant documentation.
• Monitor project progress against the approved project implementation timeline; identify delays and work closely with Program Team to ensure projects stay on track.
• Track overall project development and identify trends to document success stories and lessons learned.
• Engage in overall political analysis, impact assessment, and participate in strategy development to advance the project goals.
• Review and contribute to Final Evaluation Reports and prepare project documents for close-out.
• Coordinate with staff in all departments to complete assigned tasks; engage in regular coordination with Program, Procurement and Finance units to quickly resolve implementation issues.
• Travel to project sites for follow up/support on activity implementation, as needed.
• Perform other tasks, as assigned.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• University degree in Public Administration, Economics, Finance, Business Management or a related field is required.
• Three (3) years of experience in grants management is required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of general working experience is required.
• Prior experience with internationally-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing and negotiating budgets, reviewing financial reports, preparing for and monitoring audits of grantees, and file management.
• Proficiency at using Microsoft office software: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc. is required.
• Ability to work under pressure and efficiently handle multiple tasks.
• Ability to work under own initiative or as a part of a team.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Fluency in one or more of the languages spoken in North West and North Central Nigeria is preferable.

Job Title: Program Assistant

Location: Kafanchan, Kaduna

Position Summary

• The Program Assistant (PA) will support and receive hands-on, on-the-job training from Program Managers in designing and implementing a portfolio of small grants.
• The PA will work with in close collaboration with Program Managers and community stakeholders and contribute to identifying, prioritizing and designing activities that will respond to community development priorities in order to further the objectives of the NLCB program.
• The PA will be part of a small multidisciplinary team charged with oversight of project activities to ensure that all tasks are completed within timeframe and budget parameters defined during project design.
• The PA will be tasked with the administrative closeout of all activities, including final reporting.
• The PA will be expected to report daily to and receive guidance from Program Managers. In addition, the PA will be expected to collaborate horizontally with Grants Officers and members of the Program Team to share lessons learned and jointly design program strategy. This position is based in Kafanchan with frequent travel within the program LGAs and to Abuja.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The Program Assistant will report to the Program Manager based outside of Abuja. The Program Assistant will provide administrative support to the Program Manager while the Program Manager leads multidisciplinary activity management teams.

Primary Responsibilities And Deliverables
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide administrative support to the Program Manager who will oversee a portfolio of projects
• Under the guidance of the Program Manager, participate in programmatic design of new projects, including identification of potential local partners and beneficiaries, monitor implementation to ensure timely completion and adherence to budget and administrative and programmatic closeout throughout the portfolio of activities.
• Provide administrative support to the program’s learning process by collecting and reporting information in a timely manner on political and security developments in the target area(s).
• Under the guidance of the Program Manager, relay communications to/from Government of Nigeria (GoN) officials, community stakeholders and civil society actors to support the Program Manager in ensuring coherent and strategic programming.
• Provide transparent administrative management and support the Program Manager to incorporate as wide a range of project beneficiaries, GoN and other important stakeholders as possible.
• Responsible for the proper use of the program database for project and program development and management, including updating information on projects and activities per week.
• Comply with all Creative and USAID procedures and policies with regards to ethics and compliance, grants management, HR, finance, operations and security.
• Perform other tasks, as assigned.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• University degree in a related field is required.
• At least two (2) years of general work experience is required.
• Experience in working with communities to implement grassroots development projects preferred.
• Prior experience in grants management with international-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Proficiency at using Microsoft office: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook etc. is required.
• Ability to work under short deadlines and efficiently handle multiple tasks.
• Attention to detail and the ability to function well in a team.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Fluency in one or more of the languages spoken in North West and North Central Nigeria is preferable.

Job Title: Monitoring & Evaluation Assistant

Location: Kafanchan, Kaduna

Position Summary

• The Monitoring & Evaluation Assistant (M&E Assistant) contributes to telling the story of the NLCB program through daily, short-term and long-term coverage of activities.
• The Monitoring & Evaluation  Assistant supports the M&E Team in gathering, analyzing and processing complex data related to all aspects of program activity implementation and impact to produce compelling investigative stories.
• Through qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques including interviews with beneficiaries, local officials and other stakeholders, the Monitoring & Evaluation Assistant, as part of the Monitoring & Evaluation Team, helps signify how program activities contribute to the overall program goal.
• This position is based in Kafanchan with frequent travel within the program LGAs and to Abuja.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The Monitoring & Evaluation Assistant reports to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager. The M&E Assistant will maintain strong and consistent communications with other members of the Monitoring & Evaluation Team in and outside of Abuja.

Primary Responsibilities and Deliverables
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Coordinate daily with M&E Officer to determine priority tasks.
• Conduct site visits during the project implementation phase for each grant in assigned areas.
• Collect in timely manner information on persons or communities impacted by the program’s activities or on the latest political or security development in target area.
• Support drafting concise, high-quality reports, articles or summaries on a daily or ad-hoc basis on activity progress or outcome.
• Under the guidance of the M&E Officer, support development and maintenance of a strong network of contacts in target communities.
• Support the M&E Officer to develop Monitoring and Evaluation plans for field-level projects.
• Under the guidance of the M&E Officer, produce monitoring reports according to an approved template for each site visit prior to the indicator verification visit.
• Accurately interpret Bills of Quantities (BoQ) and grant database files shared by head office to determine indicators.
• Contribute to drafting Final Evaluation Reports for each activity based on prescribed format after visiting a grant site for verification of indicators.
• Identify lessons learned, constraints, and project impacts based on determined theme and/or sector for inclusion in FERs.
• Share observations from monitoring visits with M&E Officer when findings demonstrate questionable actions.
• Perform other tasks, as assigned.

Required Skills & Qualifications 

• BA/BSc in international development, journalism, English, communications, social science, economics, or related field is required.
• One (1) year of relevant experience in field monitoring, journalism, evaluation design, and/or information management is required.
• Strong editing skills, including both line and copy editing, as well as being able to discern broader subject-matter problems.
• Proven writing and editing skills in English with an ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, direct and lively style is required.
• Attention to detail and ability to follow up on tasks to completion is required.
• Excellent reporting and research skills and experience writing for the Web preferred;
• Strong analytical skills are required.
• Knowledge of social media and multimedia technologies desired.
• Prior experience with USAID or US Government-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Fluency in one or more of the languages spoken in North West and North Central Nigeria is preferable

Job Title: Program Manager

Location: Plateau

Position Summary

• The Program Manager (PM) will be responsible for the contracting, implementation, and close-out of a portfolio of activities. The PM will work with in close collaboration with the Senior Management Team (including USAID/OTI) and community stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and design activities that will respond to community development priorities in order to further the objectives of the NLCB program.
• The PM, working with a small multidisciplinary team, will be charged with oversight of project activities to ensure that all tasks are completed within timeframe and budget parameters defined during project design.
• The Program Manager will be tasked with the programmatic and administrative closeout of all activities, including final reporting, disbursement of funding (in concert with finance staff), and disposition of any project inventory. The Program Manager will serve as the main point of contact for state-level actors and community stakeholders to ensure that all activities fit within a strategic and coherent portfolio.
• The Program Manager will be expected to report daily to and receive guidance from the Senior Management Team. The Program Manager will be expected to liaise with various levels of stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organizations, and community actors; the PM must be able to maintain good relations with all associated parties. In addition, the Program Manager will be expected to collaborate horizontally with other Program Managers to share lessons learned and jointly design program strategy.
• This position is based in Jos with frequent travel within the program LGAs and to Abuja.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The Program Manager will report to the Deputy Chief of Party – Programs. All PMs should expect direct interactions with members of Senior Management Unit and with the client, USAID/OTI.
• PMs may supervise and lead multidisciplinary activity management teams, comprised of Program Officers and/or Assistants, Grants Officers, Procurement Officers or Assistants, M&E Officers or Assistant, and Logistics Officers or Assistant. While these team members also report technically to their line managers in Abuja, under the Deputy Chief of Party – Programs, the PM is expected to lead the team and ensure that they work together to design, implement, monitoring and learn from activities.

Primary Responsibilities and Deliverables
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Responsible general oversight of a portfolio of projects. The geography of targeted communities as well as type of programming is expected to change frequently over the course of the program.
• In concert with senior management, advice on programmatic design of new projects, including identification of potential local partners and beneficiaries, monitor implementation to ensure timely completion and adherence to budget and administrative and programmatic closeout throughout the portfolio of activities.
• Take a leadership role in the program’s learning process by feeding information in a timely manner on political and security developments in the PM’s target area(s).
• Develop activity-level Theory of Change (TOC), thinking strategically about the contribution of each activity to the overall program objective.
• Work alongside Government of Nigeria (GoN) officials, community stakeholders and civil society actors to ensure coherent and strategic programming as part of a unified project endeavor.
• Serve as the focal point of the objectives and purpose.
• With team members, establish community-level project oversight committees to ensure community buy-in of activities.
• Help set up transparent management and oversight mechanisms and work to incorporate as wide a range of project beneficiaries, GoN and other important stakeholders as possible.
• Responsible for the proper use of the program database for project and program development and management, including updating information on projects and activities per week.
• Comply with all Creative and USAID procedures and policies with regards to ethics and compliance, grants management, HR, finance, operations and security.
• Perform other tasks, as assigned.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• University degree in a related field is required.
• At least five (5) years of general work experience is required.
• Experience in working with communities to implement grassroots development projects preferred.
• Prior experience (three years or more) in grants management with internationally-funded projects is highly desirable.
• Proficiency at using Microsoft office: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook etc. is required.
• Ability to work under short deadlines and efficiently handle multiple tasks.
• Attention to detail and the ability to function well in a team.
• Experience of working in a conflict environment is a plus.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Fluency in one or more of the languages spoken in North West and North Central Nigeria is preferable.