Food Security Assistant at Christian Aid

Location: Dikwa, Borno
Type of contract: Fixed Term
Contracted hours: 35
Contract length: 12 months
Department: International
Reports to (Job Title): Program Coordinator
Expected travel per annum Up to: 30 days

Role Purpose

• The overall aim of the position is to assist the food security officer, coordinate and manage a timely and effective food security assistance project in line with proposals, strategies and donor requirements.

Role Context

• To support the implementation of UN-WFP Food Aid Project by assisting the food security officer in undertaking programme activities (community mobilization, verification, registration, distribution, monitoring and evaluation).
• The role also includes assisting the food security officer in planning and coordination of distribution activities, food distribution planning and reporting. There is the need to have staff who is dedicated in practical application of targeting, registration, verification, and distribution according to UN- WFP standard, while ensuring monitoring and collection of data on the impact of socio-economic, political and cultural trends on Concern food aid programme.

Key outcomes:

• Under the direct supervision of the food security officer and in collaboration with the field officer and other team members of the project and of the base, the food security assistant will:

Role Profile

• Assist in all the beneficiary identification, registration, verification and distribution of food.
• Supervise casual labourers
• Conduct training and sensitisation activities related to food distributions and nutrition.
• Assist in Planning, supervising and monitoring training, awareness and sensitisation activities, including maintenance and verification of all supporting documentation and activities (e.g. pre- and post-tests).
• Assist in Maintaining records of all activities, in order to complete timely reports for DRC and for external actors, including donors. 
• Plan, coordinate and monitor all food distribution related activities, including screening, referrals and follow up.  
• Assist the Livelihoods officer in project documentation.
• Promote the rights of displaced people and affected populations, explore and assess new and better ways to provide timely, effective and appropriate assistance. 
• Assist in gap analysis, needs assessment, conducting registration, receiving commodities and distributing to beneficiaries in locations adversely affected by the conflict.
• Other responsibilities as required by line management.

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 to manage team effectively, from recruitment of volunteers and to day to day management of food security activities.
• Also providing technical input and overall support to the food security officer.
• Day to day decision to adherence to donor guidelines in food distributions while mainstreaming gender and protection.
• 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 food security and making sound decisions to support this.

Analytical skills:

• Works on complex specialist/ technical issues.  Problems and issue, risks and benefits may have implications across several 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:

• Relevant higher education at college level in Nutrition and/or Health.
• Experience working as a Nutrition Assistant in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Minimum 1 year work experience in a humanitarian/recovery context within Nutrition programmes, preferably with an international NGO.
• Proven experience of registration, verification and distribution in emergency relief operations is a strong advantage
• Computer skills (primarily MS Office applications), especially Microsoft Excel. 
• Knowledge of the context in rural Nigeria 
• Strong understanding of protection principles and likely protection concerns arising in the Nigerian context as well as conflict sensitivity
• Experience in complex emergencies and the ability to live and work in a very remote environment.
• Ability to work under pressure and without daily supervision
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal. Fluency in Hausa. Competency in Kanuri and/or other local languages appropriate to the target population.

Desirable:

• Familiar with FSL context in the northeast Nigeria.
• Ability to communicate fluently in Hausa and English language.

IT competency require:

• 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, considering 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

Salary
N3,187,627 Salary (full time)