Peace Building Officer

Job Overview:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is implementing a program titled “Improving Food Security and Climate Resilience in Disaster-Affected Households and Communities” in the Amhara and Oromia Regions of Ethiopia. The project aims to enhance food security and climate resilience among disaster-affected communities and households in targeted woredas through integrated interventions addressing both immediate needs and long-term sustainability. The Peace Building Officer will be responsible for various activities related to conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and community engagement aimed at promoting peace, reconciliation, and conflict resolution in the program implementation area. The role holder will closely work with stakeholders at various level (regional, woreda, kebele, and local level) including community leaders, and project partners to facilitate dialogue, build relationships, and create sustainable peace – building strategies. He / she will be also responsible for organizing workshops and peace dialogues at a world and local level, monitoring progress, and monitoring impact to contribute to positive social change.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Key responsibilities

• Supporting the peacebuilding component of projects, overseeing project activities, budgets, and reporting.
• Contributing to the development of proposals, and project budgets, and working closely with other sector leads and managers for technical supervision.
• Conduct participatory conflict and conflict sensitivity analyses through community consultations and participatory processes to identify and prioritize the drivers of instability and opportunities for positive peace outcomes
• Establish peace-building committees (including women and young people, IDPs/returnees/host) and provide training on negotiation, mediation and non-violent conflict resolution
• Develop participatory peacebuilding plans with the community (considering the planned interventions of the project and leveraging NRM and other activities as peace dividends)
• Support CSOs, groups, initiatives, and local change makers promoting peace and social cohesion and responding to conflict displacement with skills reinforcement on dialogue building and conflict prevention/management/resolution
• Facilitate and support community peace-building dialogue forums (local and regional gatherings)
• Facilitate workshops and forums with key stakeholders to promote understanding of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus and principles of conflict-sensitive programming.
• Establish joint working groups and integrate conflict-sensitive programming principles into project interventions to mitigate potential conflicts and enhance effectiveness.
• Ensuring smooth coordination with authorities, security providers, and other organizations to avoid duplication of activities.
• Monitoring, reporting, and evaluating project implementation, including data collection, maintaining monitoring forms and submitting reports.
• Personal/Professional Skills:
• A strong team worker.
• Aptitude to work in difficult conditions and stressful situations.

Safeguarding Responsibilities:-

• Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]
• Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies

Job Requirements:

Educational Requirements

• BSc or MSC degree in Peace Studies, Conflict Management, Social Studies or related fields

Preferred experience & skills:

• NGO experience is a plus.
• Ability to work in a fast paced/changing, deadline-oriented environment.
• Self-motivated with good organization, planning skills, including prioritizing work and multi-tasking.
• A clear understanding of gender and power protection issues
• Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, is comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Minimum of two years for professional experience, a similar position for BSC degree and one year for MSC 1st degree,
• Good computer skills (MS Word and MS Excel),
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills,
• Experience and willingness to travel to field location,
• Strong analytic problem-solving skills and able to work under pressure,
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels,
• Relevant NGO experience is preferable.

Language Skills: Proficiency in English and local language preferred /required.