Talk to Loop is looking for a Somalia Country Lead based in Mogadishu or Nairobi.
Talk to Loop is a feedback and reporting mechanism driving inclusive community engagement, transparency and accountability for the efficacy of aid provision, disaster management, prevention and early warning, as well as for the safe reporting of SEA, GBV, fraud, corruption, and misconduct, among other things.
To understand what Talk to Loop is, our mission and our way of working please consult this document. To get the details on the job opening and the application process continue reading.
Role Overview
As the In-Country Lead at Loop, you will be responsible for leading the roll out and scale up of Loop as a collective feedback and safe reporting mechanism across all parts of Somalia. You will provide strategic direction and operational management of the team behind the platform within your designated country of operation. You will lead and manage a country team of moderators, sensitive feedback leads, and monitoring and evaluation (MEAL) leads, all based in Somalia, to ensure the effective implementation of Loop’s mission and objectives at the grassroots level. Your role involves coordinating with various stakeholders at all levels, overseeing moderation activities, and driving continuous improvement and uptake, to maximise impact of the information that communities share.
Country: Candidates are preferably based in Mogadishu, Somalia, or Nairobi, Kenya.
Location: Work from the local host organisation offices.
Salary: Approx. USD 38,000 – 50,000 per annum (depending on experience)
Job Type: Full-time permanent (subject to funding)
Working Times/Zones: 40 hours per week, Eastern Africa Time.
Travel Required: Some travel for meetings within Somalia and Kenya may be required.
*We encourage staff to use eco-friendly practices when working from home. For ideas on how to do this, please visit this site.
Management Responsibilities
Reports to: Global Loop Lead
Direct reports: 7 and up to 20 national staff.
Indirect relationships: Sensitive Feedback Lead, User Experience and Quality Assurance Lead, Technology Lead, among others.
Expected Tasks
Country Leadership and Team Management
- Lead, motivate, and manage a diverse team of country level moderators, sensitive feedback leads, and MEAL leads, among others, to maximise the use and effectiveness of the Talk to Loop platform on behalf of communities.
- Provide guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to team members to enhance their skills and performance.
- Foster a collaborative and supportive work environment that promotes feedback, teamwork, innovation, and accountability across all of Loop.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Loop’s initiatives in Somalia, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and objectives.
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to spread the use of the Talk to Loop platform across the country and to increase its impact for at risk communities.
- Integrate in local and national working groups, consortium meetings and other relevant forums to raise the profile of Loop and the need for accountability in the humanitarian and development sectors. Use this network and information to propose platform design and process improvements to the Loop team, with an objective of increasing the potential for impact for communities.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with local communities, partner organisations, government agencies, donors, INGOs, Agencies, technical specialists and other relevant stakeholders to promote the resulting data on Loop, to increase response rates, to integrate data and messaging where appropriate to influence decision making based on communities experiences.
- Identify opportunities for collaboration, resource mobilisation, and efficiencies to enhance the sustainability and impact of the platform including possible joint projects.
- Lead on the establishment and effective running of a quarterly Steering Group with strong representation from key stakeholders nationally. Using this group to build scale, trust and identify and address opportunities and risks nationally for the platform.
- Must work closely with the Somali Host organisation, donors, Clusters, Minority Rights and Disabled groups as well as the Somali NGO Forum among others.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Work closely with the MEAL Lead to develop and implement robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track platform performance, outcomes, and impact on an ongoing basis.
- Utilise data and feedback to identify areas for improvement of the platform communications, engagement and wider sector.
- Use the data to inform decision-making processes both within and external to Loop, which are aimed at enhancing communities’ Agency and the effectiveness, impact and relevance of support/ Aid.
Sensitive Feedback Management
- Collaborate with both the Global and Country Sensitive Feedback Leads to establish and maintain effective mechanisms for gathering and addressing sensitive feedback from community members.
- Engage with stakeholders to increase relevant, safe and timely responses from organisations to survivors and authors, for both accountability and assistance referrals and the aggregate anonymised data.
- Ensure that all reported feedback containing sensitive feedback are handled promptly, sensitively, and in accordance with established protocols and ethical standards.
Communications, Reporting and Documentation
- Prepare regular reports, updates, and documentation on country progress, achievements, challenges, and lessons learned for internal and external stakeholders, including donors.
- Ensure timely and accurate reporting in compliance with organisational policies and donor requirements.
- Contribute to contextualising, testing and sharing communications about Loop with the community and other actors, including reviewing and approving Loop and other joint awareness campaigns with partners.
Person Specification
Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., international development, social sciences, management) or equivalent work experience.
- Proven experience in program management, team leadership, and/or community development, within the humanitarian or development sector. Experience applying for, delivering on and reporting against large scale programs.
- Strong understanding and engagement in systems discussions related to feedback, monitoring and evaluation, safeguarding and accountability to affected populations theory and methodologies, and experience in designing and implementing MEAL frameworks.
- A strong network within the national ecosystem of Aid, including humanitarian, development, peace building, civil society etc. Including a knowledge of key actors and stakeholders across different spaces and sectors.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to recruit, lead and motivate teams, foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, and support your team to achieve results in complex and challenging environments. Including, a demonstrated experience in managing poor performance effectively.
- Sound analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyse data, identify trends, and make evidence-based decisions.
- Proficiency in English (spoken and written) is required, Maxatiri (spoken and written) preferred. Other Somali languages are highly desirable.
Personal Attributes
- A strong ethos and passion for humanitarian and development work and committed to promoting accountability, transparency, and community centered approaches.
- Resilient, adaptable, and able to work effectively under pressure in fast-paced and dynamic environments.
- Ethical and principled, with a strong commitment to upholding integrity, transparency, and accountability in all aspects of work.
- Empathetic and culturally sensitive, with the ability to engage with diverse communities and navigate complex social and cultural dynamics.
- Proactive, self-motivated, and results-oriented, with a strong drive for continuous learning and professional growth.
If you’re passionate about making a meaningful impact and amplifying the voices of communities worldwide, we invite you to join us. Together, we can reimagine accountability, build trust, and create positive change that benefits everyone.
To apply, complete this application form.
Please review our team handbook here where you can find our Mission and Vision. This will be useful for your application process.
We promise to get back to you within 2 weeks, whether your application is successful or not.
If you have any questions or requests you can contact us at maria@talktoloop.org.
Recruitment for this role is ongoing, and we will close recruitment once we have found the right candidate.
Roles are dependent on donor funding, and employment will be subject to the continuation of such funding.
We highly encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from the Majority World and women. Their unique experiences and perspectives are invaluable to our mission of shifting power and promoting the voices of the most at risk.