Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Officer

Johanniter International Assistance is recruiting a Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Officer.

Organization description

Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. is a German non-governmental organisation, dedicated to excellence in the field of first aid, ambulance service, social service programmes and other projects in the medical and social field. The Federal Headquarters (HQ) are based in Berlin, Germany. Johanniter International Assistance is the operational unit for humanitarian aid, development co-operation and emergency relief, implementing and supporting projects in Health, Nutrition, WASH as well as Food Security & Income Generation worldwide. (www.thejohanniter.org)

Job Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Overall job purpose

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) Officer is responsible for the daily technical planning, implementation, supervision, monitoring, and reporting of food security activities and for ensuring proper coordination with stakeholders. The Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) Officer will be the focal point on the ground for Johanniter to help coordinate and collaborate with local authorities when required.

Reporting lines

• Reporting to: Project Manager and Resilient Development (first level)
• Senior Program Manager (next level supervisors)
• Gives technical advice to: Food Security and Livelihoods Assistant
• Receives technical advice from: Project Manager and Resilient Development
• Standing in for: Project Manager and Resilient Development
• Represented by: Project Manager and Resilient Development

Tasks

Strategy and Vision

• Actively supports the values of Johanniter and shapes programme work according to these values;
• Together with the Senior Programs Manager and Project Manager, ensures the development and implementation of the Johanniter International Assistance strategy in her/his area of responsibility;
• Contributes to the development and implementation of the global strategy of Johanniter International Assistance.

Field work

• Ensure that projects are designed with an agricultural technology focus aimed at creating self-sufficiency, as well as enhancing the food security status of farmers’ households/local communities;
• Ensure that the agricultural potential in the region is assessed to improve the existing systems and water management practices for increased crop production and farm productivity;
• Identify and design interventions that link the restoration of essential services with livelihood opportunities for community stability;
• Assisting in the compilation of project data and sharing regular reports and updates with the Program Manager as per the standard reporting format;
• Build up the capacity of the project team on skill-based innovative, sustainable livelihood community models;
• Responsible for generating lessons learned and success stories as per JIA’s procedures;
• Ensure that staff under your supervision develop weekly and quarterly activity work plans;
• Engaging and building strong relationships with community members, analysing data collected to identify agricultural and livelihoods-related gaps, designing priority action plans and training modules on improved agricultural techniques, mechanisation, inputs, etc., in partnership with the community;
• Develop technical training modules to support livelihood activities;
• Responsible for FSL activity implementation in the field and supervise FSL field team to carry a high-quality implementation;
• Collaborate with Project Manager, assistants and MEAL staff to design community mobilisation strategy and project implementation plans, and through regular field visits, provide supervision and support;
• Compiling information on project implementation and reporting to the Project Manager regularly;
• Ensure improved coordination by working closely with project assistants and other team members and ensure FSL activities are well coordinated with protection activities in terms of beneficiary’s selection and planning of activities;
• Ensure alignment of project activities to project design and is consistent across project locations;
• Responsible for monitoring the impact of the project, promoting learning, supporting decision-making and documentation and disseminating best practices;
• Build the capacity of staff to ensure:
  • The staff understand and use the standard set of training material and approach.
  • The staff understand best practices in livelihood and income-generating activities.
  • The staff could identify the beneficiaries based on pre-set criteria: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning.

• Prepare and implement the action plan for quality monitoring.
• Mobilizing and making communities aware of project objectives, outputs and activities and MEAL systems and Child Safeguarding Policies.
• Facilitate project and activities information at all events, such as training and workshops.

Person Specification

Professional Qualification and Experience:

• University degree in Agriculture, development studies, food security, social science, or any other relevant technical credential.
• Minimum 3 years of proven work experience in a similar position.
• Solid experience with sustainable livelihood and food security programs, preferably at least 2 years of progressive experience building capacity on smallholder farmers, market linkages, income-generating activities, livestock, climate resilient agriculture.
• Experience designing and delivering training content, material, and other capacity-building initiatives to communities, project teams, and partners/government counterparts.
• Proven experience conceptualising strategies and materials for engaging rural families to generate/manage rural businesses.
• Previous experience with gender sensitivity/transformation programming is highly desired.
• Strong knowledge of community engagement techniques (focus groups, lectures, trainings, etc.).
• Full commitment to humanitarian principles, gender equality, and the rights of displaced persons and protection of children.
• Proven previous experience working with displaced people.

Skills

• Familiarity with livelihood programming;
• Proactive and problem-solving attitude;
• Willingness to work in areas receiving displaced people in Cabo Delgado;
• Good planning and analytical skills;
• Excellent computer skills and competency in Microsoft Office;
• Detail-oriented individual with good multi-tasking abilities and good communication skills, both oral;
• Fluent in Portuguese. Dominion of local languages desired, Good dominion of English an advantage;
• Experience in implementation of social and behaviour change and Community engagement activities;
• Proactive, open-minded and creative individual able to find innovative solutions to challenges;
• Able to work well both within a team and independently; culturally sensitive and flexible to adjust quickly to challenging and fast-changing context; coping well with stress and in intense and difficult environment;
• Committed, mature individual able to take responsibilities and make decisions in a transparent and accountable way; ability to set clear objectives and successfully achieve them;