WGPE Senior Officer

Requisition ID: req45991

Job Title: WGPE Senior Officer

Sector: Women Protection & Empowerment

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

BACKGROUND

Presentin Sierra Leone since 1999, IRC supports Sierra Leonean institutions government, civil society, community-based organizations, and private sector to provide improved social services, decrease youth unemployment and mitigate gender-basedviolence.  The IRC does this through programs and partnerships designed toimprove the lives of women, youth, and children by implementing Health,Education, and Women and Girls Protection and Empowerment (WGPE) programming. IRC.  IRC has a Country Program office inFreetown, a Regional Field Office in Kenema, Field Offices in Kono and Bo, anda satellite office in Kailahun. IRC will be working through civil society partnersin Falaba district, and Karena district in the northern region of Sierra Leone. 

The IRC through its WGPE sector will be implementing theAdolescent Girls Empowerment and Protection Project (AGEPP) Phase 2 from 2022to 2024, and its main aim is to support the empowerment of Adolescent Girlsthrough relevant education, knowledge, and skills for obtaining their fullpotential and inclusive participation in society.  This project will be implemented in BoDistrict and is a follow-on project from AGEPP Phase 1 (2019-2022).  It will primarily focus on adolescent girlsover a 3-year period, with the recognition that their empowerment cannot befully achieved without change occurring within the family and the community.Therefore, this project will also target female caregivers of the girls, maleleaders within the community, boys, and the community at large. Using learningfrom the period of the COVID 19 pandemic, Ebola and other natural disastersthat have occurred in previous years, which resulted in increased vulnerabilityand incidence of adolescent girls to SGBV, teenage pregnancy and FGM, theproject will seek to bring about changes that will build resilience in thecommunities and will allow them to take full ownership of the problems and solutionsof their adolescent girls leading to the reduction of early marriage andteenage pregnancy. To be able to achieve this effectively, the project willalso explore through research, how climate change affects adolescent girls.

Job Summary
Reportingto the Project Manager, the WGPE Senior Officer will be responsible for theday-to-day direct implementation of all components of the project withintargeted rural communities in Bo district. S/he will be responsible for establishingand developing informal adolescent girls groups, outside of the schoolsetting; Women Action Groups (WAGS) within communities and working with men andboys in the project communities and will carry out on-the-ground facilitationof the IRCs project interventions with these clients. She/he will be involvedin community mobilization, sensitization and advocacy programs, and interfacewith traditional institutions, religious leaders, community leaders, and localgovernment authorities towards ensuring quality implementation of all the projectcomponents at the community levels. S/he will lead collection of reliable monitoringdata in the target communities on monthly and/or quarterly basis in a timelymanner.  As such, the Senior Officer willbe based in the target communities and report directly to the Project Manager. 

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
PositionReports to: WGPE Project Manager
Positiondirectly supervises: Mentors in the communities, community facilitators and other projectclients.  
internal: WGPE Senior Program Manager, WGPE Coordinator, Field Manager-Bo,M & E Manager, M&E Officer
External: The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender, and ChildrensAffairs (MSWGCA) Bo district, Bo District Council, InternationalNon-Governmental Organizations, National Non- Governmental Organizations, theDonor, other key partners and stakeholders.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Program implementation and quality
Work directly on the implementation of the AGEPP Phase 2 in Bo district, and manage associated day-to-day tasks, including:
with support from the Project Manager and the WGPE Senior Program Manager, work on the start-up and implementation of Girl Shine groups, Women Action groups, boys groups, ensuring groups are formed in a safe, comfortable, and confidential manner and environment.
Work directly with groups and communities across all aspects of programming, including:
Community engagement and mobilization
Capacity building training, workshops, and mentoring
Awareness raising and behaviour change
Support exploration through research on how climate change affects adolescent girls.
Provide psychosocial support and well-being for mentors and community facilitators
Economic empowerment of older adolescent girls and women
Women and girls leadership and solidarity building
Work with IRC partners
With support from the Project Manager, ensure all aspects of programming follow best practice.

StaffDevelopment and Support
Actively participate in WGPE capacity building opportunities and share learning and experiences with project partners and the wider WGPE teams
Actively pursue professional development opportunities based on performance and development objectives, and liaise with supervisor for support on identifying and realising these where possible

Representationand Advocacy
Support the managers on site by representing the WGPE team at any relevant district level and chiefdom level coordination meetings as and when required
Advocate for the needs, priorities and interest of women and girls at the community level and district where required in line with WGPEs approach to working with, supporting and empowering women and girls.
Other
Undertake tasks as requested by Supervisor 

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:
Education:
Aminimum of a Diploma in Community Development, social work or equivalent in arelevant discipline.
Experience:
At least 2 years cognate experience in development work at community levels.
Experience of working on women and girls empowerment projects
Good understanding of how gender inequality and crisis impacts the lives of women and girls in Sierra Leone.
Computer literacy and ability to work well using MS Office packages.
Experience in community mobilization, advocacy, and conflict management.
Experience using digital tools for data collection and survey activities.
Understands geographic terrain and environment.

SKILL & ABILITIES
Mandatory: 
Committed to the mission and principles of the International Rescue Committee.
Operational management understand IRC policies and systems and applies them effectively.
Applies effective utilization of resources.
The ability to work within a team environment.
The ability to identify issues, problems, and opportunities early and inform line manager.
Results driven ensures objectives and deadlines are met.
Role model Builds effective work practices through role model.
Self-Management – The ability to adapt and learn, accept constructive feedback and instructions from supervisors
Can communicate effectively in English (both verbal and written) and the local language
Organization skills, including time management and the ability to work independently and take initiative
Ability to work in very basic conditions
Good interpersonal skills to establish effective working relationships with all staff and key stakeholders externally.
Good motorbike riding skills and valid driving license