Job Description

Community Empowerment Officer (JOB REF: SOS/15/04/24)

Position title: ​​Community Empowerment Officer x 2
Working location: ​ Hwedza; Bulawayo
Supervisor: ​Family-Strengthening Coordinator

Context of the position

Established in 1949, SOS Children's Villages International (CVI) is a dynamic, international social development organization working globally to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children without parental care and those who are at the risk of losing it.

SOS Children's Villages Association of Zimbabwe is a member of SOS International - a worldwide children's social welfare organisation, providing vulnerable children without homes with a family home and educational opportunities as well as strengthening families to reduce poverty.

Mission of the position:

The Community Empowerment Officer works closely with community based partners in creating a responsive and conducive environment for the care and protection of children and young people. He / She will work with other programme officers, government and CSO partners to strengthen the functional and financial sustainability of community based partners in responding to the welfare of vulnerable families, children and young people. The incumbent is expected to closely collaborate with government, CSOs, business corporate partners, local community structures, local authorities and other service providers to enable children who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care to grow within a caring and supportive family environment and secure community.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key performance areas and main responsibilities:
• Facilitate and participates in community stakeholder analysis; community needs assessment and community resource/asset mapping;
• Support the identification and assessment of the community based partner to work with in the community;
• Facilitate the development of community empowerment plan, community resource mobilisation plan and community exit strategy;
• Mobilize communities to participate in project planning, development, implementation and monitoring.
• Mobilize government institutions, CSOs, and other enabling partners in planning, development, resource mobilisation, implementation and monitoring of interventions to empower community based partners.
• Support community based partners to embark on innovative and sustainable community self-reliant projects
• Mobilize grassroots organizations, Community structures and other civil society organizations to advocate for the welfare of vulnerable children and young people
• Facilitate Community Based Partners (CBPs) to access government social safety net programmes and other developmental programme support
• Facilitate the identification of opportunities and mobilization of local resources for the action plan to meet the needs of each household and community.
• Support communities in the development of emergency preparedness plans.
• Lead the FS programme planning and budgeting on community empowerment
• Facilitate the mainstream of cross cutting issues (HIV/AIDS, child protection, gender and environment) in all community empowerment programme intervention development.
• Facilitate community action research and evaluations
• Facilitate learning and practice sharing of community based partners with other organisations in areas identified for knowledge and practice enhancement;
• Build capacity of community based partners, community facilitators and volunteers in community and family empowerment monitoring and reviews (family self-evaluation, family book, home visits, FDP reviews, etc)
• Represent SOS Children Villages at stakeholder engagements in the programme catchment community
• Facilitate networking with local government institutions, CSOs, corporate business partners and other partners in planning and implementation of community empowerment interventions.
• Facilitate participatory monitoring and evaluation of the community empowerment interventions.
• Documents, prepare and submit timely progress reports to the Project Coordinator on community empowerment interventions
• Support the collection and documentation of community empowerment impact stories

Qualifications and Experience

Requirements

Qualifications and Technical Competencies
• Degree in Community development related social and natural sciences/disciplines such as Social Work, Social Sciences, Sociology, Development studies, Economics, Community Nursing, and Rural Development.
• At least 3 years of professional work experience in a similar role or implementing Community development and OVC support programmes.
• Class 3 (Motor Cycle riding) Licence is a prerequisite


Skills & Knowledge
• Sound understanding of child rights, child development, family and community development, rights based programming and management of CBPs.
• Good communication and reporting skills, computer literate, understanding and ability to apply community development participatory methodologies, self-starter
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, within and outside the organisation, develop effective working relationships to deliver outstanding results.
• Asset Based Community Development Approach
• Knowledge of the Project cycle management demonstrable ability with applying project management methodology to basic or routine projects to achieve stated objectives and/or outcomes
• Demonstrates initiative and enterprise and supports others to work more effectively
• Understands and SOS CV social, ethical and organisational standards and responsibilities in all interactions
• Willingness to travel to and be posted in any SOS program locations according to programming requirements.

How to Apply

SOS Children’s Villages Zimbabwe holds strict child safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and program activity locations. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring decisions will give due emphasize to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks, police clearance reference check processes.

Candidates should be willing to work in any of the SOS Programme Locations.

How to Apply

Applications accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae (CV) with at least 3 traceable references and copies of certified academic certificates should be submitted electronically not later than 22 April 2024. Please note the applications will be reviewed as they come in. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Applications that are late do not have a CV or certified certificates attached will be disqualified. E-mail applications should bear the reference number of the position in the subject line of the email.
E-mail: Applications should be sent electronically to:
[email protected]

SOS Children’s Villages Zimbabwe is an equal opportunities employer and encourages all eligible applicants to apply without any consideration to sex, cultural consideration, disability or creed.