DCOF Grant Officer – Bethany Christian Services Global, Ethiopia

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

 Bethany Christian Services Global-Ethiopia is seeking to hire a DCOF Grant Officer for a 25-month extension of a USAID funded project. In partnership with USAID, the Government of Ethiopia, and local organizations, Bethany Global seeks to support the development and standardization of alternative care system in Ethiopia, moving children out of orphanages and into family-based care.

As part of this effort, Bethany has been collaborating with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MOWSA) and other child welfare stakeholders to develop a comprehensive directive on alternative childcare and support and plans to finalize the directive, cascade the directive to regions and develop operational and training manuals to equip key personnel and social workers within the Federal and Regional structures of the Ministry and local partners. Moreover, Bethany has been partnering with local orphanage partners in developing comprehensive deinstitutionalization plan, to move children into family-based care settings through temporary foster care, foster to adopt and reunification services.

Basic Function:

The DCOF Grant Officer, in close collaboration with the AFBC Specialist, Program Director, partner organizations and government; oversees the effective implantation of the project. The Grant Officer will establish close working relationship with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MOWSA) and various stakeholders in the child welfare sector to ensure there is a collaborative effort to finalize development process and approval of a Directive on alternative childcare and support services that facilitate the effective and standardized provision of alterative care services to orphans and vulnerable children. The Grant Officer in collaboration with the Project Officer will ensure child welfare practitioners at different level of government structures are equipped to provide services to children through developing operational and training manuals on alternative care services. Moreover, the grant officer will build the capacity and provide technical support for partner orphanages to implement their five-year deinstitutionalization plan to transition to a family and community-based alternative childcare services.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Support

• Lead the finalization process of a comprehensive directive on alternative care and support in collaboration with Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MOWSA).
• Coordinate with the Regional Women, Children and Social Affairs Bureaus and child welfare stakeholders to cascade the federal directive.
• Plan and facilitate meetings of task force or working groups established to monitor the implementation of the directive in collaboration with MOWSA.
• Oversee the development process of operational and training manual on alternative care services for practitioners in coordination with MOWSA and other child welfare actors.
• Provide ongoing technical support to partner organizations transitioning from institutional care to family and community-based alternative childcare services.
• Coordinate with Regional Women, Children and Social Affairs Bureaus to ensure gatekeeping mechanisms are established to prevent child institutionalization as primary response to emergency situations through promoting alternative family-based care services and strong referral pathway.
• Coordinate with the social work staff of the organization to create or modify service level tools for implanting the alterative childcare services.
• Lead the coordination of different events throughout the project implementation period setting deadlines for staff and ensure collaborative and efficient work environment with the team.
• Ensure project activities are carried out as per the planned time frame and donor reporting requirements are met.
• Coordinate with program staff in regions and Addis Abba office and Global team in Grand rapids MI.
• Hold primary responsibility of focal point of communication for the project.
• Uphold child protection and safeguarding principles and code of conduct within and outside of the organization.
• Perform other activities as assigned by immediate supervisor.

Duration: 25 Months

Reports to: Program Director

Supervisory Role: Project Officer

Open To: Ethiopian Nationals (Female applicants are highly encouraged)

Number Required: One

Job Grade:  IX

Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical Skills and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, law, or relevant Social Sciences discipline.
• Five-years relevant experience in project/program management in a local and/or international NGO.
• Previous working experience in child rights programming and child protection (experience in alternative care services will be a plus)
• Ability to map, establish and maintain working relationships with pertinent government and non-government stakeholders involved.
• Strong planning and coordination skill
• Excellent interpersonal skill and ability to work flexibly and adapt to emerging issues
• Demonstrated ability to work both in team and independently
• Computer literacy in all the Microsoft office applications, and internet literacy are required
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills: in English and Amharic
• Strong report writing skill
• Availability to travel when necessary