Community Engagement Assistant at Rise to Inspire Africa Initiative

Job Overview/Summary: 

The Community Engagement Assistant will play a pivotal role in implementing community-driven approaches that strengthen RIA\\\'s humanitarian and development efforts in Gwoza. This role focuses on building strong relationships with local communities, fostering active participation, and ensuring community voices shape project planning and decision-making processes. The successful candidate will collaborate with program teams, local stakeholders, and beneficiaries to promote inclusive and sustainable solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitate dialogue and collaboration between RIA, community members, and stakeholders in Gwoza.
• Organize community meetings, focus group discussions, and feedback sessions to ensure participatory project design and implementation.
• Promote community ownership by encouraging active involvement in project activities and monitoring processes.
• Share accurate and timely information about RIA’s project activities, services, and objectives with community members.
• Address community concerns and provide clear explanations of program goals and expected outcomes.
• Assist in conducting needs assessments, surveys, and interviews to understand community priorities, challenges, and vulnerabilities.
• Gather and document community feedback, ensuring it is communicated to relevant teams for action and program adaptation.
• Support the delivery of training sessions, workshops, and awareness campaigns on topics such as child protection, GBV prevention, education, and WaSH.
• Collaborate with technical teams to adapt training materials to local contexts and languages, ensuring relevance and accessibility.
• Build and maintain relationships with community leaders, local authorities, and other key stakeholders in Gwoza.
• Coordinate with RIA teams and partners to ensure a harmonized and community-focused approach to engagement.
• Monitor community engagement activities to ensure alignment with project goals, objectives, and timelines.
• Prepare and submit regular reports detailing community feedback, participation levels, challenges, and lessons learned.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• A minimum of a diploma or bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Community Development, or a related field.
• At least 1–2 years of experience in community mobilization, engagement, or similar roles, preferably in humanitarian or development settings.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse groups.
• Fluency in Hausa and English is essential; proficiency in other local languages is an advantage.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and multitasking abilities.
• Ability to work in a team. 

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about community development and humanitarian work.
• Resilient, adaptable, and able to work effectively under pressure in challenging environments.
• Flexible, proactive, and resourceful in problem-solving.

Working Environment

• Frequent travel to project locations within Gwoza and surrounding areas.
• Ability to work in challenging environments and adapt to dynamic and evolving humanitarian contexts.
• Standards of Professional Conduct:  The RIA Initiative and its workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the i-CHAIR values – Code of Conduct.  These are Integrity, Compassion, HumanityAccountability, Impact and Respect.  In accordance with these values, the RIA Initiative operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation, Abuse and harassment, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Gender-equality, Whistleblowing, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.
• Gender Equality: RIA Initiative is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.
• RIA Initiative is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 
• RIA Initiative considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
• Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.