Senior Officer – Social Cohesion/Early Warning and Early Response

ABOUT SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND

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

The organisation implements peacebuilding and conflict-transformation programmes that empower communities, strengthen local conflict-resolution structures and improve cooperation between communities, governments and security institutions.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Search for Common Ground is implementing an 18-month European Union-funded project to strengthen social cohesion and conflict prevention in Benue and Nasarawa states.

The project will strengthen community and state-level conflict-monitoring systems, peace architecture platforms, state situation rooms, rapid-response mechanisms and collaboration among communities, authorities and security actors.

JOB DETAILS

Position: Senior Officer – Social Cohesion/Early Warning and Early Response

Project Locations: Benue State and Nasarawa State

Contract Duration: 18 Months

Reports To: Project Manager/EWER Specialist

Candidate Category: Nigerian Nationals Only

Application Deadline: 8 August 2026

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Officer will oversee the planning, coordination and implementation of Early Warning, Early Response, conflict-prevention and social-cohesion activities under the project.

The successful candidate will provide strategic and technical support, analyse conflict trends, coordinate early-warning information and strengthen community and state-level conflict-monitoring systems.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Coordination and Project Management

• Plan, coordinate and implement social-cohesion and Early Warning and Early Response activities.
• Provide strategic and technical guidance to the Project Manager and other project staff.
• Analyse emerging conflict dynamics, early-warning information, community feedback and lessons learned.
• Recommend timely adjustments to project strategies and activities.
• Develop implementation plans, technical guidance notes, standard operating procedures and operational tools.
• Support after-action reviews, reflection meetings, learning workshops and programme-adaptation processes.

Early Warning and Early Response System Management

• Coordinate the collection, verification, documentation and analysis of early-warning information.
• Facilitate the timely sharing of actionable alerts with state situation rooms, security agencies and relevant government authorities.
• Support the establishment and strengthening of state-level conflict-monitoring situation rooms in Benue and Nasarawa.
• Support the use of EWER software, geospatial mapping, alert-generation systems and community reporting structures.
• Produce weekly analytical reports, monthly situation updates and bi-monthly early-warning bulletins.
• Support joint field-verification missions with community leaders, security actors and government officials.
• Ensure that reported incidents are properly verified and documented.
• Improve links between community observers, situation rooms, authorities and response actors.

Social-Cohesion Programming

• Coordinate interventions that strengthen peaceful coexistence, trust and collaboration among different communities.
• Ensure that social-cohesion activities address underlying conflict drivers.
• Support dialogue and conflict-resolution processes between communities and authorities.
• Support locally identified initiatives relating to livelihoods, community infrastructure, economic opportunities and community safety.
• Ensure that social-cohesion programming strengthens community resilience and complements EWER objectives.

Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination

• Build relationships with federal, state and local government institutions.
• Engage security agencies, traditional leaders, religious institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and donor representatives.
• Convene or support accountability meetings involving state officials, security agencies, humanitarian actors and community representatives.
• Support stakeholders to review conflict-monitoring reports and agree on appropriate response actions.
• Represent Search for Common Ground in coordination forums, working groups and government-led peace and security platforms.
• Coordinate field visits for Search for Common Ground staff, visitors and donors.

Reporting, Learning and Sustainability

• Contribute to donor reports, quarterly reports, annual reports and technical publications.
• Document lessons learned, implementation challenges and effective approaches.
• Support the institutionalisation and gradual handover of EWER infrastructure to relevant state authorities.
• Support the training of government personnel who will manage situation rooms and referral pathways.
• Ensure that all activities follow conflict-sensitive and do-no-harm principles.
• Maintain accurate programme records and technical documentation.
• Perform other responsibilities assigned by the supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, International Relations or another relevant discipline.
• Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution, International Relations, Project Management or another relevant field is an advantage.
• Minimum of five years of experience in programme management and community engagement.
• Experience leading the implementation of similar peacebuilding, social-cohesion or EWER projects in North-Central or Northwest Nigeria.
• Relevant professional experience working in the NGO or non-profit sector.
• In-depth knowledge of Benue, Nasarawa and other Middle Belt states.
• Experience working with government officials, communities, civil society organisations and security actors.
• Experience coordinating conflict-monitoring and early-response systems.
• Experience preparing analytical reports, donor reports and technical documents.
• Experience managing multi-stakeholder coordination platforms.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Advanced knowledge of Early Warning and Early Response systems.
• Strong conflict-monitoring and conflict-analysis skills.
• Strong understanding of peacebuilding, social cohesion and conflict-transformation approaches.
• Knowledge of peace architecture and state conflict-monitoring systems.
• Strong programme planning, implementation and adaptive-management skills.
• Strong analytical and strategic-thinking skills.
• Excellent report-writing and presentation abilities.
• Strong stakeholder-engagement and coordination skills.
• Ability to provide technical supervision and guidance.
• Ability to interpret conflict trends, political dynamics and security risks.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Ability to organise several assignments within tight deadlines.
• Strong command of written and spoken English.
• Knowledge of Hausa or another relevant language is an advantage.
• Commitment to professional ethics, inclusion and a diverse workplace.

HOW TO APPLY

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

Applicants should search for “Senior Officer Social Cohesion/Early Warning and Early Response” on the recruitment portal and submit:

• A current CV or résumé.
• A cover letter.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted.

The position is open only to Nigerian nationals. Search for Common Ground does not request payment from applicants during recruitment.

Application Deadline: 8 August 2026.