Background

HelpAge International (www.helpage.org) is the secretariat to the HelpAge Global Network, which brings together a wide range of organisations and individuals working together to ensure that older people lead dignified, active, healthy and secure lives. HelpAge International’s secretariat is based in London, UK but works in 75 countries across the world through its’ 148 partners. HelpAge has been operating in Ethiopia since 1992 and has been engaged on thematic sectors including social protection, health and wellbeing, emergency response and capacity building of partners.

HelpAge International is responding to the needs of south Sudanese refugees’ influx with special focus on specific needs of older people and PWDs in Gambella region. For a recently funded humanitarian response project, which will be implemented in four camps with full engagement of older people and other persons with specific needs and in close consultation and coordination with ARRA, UNHCR and other humanitarian actors involved in various sectors of refugee responses and working in Pugnido area.

HelpAge is looking for a motivated Social Welfare Supervisor for the above mentioned project and location.

Job purpose

As the Social Welfare Supervisor, the incumbent under the guidance and direct supervision of the program Coordinator and Project Officers based in Gambella field office, is in charge of supporting the project interventions at camp level, particularly focusing on supporting the day to day work of older people associations and home based care providers. i.e. implementing and reporting to ensure quality interventions to be implemented in the four mentioned camps. In collaboration with the project coordinator and officers, S/He will be responsible for promoting and consideration of older people and PwDs specific needs; working in coordination with community volunteers, camp coordinators, and partner staffs to ensure appropriateness and inclusiveness of interventions. The ideal candidates will have reasonable experience in implementing emergency response programs and activities in the refugee camps, as well as possessing excellent relationship, communications, planning, monitoring and teamwork skills.

Key Relationships:         

• Support Health, Nutrition and Protection interventions at camp level and closely coordinate with other project staffs;
• Assist the communication with the Emergencies team in Addis Ababa concerning routine updates of the sector as well as challenges in the implementation process;
• Having close working relations with Older people Association (OPA), refugee central committee, UNHCR, ARRA, protection cluster and refugee response task forces at camp level;

Job responsibilities

The incumbent will closely work with and assist his immediate supervisor in the implementation of the below listed actions.

• Ensure effective implementation of health, nutrition, protection and other sector activities in line with the existing donor approved project document in collaboration with other project staff and stakeholders.
• Lead mapping collection of information about older people and person with disabilities health, nutrition and protection situation in the mentioned camp(s);
• Support the program team in beneficiary targeting and inclusive verification process for the planned interventions.
• Promote participatory approaches to ensure inclusion of all most vulnerable groups including older people, children, women and Persons with disabilities throughout the project cycle and joint learning processes.
• Monitor the humanitarian situation, vulnerabilities of older people and other groups to health, nutrition, protection, and other risks and provide regular update on the humanitarian situation and project implementation progress to his/her supervisor.
• Implement all project activities efficiently as per the available budget and donor requirement and identify challenges and constraints and suggest possible remedial actions.
• Support creation of age and disability friendly spaces, strengthening of older people and disability groups and associations as well as their effective participation in camp management and refugee responses;
• Lead public awareness building and sensitization interventions on older people and other most vulnerable groups support and specific needs in the camps and neighboring host communities;
• Play active role in field level coordination mechanisms, participate cluster meetings, support joint rapid emergency assessments in order to raise awareness, share information and strengthen partnerships in the humanitarian sector;
• Jointly plan with the project staffs and conduct regular field level support of the project actions; scrutinize the utilisation of resources and documentation and reporting of accomplishments, lessons, risks and challenges as well as mitigation actions taken achieved;
• Ensure strict adherence to humanitarian principles and guidelines in the implementation of the project activities.
• Contribute and play key role in ensuring effective and functional community-based complaint handling mechanism is in place;

Safeguarding responsibilities

• Preventing harm and abuse from our people, operations and programmes, to anyone that encounters our work;
• Reporting all safeguarding incidents they see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism;
• Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices;
• Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and comply with HR vetting procedures.

Vacancy Ref No:     HAI/Prog/012/20

Responsible to:     Project coordinator

Length of Contract: Six months fixed term (with possibility of extension)

Length of Contract: Six months fixed term (with possibility of extension)

Job Requirements

Person Specifications

Essential:

• Diploma or BSC or BA degree in the field of public health, health and Nutrition, Humanitarian Response, Sociology, Psychology, Human Rights, and related field with relevant experience;
• Extensive experience at least 2 to 5 years. A minimum 5 years’ experience for Diploma; for BA/BSC 2 years and for MSC/MA Zero year of experience.
• Experience of working in refugee context and complex emergency;
• Excellent analytical skills and able to solve complex problems quickly and effectively in the field;
• Proven experience in team working, excellent in building relationships with local communities – receptive to people, participatory approaches, gender issues and cultural differences, able to identify problems and overcome conflicts;
• Proven communication, facilitation skills and volunteer to walk long distances within the camp to facilitate project related support to vulnerable older people;
• Experience in working with marginalized most vulnerable groups such as women, older people, persons with disabilities, etc;
• Proven ability to lead and work effectively with others to achieve results, and able to work independently as required;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and preferably the local languages in refugees in Gambella (Nuer);
• Ability to work in partnership with other stakeholders within agreed partnership framework at camp level;

Desirable:

• Cooperates well with other team members;
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize well and commitment to meet deadlines;
• Knowledge/familiarity with the working area, i.e. refugee context (specific kebele, or woreda);
• Abide by the NGO/HelpAge International Code of Conduct;
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and Outlook

Personal Specification will be judged through:

– Application Form, (I) – Interview, (T) – Written Test, (D) – Documents

How to Apply

Application procedure:

First Download the summary format and fill out the required information carefully.

 Indicate the vacancy reference No. and the post you are applying in subject line. 

Then attach the following.

Summary format from the link below

 summary format Helpage.xlsx

Current CV (not more than 4 pages) including three (3) professional referees

One page - cover letter highlighting job knowledge, qualification and experience.

Female meeting the minimum qualification and experience are encouraged to apply.

NB: Non-compliance to the above procedures will lead to instant rejection.

We are interested in how your skills, knowledge and experience indicate your ability to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Closing date: January 5^th 2021

 Interested applicants who meet the minimum requirements are required to submit their non-returnable application together with the summary format by email address: hr.eth@helpage.org