Associate Officer - Community Safety and Engagement

• 2 to 3 years

Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, Development Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Work, International Relations or a relevant discipline.

• 2 to 3 years

Required Qualifications and Experiences

• Relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of formal education, in accordance with organisational policy.
• Minimum 2–3 years of relevant experience working with NGOs, humanitarian or development programmes.
• Experience in community mobilisation, field-level programme implementation and stakeholder engagement, preferably in Cox’s Bazar.
• Experience working with refugee and host communities, youth groups, women’s groups or community-based organisations.
• Practical experience in facilitating community meetings, training sessions, consultations, awareness activities and group discussions.
• Experience engaging with government representatives, local administration, law enforcement agencies or other institutional stakeholders is an advantage.
• Experience in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, community safety, protection, human rights or social cohesion will be an added advantage.

Technical Skills

• Good understanding of community-based approaches, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, human security and social cohesion.
• Basic understanding of community safety, conflict analysis, risk identification, referral pathways and institutional accountability.
• Strong facilitation, communication, community mobilisation and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to engage respectfully with diverse community groups and institutional stakeholders.
• Basic knowledge of project implementation, activity planning, monitoring and reporting.
• Ability to collect field data and use digital data collection tools such as Kobo.
• Good written and verbal communication skills in Bangla and English.
• Knowledge of Rohingya language or Chittagonian will be an advantage.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to project locations in camps and host communities.
• Strong teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability and time-management skills.
• Commitment to gender equality, inclusion, human rights, safeguarding and ActionAid’s values.

Project Name: Connecting Communities and Institutions for Peace, Safety, and Social Cohesion in the Rohingya Response

Type of contract : Fixed term contract

Duration of Contract : Up to 31 October 2027 (if not extended)

Salary and benefits : Monthly Gross Salary BDT. 50,281 with other admissible benefits such as mobile & internet allowance, medical benefit, group life insurance etc

Job Summary:

The Associate Officer - Community Safety and Engagement will support the day-to-day field-level implementation of the SDC-funded project, Connecting Communities and Institutions for Peace, Safety, and Social Cohesion in the Rohingya Response. The position will focus on facilitating community-based activities, engaging with Rohingya refugees and host communities, and supporting constructive communication and collaboration between communities and relevant institutions, including the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Camp-in-Charge (CiC) offices and other duty bearers.

The Associate Officer - Community Safety and Engagement will work closely with community representatives, youth groups, women, refugee-led organisations (RLOs), community-based groups and institutional stakeholders to facilitate activities related to human security, community safety, conflict prevention, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence. The position will also support community consultations, dialogue sessions, participatory risk assessments, referral linkages and follow-up on community concerns.

The incumbent will ensure quality field-level implementation, timely documentation, regular communication and adherence to ActionAid Bangladesh’s policies, safeguarding standards and project requirements.

Key responsibilities include (not limited to):

Community mobilization and Field Facilitation: 40%

• Facilitate the implementation of project activities at camp and host community levels in accordance with approved work plans, activity designs and project objectives.
• Organise and facilitate community consultations, safety mapping, risk assessments, awareness sessions, dialogue meetings and other community-based activities.
• Support the formation, strengthening and regular engagement of Community Watch Groups, youth groups, women’s groups and other community structures.
• Facilitate community-level discussions on human security, community safety, conflict prevention, early warning, peaceful dispute resolution and social cohesion.
• Support structured dialogue and engagement between community representatives and APBn, CiC offices and other relevant institutional stakeholders.
• Assist in establishing and maintaining community and institutional focal-point linkages to facilitate safe communication, referrals and follow-up on community concerns.
• Support the development and implementation of community safety action plans and monitor progress at the field level.
• Facilitate the participation of young people, women, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups in project activities.
• Support the implementation of youth-led campaigns, Peace Adda, Peace Café activities and other community initiatives that contribute to peace and social cohesion.
• Ensure that all field activities are implemented in a conflict-sensitive, inclusive and participatory manner, following Do No Harm and safeguarding principles.

Reporting, Documentation and Data Management: 20%

• Prepare and submit regular weekly and monthly field activity reports to the Project Coordinator.
• Maintain accurate records of meetings, consultations, training sessions, community dialogues, referrals and other project activities.
• Collect and document field-level data, feedback, community concerns and progress against agreed activity indicators.
• Support data collection through Kobo or other approved monitoring tools, including surveys, focus group discussions and community assessments.
• Document emerging risks, incidents, community feedback, good practices, lessons learned and changes resulting from project interventions.
• Coordinate with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure accurate and timely submission of activity data.
• Support the preparation of case studies, human-interest stories, photographs and other communication materials, ensuring informed consent and confidentiality.
• Ensure that all project records and documentation are maintained in line with organisational and donor requirements.
• actors, protection services and relevant government and non-government service providers.

Coordination and Communication: 20%

• Maintain regular communication with community representatives, youth groups, women’s groups, RLOs and other relevant stakeholders at the field level.
• Support coordination with APBn, CiC offices, site management, local administration, service providers and relevant protection actors, as guided by the Project Coordinator.
• Facilitate communication between community focal points and relevant institutions to support the safe sharing and follow-up of community concerns.
• Participate in field-level coordination meetings and provide updates on activity progress, emerging issues and implementation challenges.
• Support the organisation of meetings, workshops, consultations and dialogue sessions with community and institutional stakeholders.
• Maintain effective coordination with project colleagues and partner organisations to ensure timely and smooth implementation of activities.
• Immediately communicate field-level security concerns, protection risks, safeguarding issues and implementation challenges to the supervisor through established reporting channels.

Mentoring and Support to Community Structures: 20%

• Provide regular guidance and support to assigned community volunteers, youth representatives and members of community-based groups.
• Support the delivery of orientations and practical learning sessions for community representatives on human security, community safety, conflict prevention and peaceful engagement.
• Monitor the regular functioning and participation of assigned community groups and identify capacity gaps.
• Encourage meaningful participation and leadership of young women and marginalised community members in project activities.
• Provide constructive feedback and support community representatives to address challenges in implementing agreed activities.
• Promote a respectful, inclusive and collaborative working environment among community members and project participants.

Relationships

• The incumbent will report to the Project Coordinator

Monthly Gross Salary BDT. 50,281 with other admissible benefits such as mobile & internet allowance, medical benefit, group life insurance etc