Community Engagement Advisor

Job Description

About Save the Children:

The Organization:

Save the Children, a global organization employing approximately 25,000 people across 100+ countries, is dedicated to helping children in crises and those in need of healthcare, education, and child protection. The organization campaigns globally to ensure children’s rights, working towards three breakthroughs by 2030: preventing child deaths, providing quality basic education, and ending violence against children.

SCI – Afghanistan:

Save the Children has operated in Afghanistan since 1976, delivering lasting change to thousands of children. Working closely with communities, the organization adheres to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, focusing on education, child protection, and basic health.

Job Description: Community Engagement Advisor

Job Title: Community Engagement Advisor

Team/Programme: [Not Specified]

Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

Grade: Nat 2

Type of Contract: Fixed Term

Child Safeguarding: Level 3

Role Purpose:

Save the Children International in Afghanistan, a sub-implementer of the consortium with International Rescue Committee (IRC) as the lead, aims to improve safe access to quality learning for Afghan children. The Community Engagement Advisor will play a crucial role in achieving this goal, overseeing the implementation of strategies to enhance community involvement in education projects.

Scope of Role:

Reports to: Deputy Chief of Party (solid reporting line), with dotted relationships with Senior Education Technical Advisor (SCI)

Staff Reporting: Education Community Engagement Specialist

Budget Responsibilities: None

Key Areas of Accountabilities:

Programming Quality and Effectiveness:

• Provide technical advice and support for the development, adaptation, and delivery of quality programming under Intermediate Result (IR) #2.
• Oversee strategies to sustain access to safe public and community-based education.
• Ensure activities address identified needs with integrated links to other sectors.
• Embed priority cross-cutting issues in IR 2 interventions.
• Actively communicate and coordinate with other project technical leads for synergy across different IRs.
• Contribute to the Project Management Unit hosted by IRC, providing expertise and coordination.
• Form, lead, and guide discussions and actions related to deliverables under Intermediate Result #2.
• Collaborate with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure proper reporting on IR 2 indicators.
• Conduct regular field visits to provide supportive supervision to implementing partners and strengthen staff capacity.
• Provide guidance and supervision to the Education Community Engagement Specialist.
• Review all donor reports to ensure high quality and adherence to donor standards.
• Strengthen the technical capacity of partner staff.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning:

• Support the project MEAL team in developing tools, conducting needs assessments, and ensuring results inform project implementation.
• Develop monitoring tools for IR 2 activities and ensure they are used.
• Contribute to the development of a MEAL framework and tools monitoring the impact of project activities under IR2.
• Ensure learning is fed back into program design.
• Provide technical expertise in evaluations and research related to IR 2.

Advocacy:

Develop policy briefs and position papers related to project accomplishments and research.

Represent the project management unit in relevant working groups, task forces, seminars, and forums among donors, UN agencies, NGOs, and government counterparts.

Skills and Behaviours (Our Values in Practice):

Accountability:

Holds self and others accountable for decisions, managing resources efficiently, and role modeling Save the Children values.

Holds the team and partners accountable, providing freedom to deliver and applying consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

Sets ambitious goals for themselves and their team, taking responsibility for personal development and encouraging the team to do the same.

Collaboration:

Approachable, good listener, and easy to talk to.

Builds and maintains effective relationships with colleagues, members, and external partners.

Values diversity and works cross-culturally.

Creativity:

Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.

Cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach.

Integrity:

Honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence.

Displays consistent excellent judgment.

Job Requirements:

Qualifications and Experience:

• Master’s degree in education or a related field.
• At least 3 years’ experience at a senior level in the education sector with international assignments in INGOs. Alternatively, 5 years of working at the national level in the education sector may be considered.
• In-depth knowledge and experience implementing Education in Emergencies (EiE) standards and education quality frameworks.
• Experience in the first phase of an emergency and implementing education projects in emergencies.
• Demonstrated experience in developing high-quality proposals and fundraising, including donor engagement.
• Experience working with implementing partners in a consortium and building coalitions.
• Ability to travel and spend time in field locations.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.
• Experience in undertaking, commissioning, and managing applied education research.
• Excellent communication skills with a high level of written and spoken English.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact, and diplomacy.
• Proven skills as a trainer/facilitator and mentor.
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, principles, and values, including child rights, child protection, and gender equality.

Submission Guideline:

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply through the online application form. Attach your CV and cover letter in the online system. Only applications through the online portal will be considered.

Note: Save your username and password for future job applications through the online system.

Save the Children International provides equal employment opportunities and does not request money at any stage of recruitment. The selection process reflects a commitment to the protection of children from abuse. Save the Children strongly encourages applications from women, following minimum country requirements for potential female applicants.