Social Protection and Safety Nets Adviser

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Job Title: / Social Protection and Safety Nets Adviser
Reports to: / Head of Social & Economic Development Unit
Job Location: / Dublin or London (Can be based in Dublin office)
With some overseas required
Contract Details: / Two year fixed term contract
Pay Band: / £27,664 - £35,584 – London based salary
€41,281 - €50,418 – Dublin based salary
Job Purpose:
(include short narrative) / To ensure that Concern’s programmes targeting the poorest through formal or informal social protection are effectively supported by policy, strategy and technical assistance to achieve the greatest impact.
Main duties &
Responsibilities:
(in bullet point format) /
  1. Lead Concern’s work in social protection by staying abreast of recent developments, new thinking and current trends related to social protection.
  2. Develop a realistic strategy for the implementation of Concern policy on social protection.
  3. Ensure that clarity is delivered on the provision of temporary and short-term social safety nets by Concern.
  4. Develop a framework or matrix of country programme contexts, government social protection schemes, major pilot projects being run by NGOs or other practitioner agencies and key areas of vulnerability for Concern’s target groups that would help managers to decide on appropriate interventions in each country.
  5. Support country programmes with technical assistance where they have decided that social protection or safety net projects are needed to ensure that design is in line with better practice and, where possible, innovative.
  6. Document better practice and innovation in Concern’s safety nets projects over the last five years, including Malawi FACT and DECT projects, the Kenya MPESA cash transfer project and the NREGA accountability project in Orissa.
  7. Promote, support and help to document innovative and high quality projects or programmes in the areas of social protection and safety nets.
  8. Design and negotiate multi-country engagements on specific social protection and safety net issues which include a research and influencing component and which are premised on answering key questions in these areas.
  9. Facilitate and negotiate one or two key strategic relationships on social protection with renowned leaders in the field which link in with multi-country engagement.
  10. Represent Concern in key networks and external meetings related to social protection and safety nets and ensure that Concern programme experience and evidence is brought to these fora.

Person specification:
(in bullet point format)
To include the following:
Educational qualifications
Work experience
Special aptitudes
Personal characteristics
Special circumstances / Essential:
  • Experience directly managing or supporting a social protection or safety nets programme.
  • At least three years experience working on issues of social protection or safety nets
  • At least three years working in a developing country
  • At least Master’s level degree in development studies, social policy or a related subject.
  • High level of critical thinking
  • Strong understanding of research methodologies and the nature of evidence which will influence key decision makers in the area.
  • Ability to communicate very clearly and succinctly (writing & speaking)
  • Proven ability to negotiate through strong inter-personal skills and ability to synthesise different perspectives.
  • Strong understanding of the relationship between emergency and development contexts and interventions and of chronic poverty.
Desirable:
  • Experience working for government in the delivery of social protection
  • Experience in or knowledge of delivery modalities and mechanisms.

To apply: / All applications should be submitted through our website at closing date 16th May 2010.
Candidates must be legally entitled to work inIreland or the United Kingdom at the time of application.
Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.
Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List).
Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.
Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.