Graduation Approach and Social Protection Advisor, RFSA-Uganda

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 28 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 55 countries, our 8,990 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good. 

Action Against Hunger USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network. Action Against Hunger USA currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Haiti.  

1. Job Summary  

Action Against Hunger is seeking a highly qualified Graduation Approach and Social Protection Advisor for the upcoming USAID-funded BHA Uganda Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA). This cooperative agreement aims to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations through multi-year resilience food and nutrition security activities. The Graduation Approach and Social Protection Advisor will be responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing the graduation strategy that integrates social protection measures to support the goals of the RFSA. This position is contingent upon award and will be a full-time role based in Uganda. 

Purpose:  

The Graduation Approach and Social Protection Advisor will ensure that all components of the graduation strategy, including social protection mechanisms, are effectively integrated across project activities, enhancing the resilience and food security of target communities. This role will focus on aligning project activities with national social protection frameworks and strengthening community resilience through the effective integration of social protection measures. 

Engagement:  

The Graduation Approach and Social Protection Advisor will coordinate with USAID, local government bodies, and other stakeholders to ensure the integration of social protection systems, safety nets, and socio-cultural factors into project activities. This role demands a proactive leadership approach to foster partnerships, enhance the project’s social impact, and ensure that the social dimensions of food security and community resilience are effectively addressed. 

Delivery:   

This role will oversee the implementation of the graduation approach and social protection interventions, ensuring technical interventions are effectively integrated, sequenced, and layered within the activity and across other investments and stakeholders. 

1. Essential Job Duties  

• Strategic Planning and Implementation: Lead the strategic planning and implementation of the graduation approach and social protection components within the RFSA framework, ensuring alignment with national social protection frameworks and community needs. 

• Social Protection Integration: Design and implement strategies that integrate local social protection systems, safety nets, and socio-cultural factors into the targeting and delivery of graduation and resilience interventions. 

• Coordination with Stakeholders: Oversee coordination with social protection actors, government agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of integrated social protection measures that enhance the resilience and food security of vulnerable populations. 

• Capacity Building: Build the capacity of local staff, partners, and community stakeholders to implement and manage social protection measures effectively, ensuring alignment with the project’s broader goals. 

• Monitoring and Evaluation: Work closely with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team to track progress and impact of the graduation and social protection components, ensuring data is used to inform adaptive management strategies. 

• Social Impact Management: Oversee the social dimensions of food security and community resilience across all activity components, ensuring that all interventions are integrated, sequenced, and layered appropriately to create multiplier effects. 

• Quality Assurance: Ensure that the overall technical implementation quality of social protection and graduation approach activities remains consistent and of high quality among all sub-awardees and implementation locations. 

III. Supervisory Responsibilities 

Manage a multidisciplinary team involved in the implementation of the graduation and social protection approach, ensuring high performance and efficient program delivery. 

IV. Fiscal Responsibility 

Manage and oversee the budget allocated for the graduation and social protection components, ensuring effective resource allocation and financial compliance. 

V. Physical Demands  

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions. 

• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents. 

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

VI. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment  

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by project needs. 

• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes as well as to project locations across Uganda. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases. 

VII.     Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse 

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of people of all genders equal access to information. 

• Provide a work environment where people of all genders must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance. 

• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff. 

• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation. 

• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status. 

• Value and respect all cultures. 

Requirements

VIII. Required Qualifications  

• Master’s degree in international development, social sciences, or a related field. 

• At least five years of experience implementing graduation approaches and social protection measures in development projects, preferably with USAID or similar large-scale initiatives. 

• Proven experience in program design, management, and implementation of comprehensive graduation strategies that include social protection components. 

IX. Required Skills & Experience  

• Demonstrated understanding of the dynamics of social inclusion, social protection, and community resilience in program design and delivery. 

• Strong leadership, strategic thinking, organizational, team-building, and representational skills. 

• Capability in managing complexity and prioritizing multiple tasks. 

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with fluency in English. 

• Experience working with refugee communities or emergency contexts is a plus.  

• Experience working in Uganda or similar contexts is preferred.