District Officer at Sociotherapy Rwanda: (Deadline 8 September 2023)

Vacancy Announcement

4 Full-Time District Officer

Community-Based Sociotherapy Rwanda (CBS-Rwanda)

Starting period: October 2023

Location

In the districts of implementation

Introduction

The organization Center for Community Based Sociotherapy Rwanda (CBS Rwanda) was established to contribute to the psychosocial well-being of people affected by the Genocide against the Tutsi and to strengthen interpersonal reconciliation and social cohesion at the grass-roots level.

The community-based sociotherapy approach uses the group as a therapeutic medium in the establishment of trust, the creation of an open environment for discussion and the formation of peer-support structures. The socio-groups facilitate community members to identify, acknowledge, share, and manage together their everyday psychosocial problems related to the recent history of political violence and its aftermath.

Under the support of the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Rwanda and in collaboration with Institute for Community Based Sociotherapy (ICBS), CBS Rwanda will be implementing a three-year project “CONNECT”: Connecting for Peace: A scale-up of Community-Based Sociotherapy as an Integrated MHPSS and Peacebuilding Approach in the Great Lakes Region. CBS is implementing the project in Rwanda.

CBS would like to recruit four qualified, dynamic, and highly motivated candidates of high moral character and professional integrity to fill the position of the district officers. The District Officers will be responsible for daily project management, monitoring of sociotherapy group session, and liaising with partners operating within the district. The District Officer will report directly to the Head of Programs who supervises all the projects at CBS level.

Basic responsibilities

• Responsible for the recruitment of community members to become sociotherapists;
• Coordinate the recruitment of the participants in sociotherapy groups;
• Organize the first sociotherapy group sessions in cooperation with the local sociotherapists;
• Monitor sociotherapy weekly sessions
• Monitor the personal and professional stability of the local sociotherapists and ensure that adequate working environment is maintained and psychological support systems for sociotherapists are in place;
• Propose a local strategy for implementation according to the specific context and oversee its implementation once validated;
• Keep track of all the sociotherapy groups that take place in the district;
• Follow the guidelines which were set up by the Finance and Administration Manager and Field Accountant to accurately manage the financial recourses that form the reimbursement of the sociotherapists;
• Be the direct contact person and representative of the CBS district level, both for local authorities and other institutions;
• Keep the Head of Programs informed at all times on the progress and challenges of the operational strategies;
• Work closely with the researchers to monitor and evaluate the impact of the program;
• Ensure that key operational information circulates properly within the Field Team and the overall organization;
• Be an active participant in district meetings and other relevant local gatherings;
• Ensure that sociotherapy sessions are taking place in line with sociotherapy method and manual of operations;
• Ensure that regular sociotherapy reports are qualitatively and quantitatively provided as required by sociotherapy policy;
• Review regularly reports of sociotherapits and give observations aiming at improvement of the quality of implementation;
• Develop a list used to pay incentives of sociotherapists based on weekly reports done by them;
• Initiate and support sociotherapy groups’ initiatives to maintain the participants’ social and economic cohesion and welfare;
• Advise sociotherapists in psychosocial problem management through sociotherapy sessions;
• Doing any other task requested by line managers in relation to a success of the project.

Profile candidate 

Essential skills and qualifications

• Bachelor degree in relevant field (e.g. Social Sciences, Psychology, Mental Health, Clinical Psychology, Nursing, Public Health, Anthropology, or Conflict/Peace Studies etc.);
• At least 3 years experience in the field of project implementation, preferably in the field of psychosocial interventions;
• Demonstrated experience in community mobilization and attitude for field work at grassroots level;
• Previous experience in a representative position and with networking with local (governmental) authorities;
• Commitment to the goals and principles of the community-based sociotherapy program and an ability to ensure the mandate underpins our support to participants in the program;
• Strong skills in organization and coordination are essential, including the management of finances;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint;
• An honest, reliable, and very accurate person, who is able to work under pressure;
• Very strong motivational and social skills and excellent communication skills both verbal and in writing;
• Ability to listen, to be diplomatic, flexible and a strong problem solver;
• Fluent Kinyarwanda and English, both verbal and written.
• In possession of a driver’s license for motorcycles.

Desirable skills and qualifications

• Bachelor degree in relevant science as indicated under essential skills and qualifications
• Experience in supervising complex and challenging interventions in fragile communities;
• Experience with coordinating a team at the grassroots level;
• Large network in the district and aware of local (post-Gacaca) issues;
• French language skills.

Terms of employment

This is a full-time position. The District Officer is based within the district of operation. Confirmation of the employment will be after three months of probation that can be extended once according to the labor law in Rwanda. After these three months the District Officer will receive a one-year contract with the possibility for extension. The District Officer is expected to start in October 2023.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please send your motivation letter, CV, academic documents, and two references to: info@cbsrwanda.org no later than the 08^th September 2023. Job interviews will be communicated after pre-selection. Hard copy academic documents will be required after succeeding oral and written test. For more information about CBS Rwanda, you can consult the following website: www.cbsrwanda.org. For direct information, you can call the Executive Director (0788 483 210) or the Head of Programs (0787 493 187).

The letter should be addressed to the Executive Director of CBS Rwanda.

Done at Kigali on 18/08/2023

The management of Community Based Sociotherapy Rwanda