Outreach Officer

SAWA for Development and Aid is a Civil Society Organization founded initially as a spontaneous initiative in December 2011 to respond to the arrival of the first 40 Syrian families displaced from Syria into the North of Lebanon.

This initiative then grew to include individual activists, locals and internationals, who worked together (literally meaning ‘SAWA’ in Arabic) to share their knowledge and exchange their experiences in order to support Syrians, internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries, united by their belief in their right to live in dignity, freedom, and to be active individuals in their communities and wherever they are.

SAWA sees itself as part and parcel of the society, and that it is on a continuous learning journey based on a participatory relationship at all levels with the communities that it works with, whether host or displaced, as well as with local and international partners.

SAWA believes that humanitarian, developmental, and civic work has to always strive to achieve social justice, and so it aims to work with individuals and communities through holistic interventions towards a society based on democracy, pluralism, and the values of citizenship and human rights. 

About the Job:

The Outreach Officer will be responsible for developing and implementing the organization’s communication strategy with the participants, which includes preparing a wide range of written materials, presentations, and possibly videos for local and international audiences. He/she will also be in charge of maintaining a system of identifying, tracking, recording, and adding input to the financial contributions to the program when necessary. In consultation with senior staff, he/she will develop a strategy to meet the program’s targets. 
She/he needs to be self-motivated, enthusiastic, and community-driven to take on this role. This position requires someone equipped with a positive attitude and readiness to be a team player. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

•    Devise and coordinate the implementation of a communications program and coordinate the implementation of such strategies for SAWA.
•    Maintain all community outreach activities, by representing SAWA and working with the management team to develop and implement initiatives that increase SAWA’s visibility within the surrounding community.
•    Identify and secure public engagement opportunities for SAWA amongst different stakeholders.
•    Write reports and publications.
•    Coordinate learning activities within the organization to support documentation and sharing of key lessons and achievements. 
•    Assist technical teams to package and disseminate materials to facilitate learning among development partners. 

Competencies and Skills:

•    Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and is able to support and train staff, and able to work with disaster affected communities in a sensitive and participatory manner. 
•    Written and oral communication skills; able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders as a representative of SAWA. This includes effective negotiation and representation skills. 
•    Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to SAWA’s core values and humanitarian principles. 
•    Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances including stress, high security risks and harsh living conditions. Works with a flexible, adaptable, and resilient manner. 
•    Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity. Has experience and the ability to work in diverse cultural contexts in an appropriate manner. Has the capacity to make accurate self-assessment particularly in high stress and high security contexts. 
•    Well planned and organized even within a fluid working environment and has the capacity for initiative and decision-making with competent analytical and problem-solving skills. 
•    Knowledge about SAWA’s policies, procedures, and Code of Conduct.
•    3-5 years of humanitarian aid experience. 
•    Language skills are desirable.