Social Performance Coordinator at FIRST E&P Limited

Description

As a Community Relations Officer, you will play a crucial role in fostering positive relationships between FIRST E&P and her host communities. You will be responsible for implementing strategies to engage with various stakeholders, including relevant government agencies, and community groups. You will also be responsible for ensuring host community access to local community content opportunities in FIRST E&P and vendors.

Through effective communication and stakeholder engagement activities, you will help to enhance FIRST E&P's reputation, promote goodwill, and support ESG commitments.

General

• Strategy Development:
  • Collaborate with SP Manager, to develop social performance strategies aligned with FIRST E&P’s values, mission, and business objectives.
  • onduct research and analysis to identify emerging social issues, stakeholder expectations, and best practices in corporate social responsibility (CSR).
• Policy and Procedure Development:
  • Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of social performance policies, standards, and procedures.
  • Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards related to social responsibility and community engagement.
• Community Engagement: Develop and maintain strong relationships with community members, leaders, and organizations to understand their needs, concerns, and priorities.
• Communication: Serve as the primary point of contact for community inquiries, feedback, and issues. Communicate FIRST E&P's initiatives, projects, and activities to stakeholders.
• Outreach Programs: Plan, coordinate, and implement outreach programs and events aimed at promoting community involvement, participation, and awareness of FIRST E&P's program.
• Local Community Content: Collaborate with other departments to identify and implement local community content opportunities for the communities.
• Advocacy: Advocate for community interests and concerns within the FIRST E&P. Represent FIRST E&P at community meetings, forums, and events to address issues and build consensus.
• IssuesManagement: Issues identification and management before they escalate into crises. In the event of a community crises, act as a liaison between FIRST E&P and the communities during times of crisis or controversy.
• Build Trust: Manage communication and mitigate negative perceptions to maintain trust and credibility.
• Feedback Analysis: Gather, analyze, and report feedback from the communities to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement. Use insights to inform decision-making and enhance community relations strategies.
• Compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards in all community relations activities.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate records of community interactions, initiatives, and outcomes. Prepare reports, presentations, and other materials to document the impact of FIRST E&P’s community relations efforts.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Responsible for maintaining the Social Performance Monitoring & Evaluation data relating to community relations, grievance management and community content.
• Prepare regular reports/presentations on FIRST E&P’s social performance metrics, trends, and initiatives for internal and external stakeholders.

Budget: Handle budget performance and alignment sessions with JV Partners.

Qualifications:

• 8-10 years’ experience.
• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, community development, or a related field.
• Proven experience in community relations, preferably in the Niger Delta.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively both verbally and in writing.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport, negotiate, and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience planning and executing community outreach programs and events.
• Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and best practices in community relations and public engagement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite especially excel and social media platforms.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed for community events and meetings.
• Commitment to FIRST E&P’s values.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including a high level of discretion and diplomacy and ability to manage conflict and gain consensus.
• An ability to communicate verbally and in writing, appropriately and persuasively, to different audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to act objectively and with integrity in a socially and ethnically complex environment.
• Overall familiarity with the core areas of social performance, such as understanding the different types of social impacts resulting from extractive projects; issues management; skills in stakeholder engagement and consultation, familiarity with international standards and guidelines in the social performance area.
• Experience in identifying local content, business linkages / supplier opportunities in the framework of sustainable development.
• Detailed understanding of the external environment especially the Niger Delta in which FIRST E&P operates.
• Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders in the operational areas including (but not limited to) regulators, local authorities, NGOs/CSOs, religious institutions and cultural bodies etc.
• Ability to represent company at key engagements which require social input/knowledge (i.e. NGO engagement).
• Ability to manage issues and resolve conflicts without negative impact on company business.
• Ability to capture, document and deploy lessons learnt in planning, monitoring, evaluation, project accountability and impact assessment.