Family & Community Strengthening Officer Full Time NEW

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children’s and young people. 

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government and community-based organizations across eight program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

Want to know more about life at SOS?

🌟 Explore our Employee Value Proposition Here

👉 Follow our journey on LinkedIn

Our Commitment to Safeguarding  

At SOS Children’s Villages, safeguarding isn’t just a policy, it’s a foundational value embedded in everything we do. We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting the children, young people, adults, and communities we serve, as well as our workforce and resources.

We cultivate an environment of trust and accountability where every voice is heard and respected. All successful candidates will be expected to champion our holistic safeguarding principles, actively upholding our Child & Youth Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and regulations against sexual misconduct, fraud, and corruption.

By joining our team, you commit to integrating these vital standards into your work, ensuring the highest levels of safety, ethics, and integrity in every action and partnership.

Together, we create a world where everyone feels safe, respected, and protected

Join Our Mission:

We are looking for Family and Community Strengthening Project Officer who is responsible for guiding and supporting the work with individual families participating in the project, for whom s/he has been allocated responsibility. This involves directly assessing the family situation of potential child participants and facilitating the development of a family’s first family development plan (FDP). Beyond the holder works closely with co-workers of the community-based partners (key implementation partners), to realize the program’s commitments towards the development of the family vis-à-vis the family’s own contributions, and to support the community-based partner in its role as the ‘first line’ of contact and support for the family

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate community mobilization sessions together with the community-based organization, local authority, community-based committee and the project coordinator.
• Work towards to the promotion of Community based services in cooperation with the project coordinator and other SOS staff, CBOs, counterparts and beneficiaries
• Implement Family development plan, youth development plan (FDP& YDP), initial assessment and core assessment at household level together with the community-based organization, project coordinator and local authority based on the identified and prioritized needs.
• Record the family data such as Core assessment and FDP in the PDB2 and review and update periodically.
• Conduct family visit on regular base and capture the observation in the family book to track the development of the family and make mitigation plan for remedial action.
• Participate in strengthening the capacity of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and to enable them support and care for the OVC to ensure sustainability
• Provide technical support to the community volunteers and project staff
• Promote community based social integration for the OVC to ensure that children are protected and cared by their community
• Participate in the income generation activities with CBO and beneficiaries
• Collect, analyze, update and compile data and status of beneficiaries on monthly basis
• Participate in the Identification of children with psychosocial problems/learning difficulties (if any) and refer them to an appropriate person for early intervention
• Conduct monthly meetings with the volunteers and beneficiaries, and report on the development
• Support the project coordinator in making appropriate decisions in relation to program activities
• Facilitate and arrange project related meetings, trainings and workshops
• Represent the project coordinator during his/her absence
• Network and collaborate with government departments and other NGOs involved in capacity building of communities
• Performs other similar duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor
• Ensure all targeted participants accessed basic training mentioned in the project documents.
• Ensure all training participants are full fill selection criteria and take full responsibility
• Facilitate need based training for project participants and ensure the targets are appropriate for specific trainings.
• Recommend innovative ideas to strengthen the project.
• Develop case and success stories in regular bases based
• Ensure all project participants have written consent in their folder and updated.
• Facilitate trainings and ensure trainers have educational background and trainings based on SOS strategic objectives.

Our Ideal Candidate?

Let’s find out if we’re a match. The next step in our process depends on how your background closely align with the below criteria’s.

Essential Requirements (Must-Have):

• Education: Degree in Community Development, Social Work or Sociology or Similar Discipline.
• Experience: At least 4 years relevant experience in similar settings
• Core Competencies:

Desired Assets (Nice-to-Have): 

• [Desired qualifications, e.g., additional Education, certifications, specific skills, experiences or language proficiencies].

Competencies 

• Understanding the organization and commitment to its vision and mission: able to clearly communicate SOS Children’s Villages Who We Are (Vision, Mission & Values), “Living our Values” policies and strategies in all areas.
• Project Implementation: – understand the project process and able to organize the activities based on the project plans and align with the project timeline and budget.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to convey ideas to colleagues and program participants effectively.
• Problem Solving: Ability to analyze problems and strategize for better solutions for the request
• Multitasking: – Possess the ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage time efficiently.
• Attention to Detail: – excellent in attention to detail and working on routine activities with initiative.
• Working under pressure: the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Collaboration: – can work with co-workers, volunteers and KIPs without any barriers and ensure a smooth collaboration.
• Conflict resolution
• Report Writing
• Counselling, Couching and Mentoring Techniques

Lead Competency 

• Role model: Act as a role model for the organization, living our values and inspiring and learning from others
• Collaboration: Remove barriers to participation, share decision making and build partnerships
• Empowerment: Promote inclusion and equitable sharing of power
• Strategic Thinking: Live the values and mission, setting realistic goals and translating them into actionable plans

Core Competency 

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.
• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.
• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.
• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.
• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

Does This Sound Like You?

To apply, please submit your updated resume via SOS Children’s Villages Application portal (ICIMS)

We actively champion diversity and inclusion and strongly encourage women to step forward and apply. As part of our unwavering commitment to holistic safeguarding protecting children, youth, adults, and assets our selection process emphasizes value alignment and includes thorough background checks for all potential hires.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an equal opportunity employer, providing fair consideration to all applicant regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.