SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IN LIBERIA
RECRUITMENT OF YOUTH LEADERS

Summary of the position:
Established in Liberia in 1981, SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia is a member association of SOS Children’s Villages International, social development organization that is apolitical and non-denominational. Around the world, SOS Children’s Villages provide individualized response to the situation of children and young people who have lost parental care and those at risk of losing parental care. SOS Children’s Villages in Liberia provide alternative care service to children and young people in Family-like Care (FLC) homes and in Small Group Home (SGH).
The Youth Leader is responsible for monitoring the individual and overall development of young people, accompanying/guiding them towards autonomy in accordance with SOS Children’s Villages’ policies and procedures. He/she provide guidance to young people to strengthen contacts with biological families and communities, and supports to SOS Parents when needed. He/she ensures that young people receive appropriate follow-up and support at all times; ensure that development opportunities and programmes are provided for them, taking into account the budget and plans defined by and for the youth programme. He/she is a role model for young people and behaves as such. He/she lives either together with young people in the Small Group Home (SGH) or within the immediate vicinity, but is always present to support young people, whether in the evenings, weekends or holidays. He/she develops a close and trusting relationship
with the young people.
Job location/Report Lines
Position/Job Title: Youth Leaders (3 Positions; 1 female, 2 males) Location: Monrovia
Reports to: CVP Manager
Matrix Supervisor: Program & Development Manager
Deadline for application 10th February 2023
Effective Start Date: March 1, 2023

FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO APPLY.

Profile, role and skills
Job summary :
The Youth Leader is responsible for monitoring the development of young people and guiding them towards autonomy. He/she carries out the youth development program and must provide young people with the necessary support to promote their development and their interaction with the outside world. He/she collaborates with the care coordinator, the social worker, the SOS parents as well as the parents/Caregivers of the young people. He/she promotes respect for the essential rules of life in society and works in strict compliance with the principles and quality objectives of SOS Children’s Villages.
Main tasks and responsibilities
Youth development work including leaving care and after care
Coaching, personal development and socialization of young people
∙ Supports the individual development planning process of the young people, enabling them to take responsibility for their own development and supporting them in learning the required soft and life skills needed to live an independent life
∙ Supports psychological development of young people and their identity finding as well as to promote mental health through psycho-social support and training activities
∙ Identifies risk behaviors in young people and risk situations young people are exposed to in their communities in order to jointly prevent and respond to them
∙ Accompanies and support transition processes, be it from a one care setting to another care setting, or from the current care setting to independent life
∙ Be an active point of contact for care leavers, nurturing long term links to caregivers and maintain contact information, with consent of young people
∙ Supports the maintenance of good relationships of the young people with their SOS family, their family of origin and the community when it is in their best interests;
∙ Realistically assess the talents, skills and interests of young people in order to support them in their development;
∙ Help young people in the construction of a responsible adult identity with the reproductive health as well as gender;
∙ Guide SOS parents/caregivers in supporting young people;
∙ Promote the development of life skills that will enable young people to know how to solve problems, negotiate and make decisions;
∙ Help young people to acquire a sense of responsibility, to properly manage their living environment and their budget;
∙ Facilitate the expression and creativity of young people and promote their development; ∙ Encourage the socialization of young people by identifying and creating opportunities for interaction and integration with their peers and the community;
∙ Organize community service and entertainment activities;
∙ Develop youth participation skills to empower them to actively participate and be involved in decision-making.

Orientation, supervision and academic and professional support
∙ Continuously advise young people on their careers and their professional orientation, based on a good understanding of the skills, abilities and aspirations of each, and adapting them to the needs of the labour market;
∙ Keep informed of available opportunities in education and professional trainings; ∙ Follow up with young people on the academic/professional level in order to support them in the event of difficulties;
∙ Maintain regular contact with schools / training centres as part of the follow-up; ∙ Perform a quarterly review of academic/vocational training results;
∙ Organize training sessions to promote the employability of young people;
∙ Carry out information monitoring on job offers to inform young people about job or internship opportunities;
∙ Bring innovative ideas to support the professional integration of young people all in encouraging the development and maintenance of partnerships beneficial to young people.
Development of monitoring tools and implementation of youth policies and strategies
∙ Ensure the implementation of youth policies and strategies;
∙ Participate in the development of a transition plan for young people;
∙ Draw up their individual development plans annually with the participation of young people and carry out a semi-annual review of the plans;
∙ Develop and update supervision and self-assessment instruments;
∙ Participate in surveys related to the reintegration of young people into their biological families; ∙ Develop and share quarterly / semi-annual reports on the evolution of young people; ∙ Regularly update youth information in the program database.
Qualifications and skills:
∙ Have a university degree or higher education Advance Level degree +3 at least in Social Sciences (psycho-pedagogy, sociology, specialized social work), or holder of a similar degree; ∙ Have a professional experience of two to three years in the social field, work with young people; ∙ Very good understanding and knowledge of youth development and care;
∙ Knowledge about trauma and mental health;
∙ Knowledge of and sensitivity to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, laws relating to the care of children and young people and other applicable laws at national (and local) level in relation to safeguarding child ;
∙ Good understanding of planning, implementation and monitoring of child, youth and family development;
∙ Good command of animation, creativity and expression techniques;
∙ Have good supervision and coaching skills;
∙ Good computer knowledge and mastery of new technologies;
∙ Have good communication skills and have good interpersonal qualities.

We offer:
∙ Competitive salary and benefits.
∙ A stimulating work environment.
∙ The opportunity to work for an NGO member of a recognized international network.
Applications must be sent to us by email with the subject: “Recruitment for the position of Youth Leaders”. Applications, including a letter of motivation, a copy of the required diploma and detailed curriculum vitae, must be sent by email to the following address: recruitment.hr@sosliberia.org, with copy to Nehmah.yeanay@sosliberia.org and Janyea.bedell@sosliberia.org
Only selected candidates will be contacted.
For any clarification, please contact janet.suakweli@sosliberia.org,
WHAT WE REPRESENT:
SOS Children’s Villages is committed to creating and maintaining a protective environment that promotes its core values and prevents the abuse and exploitation of children. We strongly condemn all forms of child abuse and exploitation, both inside and outside our organization, and respond appropriately to any proven or suspected abuse and attempted abuse. We are developing mechanisms to raise awareness, prevent, encourage reporting and facilitate response. Our actions can range from personnel development measures such as training and advice to measures such as suspension, dismissal or legal action.