Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) Assistant at FINDEF

Reports to:    Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) Officer

About the Project

This project aims to enhance the resilience of the most vulnerable communities in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria by delivering integrated, multi-sectoral lifesaving services. Special attention is given to the needs of women, children, and persons with disabilities. This role will support the implementation of the initiative: \"Integrated Multi-Sectoral Lifesaving Assistance to Conflict- and Shock-Affected Populations in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria.\"

Job Summary:

The Food Security and Livelihoods Assistant will support implementing field-level activities related to agricultural livelihoods and nutrition-sensitive cash transfer programs. The role focuses on improving household food production, income generation, and dietary diversity for vulnerable communities through on-farm support and cash-based interventions.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in the planning and execution of small-scale farming, home gardening, and livestock activities.
• Mobilize and train farmers on improved, climate-resilient farming practices and post-harvest handling.
• Facilitate the establishment of demonstration plots and clusters/groups.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor progress and provide technical assistance under supervision.
• Participate in beneficiary selection and verification processes for cash assistance targeting nutritionally vulnerable households.
• Assist in organizing and facilitating cash disbursement events (e.g., mobile money, vouchers).
• Collaborate with the nutrition team to ensure cash transfers are linked to improved food access and dietary outcomes.
• Monitor how cash is being used and support post-distribution assessments to measure the impact on household nutrition and food security.
• Conduct awareness campaigns on the objectives of FSL and nutrition-related activities.
• Support behavior change communication on nutrition-sensitive agriculture and the importance of diverse diets.
• Liaise with community leaders, local partners, and government extension services for coordination and acceptance.
• Assist with the collection of baseline, monitoring, and evaluation data for all activities.
• Maintain accurate records of distributions, trainings, and beneficiary participation.
• Report challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations to the FSL Officer or Project Manager.

Qualifications

• Diploma or Bachelor\'s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Nutrition, Rural Development, or a related field.
• At least 1–2 years of relevant field experience in agricultural livelihoods or cash-based programming.
• Basic knowledge of nutrition and its link to food security.
• Experience working with rural or vulnerable communities, especially women and children.
• Strong community mobilization and interpersonal skills.
• Practical understanding of farming systems and/or home gardening.
• Familiarity with mobile data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox) is an advantage.
• Ability to work under pressure and travel to remote areas.
• Commitment to humanitarian principles, accountability, and gender equity.
• Must be a resident of Zamfara State.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of local languages is an advantage.