Community/Stakeholders Engagement Assistant at Action Against Hunger | ACF-International

Action Against Hunger is currently looking to fill the role of Community/Stakeholders Engagement Assistant who will be responsible to support the PASCO project through effective community mobilization, stakeholder coordination, and participatory engagement processes. The role involves facilitating access to community structures, promoting inclusion, and ensuring that local actors are informed, consulted, and actively involved in agro-pastoral activities. The Assistant will liaise with local leaders, pastoralist groups, women/youth associations, and relevant CSOs to build strong relationships and ensure ownership and sustainability of interventions.

Reporting to: Agro-pastoralist Programme Manager
Proposed start date: August 2025

Key Responsibilities:

• Mobilize and sensitize targeted communities about PASCO project goals and planned activities;
• Facilitate access to and engagement with local leaders, livestock associations, and pastoralist groups;
• Organize and document community meetings, FGDs, and consultation sessions;
• Ensure inclusive participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in project activities;
• Address community concerns and provide feedback to the Agropastoralist Programme Manager;
• Support mapping and engagement of key stakeholders including local CSOs, market actors, and livestock cooperatives;
• Facilitate local networking sessions and dialogue forums to promote collaboration and trust-building;
• Maintain a database of key contacts, actors, and engagement outcomes;
• Assist in organizing multi-stakeholder workshops and field visits;
• Ensure robust data collection, analysis, and learning;
• Engage with local government authorities, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders to facilitate project buy-in;
• Support the development of cross-border agreements and cooperation frameworks for livestock mobility and trade;
• Represent ACF in meetings related to pastoralism, livestock value chains, and rural development;
• Strengthen partnerships with relevant technical institutions, research bodies, and private sector actors;
• Ensure compliance with PASCO project communication and visibility protocols;
• Contribute to regular activity reporting and documentation of success stories and lessons learned;
• Ensure project communication materials are well distributed at the community level;
• Support visibility actions as per PASCO communication protocols;
• Report challenges encountered in community interactions and propose practical solutions;
• Ensure that ACF’s safeguarding and gender policies are understood and respected at community level;
• Facilitate the functioning of feedback and complaint response mechanisms in target communities;
• Identify and report any protection concerns to the Programme Manager and Safeguarding Focal Point.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Rural Development, Community Development, or related fields;
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in community mobilization, stakeholder engagement, or support to livelihoods, food security, or agro/livestock-related interventions;
• Proven experience in engaging community leaders, CSOs, cooperatives, and market actors in humanitarian or development settings;
• Knowledge of participatory approaches, social inclusion, and accountability mechanisms in fragile or conflict-affected environments;
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and maintain positive relationships with community members, traditional leaders, and local institutions;
• Prior experience working with NGOs or local government agencies, particularly in the Northeast Nigeria context;
• Experience supporting workshops, community sensitizations, and feedback mechanisms;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, especially in facilitating community dialogue and participation;
• Ability to maintain neutrality and apply conflict-sensitive approaches in diverse communities;
• Knowledge of gender and child protection principles and ability to apply them in daily work;
• Basic understanding of the social, cultural, and operational context of Northeast Nigeria;
• Disciplined, proactive, and able to work independently under limited supervision.