Vacancy Announcement

Community Services Officer

Organizational Context
The Future Worlds Centre is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that closely co-operates with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representation in Cyprus, a humanitarian and non-political organization mandated by the United Nations to protect refugees and stateless persons and help them find lasting solutions to their problems.
Under a UNHCR-funded project implemented by the Humanitarian Affairs Unit, the Future Worlds Centre is looking to hire a highly motivated individual to carry out a range of community service activities.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
1. Provide information and social analysis of the cultural, political and economic context of population of persons of concern and their host communities as well as the community dynamics. Analyze the resources and capacities of persons of concern and their host communities including state departments and structures.
2. Monitor registration processes to ensure that persons with specific protection needs are properly identified and provided specific attention and services.
3. Map out individuals and groups with specific needs, in particular the older persons, persons with disabilities, unaccompanied and separated children, single-headed households, survivors of abuse and torture etc. in order to jointly with persons of concern design appropriate response and solution.
4. Provide information, advice, and guidance to persons of concern both in group sessions, and one-on-one meetings.
5. Facilitate consultations among persons of concern, partners, host government and host communities to carry out participatory assessments of protection risks and priority assistance needs.
6. Monitor access to rights and available services, properly document problems and intervene with the authorities as necessary and appropriate.
7. Mobilize communities for the identification of unaccompanied and separated children, and ensure their access to the national child protection systems.
8. Develop ways in which women can become more involved in decision making in order to ensure that their needs are taken into account in the overall planning and implementation of all programmes.
9. Mobilize communities and other partners for support to ensure the prevention of and timely response to sexual and gender-based violence.
10. Ensure that maximum meaningful participation of men, women, girls, boys of all ages and various backgrounds is obtained in the assessment, planning, implementation and management of all protection, social and educational services/activities.
11. Assist in developing ways in which community involvement can be increased and community groups strengthened.
12. Undertake other duties as required.

Academic Qualifications
• University degree (BA/BSc.) in Social Sciences, Social Services, Counseling, Psychology or other related field.
• Additional training in family counseling, crisis intervention, conflict management
• Management training

Relevant Experience
• Experience in community mobilization, in stimulating community participation
• Experience in case management, counseling and dire/welfare department
• Work experience with children and adolescents
• Work experience in multi-cultural, multi-national context
• Work experience in coordination and animation of socio cultural programmes

Managerial and Technical Skills
• Analytical skills: ability to conduct situation analysis, social analysis of risk factors, political and economic context
• Ability to use participatory methods to design projects, prepare and administer budgets, resources, people
• Ability to mobilise resources including within communities of persons of concern and their hosts
• Ability to coordinate various activities and partners (including persons of concern) for an optimal use of resources
• Ability to assess training needs and design training modules and deliver training to educate other people
• Negotiating skills
• Counseling and mentoring skills
• Communication/inter-personal skills/team work
• Basic computer skills
• Writing/drafting skills
• Excellent command of Greek and English language; knowledge of an additional language is an asset

Applications MUST include a CV and a cover letter.
Closing date: 17.00 hours –Tuesday, May 26, 2015. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Please send your completed application to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Interviews will be held during the first week of June.