Blumont is a global organization working with communities around the world to help people overcome challenges and create a foundation for progress. Our vision is a world where a community's future is not determined by its circumstances, but by the aspirations of its people. Whether delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance, building the infrastructure that stabilizes communities, or creating economic opportunities for individuals and businesses, Blumont teams are committed to making a positive difference in people’s lives.

The Youth Engagement Specialist will play a key role in supporting the positive social development of boys aged 8-18 within a sensitive and complex humanitarian and security context. The role involves designing, piloting, and facilitating structured activities that promote psychosocial well-being, resilience, and constructive peer interaction. The Specialist will work closely with Blumont’s teams including community mobilization, case workers, area/camp managers, engineering teams and community leaders to develop a safe and engaging environment tailored to the needs and experiences of these youth. There are two central issues that this position will hopefully address: vandalism and sexual violence among children; to address these issues additional components should be considered and included in the approach:

• Behavior Modification Programs: Develop behavior modification programs within the youth engagement curriculum that specifically target issues of vandalism and promote positive behavior change. Implement activities focused on teaching respect for communal property, conflict resolution skills, and the consequences of vandalism.
• Community Safety Workshops: Facilitate community safety workshops that raise awareness about the impact of sexual violence and provide education on prevention strategies, reporting mechanisms, and support services available within the camp. Empower children and youth to recognize and respond to situations of sexual violence.
• Partnership with Protection Agencies: Collaborate with child protection agencies and organizations operating in the camp to strengthen referral pathways for children affected by sexual violence. Build partnerships to ensure timely and appropriate support services are available for survivors and at-risk children.

Location: Northeast Syria

Assignment Duration and type: 60 Days – Consultancy

Application package: please ensure that your responses to the questions below are included in a single PDF file along with your resume. Failure to submit the complete package may negatively impact your candidacy :

1- Describe your experience designing and implementing youth engagement activities specifically addressing behavioral issues such as vandalism and promoting positive behavior change among adolescent males in complex or humanitarian settings. Please provide specific examples of the types of activities you developed and their impact.

2-  Describe your experience collaborating with child protection agencies and implementing safeguarding protocols within youth programs. Can you provide an example of how you have identified and responded to potential risks of sexual violence affecting youth in a community-based setting, including any experience with referral pathways and support services?

Supervisory level: N/A

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

1. Identification and Documentation
   1. Conduct individual and group-level assessments to understand the interests, needs, and risk factors of participating youth. This includes stakeholder consultation
   2. Engaging with key stakeholders: parents, teachers, trusted caregivers and community leaders- to gather insights on the interests, needs, and concerns of participating youth.
   3. Identify and document at least 3–5 types of phased youth engagement activities (e.g., sports, creative arts, group dialogue, livelihood skills) as well as activities which can be done with trusted caregivers and/or parent (e.g., understanding, support, skill-sharing) that show promise in fostering inclusion and reducing anti-social behavior among radicalized boys. 
   4. Provide input for program learning and reporting by documenting youth feedback, observed behavioral changes, and lessons learned on what engagement approaches work best.
2. Activities, Curriculum and Toolkits Development
   1. Design and implement age-appropriate and culturally relevant engagement activities, such as sports, arts, vocational skills, and peer mentoring. Incorporate a trauma-informed approach into the curriculum and toolkit development process to address the potential impact of past traumatic experiences on the youth participants. The Specialist can create a safe and supportive environment for healing and growth.
   2. Develop and pilot a youth engagement curriculum or toolkit tailored to the needs of at-risk and radicalized adolescent males, integrating psychosocial support elements like activities promoting emotional regulation, coping mechanism, anger management and deradicalization.
   3. Work with the MEL Team to develop tools that monitor and evaluate the impact of activities on youth behavior, motivation, and community participation. 
3. Capacity Building and Training
   1. Collaborate with existing teams to integrate psychosocial and educational components into all engagement efforts.
   2. Development of training materials and modules for Blumont team.
   3. Train Blumont teams work in the Annex to facilitate the newly designed activities. Organize training workshops that bring together members of different teams within Blumont, including social workers, community mobilizers, and security team, to promote a holistic understanding of youth engagement strategies. These workshops can facilitate knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and the integration of psychosocial and educational components into all engagement efforts. 
4. Facilitation and Support
   1. Facilitate and/or Co-facilitate structured group sessions that promote trust-building, emotional regulation, and social reintegration for youth.
   2. Design scenario-based training exercises that simulate real-life situations encountered during youth engagement activities in a sensitive and complex humanitarian and security context, such as conflict resolution scenarios, emotional support role-plays, or cultural sensitivity simulations to enhance team members' readiness to respond effectively to challenges and opportunities in the field.
5. Partnership Development
   1. Develop a community partnerships plan with youth clubs, local mentors, and vocational centers to expand the range of positive engagement opportunities. 
6. Communications and Reporting
   1. Identify and facilitate capturing success stories and provide inputs for related communication materials. 

QUALIFICATIONS and SKILLS:

• Minimum 3–5 years of experience working with vulnerable, conflict-affected, or high-risk youth populations.  

• Demonstrated experience in community engagement and building trust with youth and families. 

• Experience implementing reintegration or rehabilitation programs for at-risk youth (e.g., former child soldiers, gang-involved youth, or those influenced by extremist ideologies). 

• Familiarity with international humanitarian or development standards (e.g., INEE, MHPSS-IASC Guidelines). 
• Language skills: English, Arabic and/or Kurdish language proficiency, or experience working with interpreters in culturally sensitive settings.
• Trauma-Informed Practice: Understanding of the impact of trauma on adolescent development and behavior and ability to apply trauma-sensitive approaches in working with at-risk or radicalized youth. 
• Behavioral Insight and Risk Assessment: Skilled in identifying signs of radicalization, vulnerability, and behavioral shifts and has the ability to observe, analyze, and interpret youth behavior to identify potential risks or needs. 
• Youth-Centered Communication: Strong interpersonal and communication skills tailored to adolescent needs and sensitivities. 
• Program Development: Capacity to design and implement structured, engaging youth activities (sports, arts, vocational training, etc.) that promote connections and build positive relationships with adolescents from diverse backgrounds. 
• Conflict Mediation and De-escalation: Trained and/or experienced in resolving tensions and facilitating positive peer interactions. 
• Cultural Competence: Deep understanding and demonstrate sensitivity to local cultural, religious, and social dynamics, especially those influencing youth identity and behavior. 
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Ability to track engagement, behavior changes, and progress using appropriate tools and indicators. 
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Computer literacy (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite).
• Team Collaboration: Experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team (e.g., psychologists, social workers, educators, and security personnel). 
• Safeguarding and Protection: Knowledge of child protection policies, do-no-harm principles, and safeguarding protocols.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

1. Demonstrated Expertise in Youth Engagement with Vulnerable Populations: The ability to quickly build trust, understand youth unique needs, and design relevant and impactful activities tailored to their experiences, particularly those affected by radicalization.
2. Cultural Competence and Contextual Understanding: ability to navigate local cultural, religious, and social dynamics effectively, ensuring all engagement approaches are culturally appropriate and respectful.
3. Strong Program Development and Facilitation Skills: ability to create structured sessions that promote psychosocial well-being, resilience, positive peer interaction, and ultimately contribute to social reintegration.
4. Effective Collaboration and Communication: communicate clearly and sensitively with youth, families, community leaders, and colleagues from diverse professional backgrounds. Strong teamwork and the ability to integrate psychosocial components into broader program efforts.
5. Adaptability, Learning Agility, and Trauma-Informed Approach: adaptability, a willingness to learn and adjust strategies based on feedback and observed changes, and a consistent application of trauma-informed practices to ensure all interactions and activities are sensitive to the experiences of the youth.

Commitment:

Every Blumont team member is expected to carry out their duties in accordance with Blumont’s code of ethics, core values, anti-harassment policy, child protection and PSEA policies.

Interested candidates are required to visit Blumont's career page through www.blumont.org and submit your application no later than 30 May 2025. 

Blumont is an equal-opportunity employer, values diversity in its workforce and continually strives to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates. Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to all applicants, therefore, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

Blumont will review the applications on rolling basis and may close the advertisement before the deadline if the ideal candidate was found. One or more similar/different positions maybe filled in this recruitment activity depending on the applicants’ qualifications.

Blumont’s selection process will include rigorous background checks and all team members will be expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our core values, anti-harassment policy and PSEA policies