Food Security and Livelihood Officer at SOS Children Villages

Job Summary

• As a Food Security and Livelihood Officer, you will be responsible for the daily planning, implementation, supervision, monitoring, and reporting of food security activities, ensuring proper coordination with stakeholders and contributing to the organization’s efforts to improve food security and livelihood.

Responsibilities
Program Implementation:

• Plan, implement, supervise, and monitor food security and livelihood projects
• Conduct needs assessments and market assessments in the field
• Develop and implement training programs for beneficiaries in areas like agronomy, post-harvest handling, and business skills
• Ensure proper documentation and record-keeping of project activities and beneficiaries
• Support the implementation of cash-based interventions and winterization programs

Coordination and Liaison:

• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with local authorities, community leaders, and other stakeholders
• Participate in relevant coordination meetings and clusters (e.g., FSL, NFI, food)
• Liaise with beneficiaries and other stakeholders to ensure effective program implementation and address their needs

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Regularly monitor project activities and provide timely feedback to the team leader
• Prepare regular reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly) on project progress and activities
• Contribute to the development of project proposals, budgets, and reports
• Ensure proper filing and documentation of project-related documents and activities

Capacity Building:

• Provide technical advice, training, and support to beneficiaries and community members
• Support the development of business plans and budgets for micro-enterprise development
• Contribute to the identification and implementation of best practices in food security and livelihoods programming
• Understand and apply data confidentiality principles – all donor information must be treated as confidential and kept secure
• Ensure that all tasks comply with the Safeguarding Policy Implementation within the organization

Requirements
Generic Professional Competencies:

• Degree in a relevant field such as Social Work, Development and Agricultural Extension, Agronomy, Disaster Risk Management, Agricultural Economics, Developmental Economics, or related fields
• Relevant experience in planning, implementing, and following up on livelihood and food security projects, such as business plan development, entrepreneurship, and small enterprise development
• A Project Management Professional (PMP) certification would be an added advantage
• Previous experience working in complex and volatile contexts
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context / Specific Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• Knowledge of the livelihood context (gaps and needs)
• Experience in organizing self-help groups or business groups prior to provision of start-up kits (in-kind or cash)
• Demonstrated understanding of cooperatives and small enterprise development policy, and cash transfer program practices in Nigeria
• Strong conceptual and analytical thinking skills in areas of economic development
• Skilled trainer with experience developing and delivering training to varied audiences (project staff, stakeholders, national staff, authorities)
• Ability to contribute to program activity monitoring and evaluation
• Ability to contribute to proposal and project report writing
• Team-building experience and skills

Behavioural Competencies:
These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their jobs:

• Handling insecure environments
• Planning and delivering results
• Working with people
• Analysing
• Communicating with impact and respect
• Coping with change