Faith and Development Project Assistant

With 75 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 31,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)

Job Description:

Employee Contract Type:

Local - Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)

JOB PURPOSE 

The Faith and Development (F&D) Project Assistant supports implementation of Empowered World View (EWV), Celebrating Families (CF), Spiritual Nurture of Children (SNC), and faith engagement activities in Ninewa or Kirkuk. The role helps mobilize faith and community leaders, coordinate training and consultations, support inclusive and conflict-sensitive community activities, and maintain accurate monitoring, logistics and reporting records. Working at 80% under the F&D and Social Cohesion Technical Manager, the Assistant applies World Vision safeguarding standards.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Project Implementation and Stakeholder Engagement

·       Support implementation of EWV, CF, SNC and other approved F&D activities according to workplans, targets, project guidance and quality standards.

·       Assist in identifying and mobilizing faith and community leaders, caregivers, children and other participants according to agreed criteria and safeguarding procedures.

·       Coordinate day-to-day field arrangements with project staff and partners, identify implementation challenges, and promptly inform the Technical Manager.

·       Build and maintain respectful, trust-based relationships with churches, faith leaders, faith-based organisations and other faith actors in the assigned governorate, following agreed engagement priorities.

·       Prepare for and accompany meetings with faith actors, document agreed actions and follow up on next steps. Support coordination with local authorities and religious institutions under the Technical Manager; senior staff lead formal high-level engagement.

·       Provide secretariat support to the Church Advisory Platform and interfaith mechanisms, if established, including invitations, meeting logistics, minutes and follow-up.

• Communicate World Vision's identity, impartiality and humanitarian principles using approved key messages.

Mapping, Listening and Consultation

·       Collect and update information about local faith actors, institutions, geographic presence, child-focused work and existing networks for the national faith ecosystem map.

·       Support review of past and current World Vision engagement with faith actors in the assigned governorate.

·       Organise and co-facilitate inclusive listening sessions, community consultations and focus group discussions with faith leaders, women, youth and other community members to identify child well-being priorities, needs and participation barriers.

• Gather feedback from faith and community leaders to inform contextualisation of EWV, CF, SNC and other F&D materials, including cultural, religious and conflict-sensitivity considerations.

F&D Project Activities, Capacity Building and Community Engagement

·       Provide local information to support selection of pilot partners and activity locations against approved criteria.

·       Coordinate day-to-day delivery of approved faith engagement, community mobilisation, child well-being and social cohesion activities within the agreed workplan and budget.

·       Support organisation and delivery of EWV, CF and SNC capacity-building workshops and Training of Trainers sessions, including participant coordination, materials and logistical arrangements.

·       Follow up with trained facilitators and faith partners on schedules, implementation progress and challenges, and refer technical issues to the Technical Manager.

·       Assist in organising community awareness activities, interfaith dialogues and joint initiatives with faith and community partners as planned.

• Support partner orientation, community networks and volunteer mobilisation, ensuring due diligence and safeguarding requirements are met before activities begin.

Safeguarding, Do No Harm and Partner Due Diligence

·       Apply World Vision child protection, safeguarding, PSEA and code of conduct requirements, and make sure partners and volunteers understand them; report concerns immediately through the correct channel.

·       Apply conflict sensitivity and Do No Harm in selecting participants, venues, messages and meeting formats; flag tensions, exclusion risks and political or security sensitivities to the Technical Manager and Security.

·       Support minimum partner due-diligence checks and the complaints and feedback mechanism.

• Follow security and travel protocols at all times.

Monitoring, Learning and Reporting

·       Collect and maintain accurate activity data using agreed tools, including attendance, participant feedback and partnership indicators, in coordination with the MEAL team.

·       Conduct routine field monitoring visits and support baseline, endline and other assessments as scheduled, following approved data protection and consent procedures.

·       Prepare weekly activity updates and concise monthly progress reports, highlighting achievements, targets, challenges and recommended follow-up; contribute information to periodic and donor reports.

• Document lessons learned and consent-based case studies, and maintain organised, audit-ready meeting notes, attendance records and partnership documentation.

Administration and Logistics

·       Organise meeting, training, consultation and field-visit logistics, and coordinate with Procurement, Finance, Administration, Fleet and Security in accordance with World Vision procedures.

·       Support procurement requests, activity advances and liquidations; monitor spending against approved budgets and flag delays or underspending. Only authorised managers approve expenditure.

Others

·       Share learning and coordinate regularly with the F&D Project Assistant in the other location.

·       Uphold safeguarding and cross-cutting standards; attend team meetings and required trainings.

• Carry out other duties related to the nature of the job.

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KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND EXPERIENCE:

·       Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Theology or Religious Studies, Education, Peace and Conflict Studies, or a related field.

·       At least 2 years' experience in community engagement, project support in an NGO, humanitarian or development setting, or community-based organisation.

·       Experience working with faith communities, religious institutions, and the ability to engage respectfully with Christian, Muslim and other communities.

·       Good knowledge of the local context, communities and stakeholders in Ninewa or Kirkuk.

·       Experience organising meetings, workshops or consultations, and documenting and reporting on them.

·       Good writing and reporting skills; basic monitoring and data collection skills.

·       Computer skills in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

·       Familiarity with World Vision faith and development approaches (for example Channels of Hope, Celebrating Families, Empowered World View) is an advantage.

·       Knowledge of safeguarding, child protection, conflict sensitivity and Do No Harm.

·       Experience working with women, youth and vulnerable groups, with gender and cross-cultural sensitivity.

·       Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills; ability to practise relational and ideological tolerance.

·       Initiative, emotional maturity, and the ability to work independently with remote supervision.

·       Commitment to World Vision Core Values, Vision and Mission Statement.

·       Knowledge of and adherence to the Red Cross and NGO Code of Conduct.

Required Language(s):

Arabic (written and spoken) and working English. Kurdish and/or other local languages used in the area are an advantage.

Required travel and/or work environment accommodations:

·       Based in Ninewa or Kirkuk, according to the vacancy. [Hamdaniya Centre & Kirkuk Office]

·       Willingness to travel regularly within the governorate, including rural and field locations, and occasionally to Erbil for coordination.

·       Part-time at 80% (32 hrs/week); flexibility for occasional evening or weekend community events, with the schedule agreed with the line manager.

·       Ability to work in a multicultural and occasionally high-pressure environment.

Applicant Types Accepted: