Community Development Expert at SCI Career Site

, , South Sudan -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

03 Apr, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

03 Jan, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Community Development, Participatory Methods, Stakeholder Engagement, Conflict Sensitivity, Livelihoods Support, Grievance Redress, Communication Skills, Facilitation Skills, Training Organization, Cultural Sensitivity, Social Cohesion, Capacity Building, Monitoring and Evaluation, Women Empowerment, Youth Programming, Business Skills Development

Industry

IT Services and IT Consulting

Description

TITLE: Community Development Expert TEAM/PROGRAMME: Operations Department LOCATION: Juba (with up to 70% field travel- Pariang and Pibor) EXPECTED START DATE: 1st January 2026 ( Subject to funding approval) CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 months initially (with the possibility of extension). CHILD SAFEGUARDING: Level 2: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff. ROLE PURPOSE: The Community Development Expert will lead all community mobilization, engagement, and participatory processes to ensure strong grassroots ownership and effective delivery of the project in Juba, Pariang, and Pibor. The role ensures the application of the Community Engagement and Capacity Building (CECB) Plan, guaranteeing that community consultations, sensitization, beneficiary verification, and grievance mechanisms are inclusive, conflict-sensitive, and aligned with local governance structures. The expert acts as the primary link between communities and project teams, ensuring transparent communication, trust-building, and community cohesion. SCOPE OF ROLE: Reports to: Project Manager/Team Leader Staff reporting to this post: N/A Roles & Responsibilities A. Community Mobilization & Engagement Strategy Lead design and implementation of tailored mobilization strategies for each county: Juba – multisectoral urban engagement (social media, chiefs, councils, radio). Pariang – camp governance structures (block leaders, women’s groups, youth committees). Pibor – culturally grounded systems (elders, age-set leaders, kraal youth, women’s peace committees). Ensure messages are accessible, culturally appropriate, and aligned with the CECB Plan. B. Beneficiary Identification, Sensitization & Enrollment Support Facilitate community dialogues to explain eligibility, selection processes, programme offerings, and grievance channels. Coordinate with Payam/Boma authorities, refugee leadership, and community representatives to validate beneficiary lists. Support household-level verification visits by ensuring community acceptance and local legitimacy. C. Strengthen Community Structures & Participation Work with existing local institutions—chiefs, camp committees, women’s associations, youth groups, VSLA networks—to ensure their active participation. Facilitate safe spaces for women, youth, and marginalized groups to contribute to programme decisions. Manage community focal persons for feedback, mobilization, and early identification of challenges. D. Conflict Sensitivity, Inclusion & Social Cohesion Map local power dynamics and conflict drivers, and advise programme teams on culturally sensitive implementation. Support the Social Development & Gender Specialist in mitigating tensions between refugee and host communities or between clans in Pibor. Ensure equitable representation during training, grant distribution, VSLA formation, and mentorship activities. E. Community-Level Support to Livelihoods, VSLA & Grant Components Mobilize community groups for training, business plan development, grant processes, and VSLA formation. Facilitate community acceptance of livelihood activities and cooperative initiatives. Monitor early business performance with mentors and coaches by gathering community feedback. F. GRM Implementation at Community Level Establish and supervise helpdesks, community complaint boxes, hotlines, and focal persons. Ensure grievance mechanisms are trusted, inclusive, and understood by communities. Document and escalate grievances to the Social Development & Gender Specialist and UNOPS as per protocol. G. Communication, Awareness & Behaviour Change Develop community messaging for transparency in public lotteries, grant criteria, VSLA rules, and cooperative responsibilities. Ensure youth and women understand the programme’s accountability mechanisms and rights. Apply pictorial communication tools for low-literacy populations (especially in Pibor and Pariang). H. Monitoring, Reporting & Learning Provide community-level data, feedback, and insights to the MEL Specialist for adaptive management. Document success stories, challenges, and lessons from community engagement. Participate in joint monitoring missions with government and partners. KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: Community Mobilization and Engagement Strategy Beneficiary Identification, Sensitization, and Enrollment Support Strengthening Community Structures and Participation Conflict Sensitivity, Social Inclusion, and Social Cohesion Community-Level Support to Livelihoods, VSLA, and Grant Components Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) Implementation at Community Level Communication, Awareness, and Behaviour Change Monitoring, Reporting, and Learning BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice) Accountability: Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values. Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved. Ambition: Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development, and encourages their team to do the same. Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others Future-oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale. Collaboration: Builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, colleagues, Members, and external partners and supporters. values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength. Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to. Creativity: Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions. Willing to take disciplined risks. Integrity: Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates the highest levels of integrity. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Essential: Educational Qualifications Master’s degree in Development Studies, Rural Development, Livelihoods, Agriculture, or a closely related field with at least 5 years of relevant experience; OR Bachelor’s degree in the same fields with a minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience. Professional Experience Proven experience working with international donor organizations and donor-funded projects. Strong experience in community development programming. Demonstrated experience using participatory methods in community engagement, assessments, or mobilization. Experience in organizing and facilitating workshops, trainings, or community meetings. Experience engaging multiple stakeholders, including government, community structures, NGOs, and local leaders. Experience in business skills development, livelihoods strengthening, or enterprise-related capacity-building. Desirable: Previous experience working in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Areas (FCA) or rural/remote communities. Experience working in South Sudan or similar socio-cultural contexts. Experience supporting women’s empowerment, youth programming, or community-based livelihood initiatives. Knowledge of VSLA, cooperative models, or community-based financial inclusion approaches. Experience supporting grievance redress processes, social accountability, or behaviour change communication. Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills, especially in multicultural environments. Bottom of Form Additional job responsibilities The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within the reasonableness of their level of skills and experience. Equal Opportunities The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures. Child Safeguarding: We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse. Health and Safety The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

The Community Development Expert will lead community mobilization and engagement processes to ensure effective project delivery. They will act as a primary link between communities and project teams, ensuring transparent communication and community cohesion.