Project Assistant (Early Warning & Early Response) – 2 Openings

ABOUT SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND

Search for Common Ground is an international non-profit organisation that promotes the peaceful transformation of conflict.

The organisation works with individuals, communities, organisations and governments to move away from destructive approaches to conflict and towards cooperative solutions.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Search for Common Ground is implementing an 18-month project funded by the European Union in Benue and Nasarawa states.

The project aims to reduce religious and intergroup violence by strengthening community-based early-warning and rapid-response systems, conflict-prevention mechanisms, community peace structures and collaboration between communities and relevant authorities.

JOB DETAILS

Position: Project Assistant – Early Warning and Early Response

Number of Openings: Two

Locations: Benue State and Nasarawa State

Contract Duration: 18 Months

Candidate Category: Nigerian Nationals Only

Application Deadline: 8 August 2026

JOB SUMMARY

The Project Assistant will support the implementation of community-based early-warning, conflict-prevention and violence-mitigation activities across Benue and Nasarawa states.

The successful candidate will coordinate with community early-warning observers, verify incident reports, monitor potential conflict triggers, support timely information sharing and assist in strengthening local structures responsible for conflict prevention and rapid response.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the implementation of project activities relating to early warning, early response, conflict prevention and social cohesion.
• Coordinate with community early-warning observers and other community-based reporting structures.
• Monitor online and offline incidents, conversations and developments that could trigger violent reactions.
• Identify conflict triggers and emerging patterns to improve understanding of conflict dynamics.
• Work with project officers to verify and triangulate reported incidents and early-warning indicators.
• Communicate with security agencies, community leaders, religious leaders and other stakeholders to confirm reported information.
• Ensure that verified information is shared appropriately to support timely responses.
• Provide real-time assistance and support to relevant response structures during violent conflict situations.
• Support community and Local Government Area peace committees where they exist.
• Strengthen collaboration between communities, government institutions, security agencies and other relevant actors.
• Support the collection, documentation and analysis of early-warning information.
• Assist in preparing accurate monthly reports, activity reports, incident updates and project documentation.
• Maintain regular communication with stakeholders to gather information from project communities.
• Support field visits, community meetings, training sessions and stakeholder engagements.
• Maintain accurate records of project activities, incidents, participants and agreed actions.
• Collaborate with other projects containing early-warning and early-response components.
• Support the strengthening of Search for Common Ground’s centralised early-warning platform.
• Perform other project-related responsibilities assigned by the supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in Conflict Studies, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Political Science, International Relations, Sociology, Development Studies or a related field.
• Relevant practical experience working with early-warning and early-response mechanisms.
• Minimum of two years of experience supporting project implementation.
• Experience engaging government institutions, community and religious leaders, civil society organisations, security agencies and specialist networks.
• Experience working on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, community engagement or social-cohesion programmes.
• Good understanding of the political, social, economic and security context of North-Central Nigeria.
• Experience collecting, verifying, documenting and reporting information from communities.
• Familiarity with data-tracking, monitoring and basic data-analysis tools.
• Familiarity with social media platforms such as Facebook, X and Instagram.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong understanding of early-warning and early-response systems.
• Good conflict-analysis and incident-verification skills.
• Strong community-engagement and stakeholder-coordination abilities.
• Good analytical, documentation and report-writing skills.
• Ability to manage several assignments while maintaining attention to detail.
• Strong diplomacy, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a non-partisan manner and respect gender, religious, cultural and ethnic diversity.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• High level of integrity and commitment to ethical standards.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Ability to speak Hausa, Fulfulde, Tiv, Idoma or another language used in the selected project location is required or strongly preferred.
• Practical, self-motivated and willing to work in project communities.

LOCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants must be residents of the state for which they are applying.
• Applicants should understand the local terrain, communities, conflict dynamics and languages.
• The position is open only to Nigerian nationals.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the official Search for Common Ground recruitment portal using the application link provided above.

Applicants are required to upload:

• A current CV or résumé.
• A cover letter stating their expected compensation and proposed start date.

The recruitment system allows applicants to upload only two documents. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Only candidates invited for an interview will be contacted. Search for Common Ground does not request payment from candidates at any stage of its recruitment process.

Application Deadline: 8 August 2026