Community Engagement Officer
- Post Date:August 9, 2021
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Job Description
Organization Overview
Pact Zambia is a country office of “Pact Inc”, an international non-governmental, non-partisan, non-religious, and non-profit making development organization with its headquarters in Washington DC. Pact’s work in Zambia largely focuses on improving the lives of orphans and vulnerable children, especially those affected by HIV and AIDS. However, a growing part of Pact Zambia’s portfolio is in responsible mining within the country’s diverse artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.
Project Overview
The Zambia office is recruiting a Community Engagement Officer for its new Children Out of Mining Project focused on the Zambian Copperbelt and Central Provinces. A three-year charitable program funded by the London Metal Exchange (LME), the project aims to conduct a deep study of the prevalence of the child mining issue, identify local solutions and partners for change, and to implement a meaningful response program in conjunction with diverse local stakeholders. The Community Engagement Officer will benefit from Pact’s expertise in reducing child mining in other locations around the world. It is an exciting opportunity to work on the frontier of corporate social responsibility, child protection, and community engagement.
The successful candidate will have a Child Protection background with a history of success in leading programs to engage children, teenagers, and families, create protective environments, run apprenticeships or life skills programs for teenagers (or similar work), and who can engage diverse stakeholders. No mining background is needed, but an openness to learn the social dynamics of the sector is critical.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Identify gaps and needs of children out of mining that the project would address in the target sites
- Conduct quarterly monitoring visits to the sites and Artisanal Small-Scale Mines (ASM)partners
- Support project data management (data collection, analysis and quality assurance) and ensure data is received in timely manner from partners
- Engage communities, family members, local authority and traditional leaders to support interventions addressing challenges facing children out of mining
- Support project sensitization, seeking approvals and early buy-in from community and local authorities
- Establish and maintain strong relations with the target communities, ASM associations, PEOs/DEBS, DHOs/PHOs and Child Protection institutions.
- Engage communities in identification and formation of community structures such as Neighborhood Committee and Central Coordinating Committees
- Support formation of Peer Education groups to raise awareness in the targeted mining hot spot communities
- Support initiation, formation and monitor functionality of WORTH or (Savings & Internal Lending Communities – SILC) groups in the targeted communities.
- Coordinate closely with Zambian ASM associations mining programs in the area to establish synergies in the approach to the issue.
- Produce monthly and quarterly reports as well as success stories
Required qualifications and experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Project Management or Related Field
- Strong background and experience in M&E and report writing skills
- 7 or more years working in the non-profit or charitable sector
- Previous leadership role(s) in child protection projects
- Experience living within or working with artisanal mining communities would be an asset but not expected.
- Proven experience in designing and implementing behavior change communication (BCC)
- Excellent facilitation skills in village environments.
- Excellent community relations and government relations skills
- Demonstrable experience working with vulnerable communities.
- Understanding of the key developmental and societal issues facing rural women head of households and their children
- Ability to pass a background check with strong references, and maintain strict adherence to all of Pact’s policies, and especially including its Child Safeguarding Policy, Anti-Corruption Policy, Gender Policy, and maintain no conflicts of interest.
Soft Skills & Leadership
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and writing skills in English;
- Ability to sustain interpersonal and professional relationships with internal colleagues and contacts in donor and peer organizations
- Consistently works within internal process and procedures
- Strong interpersonal and team building skills
- Excellent cross-cultural communications
- “Can Do” attitude: positive outlook, flexible in changing situations, can thrive in most development contexts
- Ability to work and sleep overnight in rural locations and in sometimes difficult conditions
Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.
If you believe you are the ideal person we are looking for, submit your application letter describing why you are the right candidate for this position and curriculum vitae (CV) to zchpp@pactworld.org indicating the Job Title in the Subject line on or before the due date 13th August 2021.