Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict – away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Conflict and Policy Analyst
Location: Abuja
Position Summary
- We are looking for a Conflict and Policy Analyst who will keep track of the unfolding social, political and conflict dynamics in the Nigeria and provide analytical real time conflict analysis
- S/he will provide periodic and thematic conflict analysis reports to inform the program, partners, donors and other stakeholders
- S/he will be responsible for the implementation of Search for Common Ground’s conflict-sensitivity engagements in selected project states and contribute to achieving the annual goals and objectives of Search’s Policy Analysis and Advocacy team.
- The CPA will support the Country Director in engaging potential donors, partners, government agencies and relevant national and international actors relevant to Search’s activities
- S/he will support the CD in engagement with Search’s GAP team at the HQ, regional office on context analysis/information, policy influencing and other related issues.
- S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Country Director and in close coordination with the program teams, M and E team and partners. The position could be based in Abuja and with frequent travel to the field.
Key Responsibilities
Conflict Analysis 50%:
- Prepare briefings or updates based on the review and analysis of news, incident reports from the staff and partners, interviews with key informants, and information collected from SFCG Nigeria’s programs and early warning system;
- Prepare specific conflict analysis reports on a periodic basis, either thematic or geographic focus based in the need and relevance;
- Serve as a hub for reporting of incidents from staff and partners as required;
- Liaise with government, civil society, security actors, donors, media, UN bodies, and the private sector as needed to further improve information in the reports
- Carry out specific research and studies as required;
- Contribute to the proposal and report writing processes by writing the context analysis section;
- Contribute to developing curriculum and implementing the training on “conflict sensitivity and do no harm” to staff, partners and local stakeholders;
Policy Analysis 50%:
- Prepare specific policy, peace and security analysis reports on a periodic basis, either thematic or geographic focus based in the need and relevance;
- Seek out opportunity to build partnership with critical government, civil society, security, donor, media and private sector actors on peace and security issues in Nigeria.
- Represent Search at national and international level engagements necessary for policy and program influence.
- Seek out opportunity to build partnership with critical government, civil society, security, donor, media and private sector actors on peace and security issues in Nigeria.
- Represent Search at national and international level engagements necessary for policy and program influence.
- As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.
Qualifications
Education:
- Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Conflict and Peace Building Studies, International Relations, Political Sciences or related fields;
- Additional extensive training in at least one of the areas of SFCG thematic work – Peace-building, conflict transformation and resolution;
Experience:
- 5 – 7 years of experience working in program management
- Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts will be an added advantage
- Experience living and working in unstable environments; experience roaming from one project states to another is considered an advantage
- Experience working in one of the following sectors: Conflict Resolution, Peace-building, Resilience, Protection, Governance and Livelihood
- Experience in using different conflict analysis frameworks;
- Experience with different donors i.e. GERMAN, USAID, DFID, FRENCH, UNDP, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF
- Experience using qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis tools;
- Expertise producing policy briefs and periodic conflict analysis on thematic peace, conflict and security issues in Nigeria.
- Experience working on conflict early warning systems;
- A demonstrated experience working of different conflict systems in Nigeria.
Skills Required:
- Analytical skills – ability to analyze data from different perspectives
- Excellent skills – soft and hard skills for policy advocacy and policy influencing on thematic conflict issues in Nigeria at multiple levels;
- Demonstrated ability to undertake high-level representation and advocacy;
- Excellent coordination, communication and networking skills;
- Strong report writing, fundraising and proposal writing skills; Willingness to regularly travel on short notice around the country
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral.
- Strong leadership skills – ability to motivate and manage a diverse team in a complex environment.
- Excellent cross-cultural communication and working skills, enjoys a multicultural work environment;
- Ability to work under stringent deadlines with acute attention to detail.
- Self starter with the ability to manage time effectively.
- Good working knowledge of IT tools (related software, phone, fax, email, the internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office and Excel).
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online
Job Title: Project Manager
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Duration: 6 months
Position Summary
Search for Common Ground seeks a professional, motivated, and creative Project Manager that will work with Search’s program teams to design and implement Search strategy for the project and ensuring that the project addresses real needs and contribute to the organization’s national, regional and global strategies. The position entails project logic and strategy development and management; team leadership and management; project development and management; financial, operations, and administration oversight for the project; security management; stakeholder and representation.
The position requires an experienced conflict transformation, peace building or development expert, conversant with project management cycles and compliance requirements of UN Women funded grants. The position holder must be a planner and experienced conflict and context analyst capable of steering various project activities in the Middle belt to respond to real peace, security and conflict transformation needs. The Project Manager must have good diplomacy skills and capable of negotiating with challenging stakeholders. The position holder advises the Country Director on project needs, strategies, staffing issues, local context and dynamics.
This position holder will share his/her time between Maiduguri and Yobe with visits to the field. S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Head of Office NE. The position holder will supervise State project coordinator, Project Officers, and interns.
About the Project
- The overall objective of the UN Women project ‘Protection, Empowerment and Resilience Building (PERD) of Women in Borno and Yobe States’ is to empower communities and build resilience through promoting socio-economic behavior change to address the root causes of gender-based violence (GBV) and improve access to formal and informal judiciary systems, as well as economic empowerment opportunities for women.
As a component of this program, the proposed project has the following two specific outcomes, and related outputs and indicators:
- Outcome 1: Women and girls’ safety increased through community-based actions to mitigate risks, and prevent and respond to incidents of GBV in Borno and Yobe states.
- Outcome 2: Targeted women in Borno and Yobe states have improved livelihood and access to income generating activities (IGA).
Roles and Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a costed work plan for the project;
- Coordinate and arrange all logistics for various meetings, and workshops, including invitations, venue, participants travel and accommodation;
- Work closely with the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning (DMEL) Manager to monitor and track project’s progress and draw out results, success stories and lessons learned;
- Work closely with the Communications team to capture the stories and highlight the outcome and results of the project;
- Work with the community theatre groups in the state to produce participatory community theatre production in each of the target LGAs
- Ensure that the project meets all its deliverables on time and the expected results are of high quality;
- Develop and nurture relations with relevant state, NGO, religious bodies and other stakeholders at the national, regional and state level;
- Analyze the context within the scope of the project and provide inputs for regular context updates;
- Writing and producing reports that include but not limited to context updates, monthly reports, quarterly reports, success stories, and case studies;
- Provide support to SFCG’s other projects and programs where relevant and necessary
- As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.
Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, Arts, Development Studies or related field;
Required Experience:
- At least 5 years of working experience with INGO on Women, Peace and Security area.
- At least 3 years of professional experience in project cycle management, coordinating project activities, outreach, and/or advocacy;
- Substantial experience working in the peace building and conflict transformation field, experience of inter-religious work will be an added advantage;
Other Relevant Requirements:
- Proven interest & commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict/post conflict development contexts
- Experience in data collection, analysis, and report writing
- Excellent in communication (oral and written)
- Ability to plan, organize work, communicate and reports effectively (both in writing and verbally)
- Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines; team player, effective communicator, successful negotiator, creative and analytical thinker, active learner, able to work in a multicultural environment
- Excellent communication skills, calm, with a good sense of humour
- Excellent sense of confidentiality
- Excellent listening and empathy
- Proven commitment to accountability practices
- Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions such as heavy workloads, and deadlines.
- Excellent Microsoft Office applications skills (Excel, Word, Power point, Emails, Skype, Web researchers).
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online
Job Title: National Project Manager
Location: Abuja
Position Summary
- We are looking for a National Project Manager (NPM) who will lead the implementation of strategic national level projects where necessary and provide technical support to relevant projects especially Search’s Early/Early Response projects in Nigeria. Based in Abuja, with frequent travel to other field offices, the position will be responsible for all aspects of programmatic, financial and administrative coordination of selected projects with reporting line to respective Head of office of the region.
- The NPM is the direct supervisor of the team of Project coordinators and Support Services staff. The NPM will provide routine support and guidance to respective project teams on project cycle management, budgeting, proposal development and operational functions, including finance, logistics and procurement. In addition, the National Manager provides oversight to ensure the successful implementation of all selected projects and constantly monitors the context to ensure programming is relevant and responsive to priority needs.
- In this capacity, the NPM is also responsible for representing Search externally at the National level, including with local authorities, other agencies as well as with donors. The NPM ensures a strong line of communication between Search’s project offices and Abuja Country Office in Abuja.
- The position will report to the Country Director in each region, and work closely with the Head of Offices.
Key Responsibilities
Planning:
- Provide technical as well as strategic management of Search for Common Ground’s work on the projects;
- Ensure proper planning of the project, including developing and updating yearly, quarterly and monthly costed work plans and implementation strategies in line with project design and expected deliverables;
- Ensure adequate and prompt delivery of activities as per the work plans;
- Facilitate project launches, quarterly project review and project close-out workshops;
- Lead and facilitate higher level project activities;
Reporting:
- Ensure activity and other reports and related project deliverables are produced on time by team members;
- Ensure donor reports and donor deliverables are produced on time and are of high quality,
Quality-insurance:
- Ensure quality of activities implemented, identifying external technical support if need be;
- Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of project activities for planning purposes
- Drive compliance process with donor and Search for Common Ground Nigeria operational policies
- Coordinate research and documentation activities in line with project objectives
- Support fund raising efforts for effective resource leveraging at all levels.
- Oversee team meetings, sharing of information, context analysis, and strategy development
- Ensure close monitoring of the political, social and security environment in project target reaa and lead project adaptation reflection meetings if need be
Coordination and Representation:
- Represent SFCG at the area levels with partners, donors, local and international organizations, and government authorities and ensure SFCG activities are visible. In accordance with SFCG advocacy policy, advocate for common ground solutions to various conflict situations in the region;
- Represent SFCG in strategic meetings, conferences, forums and other public events and contribute towards consolidating and raising the profile of SFCG;
- Develop and strengthen relationships with local organizations and networks and establish national and regional strategic relations and alliances with partners and civil society working in common cause with SFCG objectives; and
- Promote SFCG’s organizational identity and capacity to all stakeholders and partners in the project areas and ensure SFCG remains relevant to the changing needs of the people who most need it.
Team management and Human Resources:
- Provide leadership, supervision and oversight to program staff and partners charged with implementing the program;
- Participate fully in the hiring and performance management of team member
- Manage an operational team to supervise project’s activities implementation in the target area in compliance with local laws and organizational policies and procedures, including the management and evaluation of a diverse staff.
- Ensures compliance with Search Operations Manual policies and procedures.
- Provide Coaching and Counselling advice to project staff when necessary and lead initiatives to develop staff capacity.
- Supervise work-planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting activities
- Develop technical content/TOR for engagement of consultants for mission critical assignments
Financial planning, management and compliance:
- Oversees the management of project budgets, ensuring timely grant reporting and compliance with contract and donor guidelines in coordination with Head of Offices, Admin and Procurement Manager and the Director of Finance and Administration.
- Ensure effective budget implementation and compliance with the overall finance policies as required by grant or contract agreements;
- Ensure that adequate internal control mechanisms are in place and deplored for the specific project
- Plan and forecast grant expenditure, budget versus expenditure analysis, procurement and staffing to ensure compliance with the project contract and budget
- Reviews activity budget, approves fund requests, and reviews and approves expense retirements
Monitoring and evaluation:
- Coordinate production of project reports –monthly, quarterly and annual
- Ensure that the monitoring and evaluation plan developed by the DMEL team is implemented by the team;
- Coordinate closely with DMEL manager in the management of the DME officer
- Coordinate closely with the DMEL manager in the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation activities
- Coordinate dissemination of project information and materials appropriately and regularly.
Note: As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.
Qualifications
Education:
- Minimum Master’s degree in Social Sciences/Development Studies, Conflict Management, Strategic/Programme Management, Management Studies or other related discipline
- Additional extensive training in at least one of the areas of SFCG thematic work- Peacebuilding, conflict transformation and resolution;
Experience:
- 7-10 years of experience working in program management.
- Experience in both peacebuilding, development and humanitarian contexts
- Experience living and working in unstable environments; roaming from one project states to another is considered an advantage
- Experience working in one of the following sectors: Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding, Resilience, Protection, Governance and Livelihood
- Experience in Media programming and communications in projects is an added advantage
- Experience of coordinating activities across multiple locations
- Experience with different donors i.e. GERMAN, USAID, DFID, FRENCH, UNDP, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF
- Experience of staff management of both expats and national staff in challenging environments
Skills Required:
- Demonstrated ability of raising the profile of an organization, strategically networking with government agencies, donors and other international agencies, and using the media as appropriate;
- Demonstrated ability to undertake high-level representation and advocacy;
- Excellent coordination, communication and networking skills;
- Strong report writing, fundraising and proposal writing skills; Willingness to regularly travel on short notice around the country
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral.
- Strong leadership skills – ability to motivate and manage a diverse team in a complex environment.
- Excellent cross-cultural communication and working skills, enjoys a multicultural work environment;
- Ability to work under stringent deadlines with acute attention to detail.
- Self�starter with the ability to manage time effectively.
- Good working knowledge of IT tools (related software, phone, fax, email, the internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office and Excel).
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online
Job Title: Project Coordinator
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Duration: 6 months
Position Summary
Search for Common Ground seeks professional, motivated, and creative Project coordinator to be responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the ‘Protection, Empowerment and Resilience Building (PERD) of Women in Borno and Yobe States’ project in the state. The project coordinator will report to SFCG’s Program manager and will cooperate with partners to launch a state project designed to strengthen the women’s role in conflict prevention, peace-making and peace building.
S/he will support the implementation process of this project and ensure that the activities are executed as planned and within the timeframe and are of highest quality; coordinate with the project participants and ensure the logistics of all the events go smoothly; and prepare monthly progress and quarterly reports.
S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Program Manager, Jos and work in close coordination with other project coordinators under the Project. The position will be based in Borno and will include frequent travels to Yobe and the field.
About the Project
- The overall objective of the UN Women project ‘Protection, Empowerment and Resilience Building (PERD) of Women in Borno and Yobe States’ is to empower communities and build resilience through promoting socio-economic behavior change to address the root causes of gender-based violence (GBV) and improve access to formal and informal judiciary systems, as well as economic empowerment opportunities for women.
As a component of this program, the proposed project has the following two specific outcomes, and related outputs and indicators:
- Outcome 1: Women and girls’ safety increased through community-based actions to mitigate risks, and prevent and respond to incidents of GBV in Borno and Yobe states.
- Outcome 2: Targeted women in Borno and Yobe states have improved livelihood and access to income generating activities (IGA).
Roles and Responsibilities
- Develop and implement a costed work plan for the project;
- Coordinate and arrange all logistics for various meetings, and workshops, including invitations, venue, participants travel and accommodation;
- Work closely with the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning (DMEL) Manager to monitor and track project’s progress and draw out results, success stories and lessons learned;
- Work closely with the Communications team to capture the stories and highlight the outcome and results of the project;
- Work with the community theatre groups in the state to produce participatory community theatre production in each of the target LGAs
- Ensure that the project meets all its deliverables on time and the expected results are of high quality;
- Develop and nurture relations with relevant state, NGO, religious bodies and other stakeholders at the national, regional and state level;
- Analyze the context within the scope of the project and provide inputs for regular context updates;
- Writing and producing reports that include but not limited to context updates, monthly reports, quarterly reports, success stories, and case studies;
- Provide support to SFCG’s other projects and programs where relevant and necessary
- As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.
Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, Arts, Development Studies or related field;
Required Experience:
- At least 3 years of working experience with INGO on Women, Peace and Security area.
- At least 3 years of professional experience in project cycle management, coordinating project activities, outreach, and/or advocacy;
- Substantial experience working in the peace building and conflict transformation field, experience of inter-religious work will be an added advantage;
Other Relevant Requirements:
- Proven interest & commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict/post conflict development contexts
- Experience in data collection, analysis, and report writing
- Excellent in English (oral and written)
- Ability to plan, organize work, communicate and reports effectively (both in writing and verbally) team player, effective communicator, successful negotiator, creative and analytical thinker, active learner, able to work in a multicultural environment
- Excellent communication skills, calm, with a good sense of humour
- Excellent sense of confidentiality
- Excellent listening and empathy
- Proven commitment to accountability practices
- Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions such as heavy workloads, and deadlines.
- Excellent Microsoft Office applications skills (Excel, Word, Power point, Emails, Skype, Web researchers)
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online
Deadline: 13th September, 2019.
Application Instruction
To apply, interested candidates should send the following below:
- Current Resume
- Cover Letter (which includes expectations of compensation and projected start date)
- Please compile your writing sample and resume into one document as the system only has the functionality to upload two documents per application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Note: Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.
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