Job Description- Community & Government Engagement Officer
Mobile Creches (MC), a pioneer organization in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), has been operational since 1969, providing childcare, health, nutrition, and protection services to more than 15,000 children annually across worksites, urban slums, rural, and tribal communities in India. MC has played a pioneering role in advancing ECCD for children under six years, particularly those from marginalized and migrant communities, through its integrated approach of delivering quality childcare services, strengthening caregiver and community engagement, enhancing linkages with government systems, training the ECCD workforce, influencing policy, and promoting research in the field of early childhood development. Officially recognized as the National Creche Agency by the Government of India, Mobile Creches continues to expand sustainable childcare solutions in partnership with governments and civil society organizations.
Building on its extensive experience in community-based childcare and child protection, Mobile Creches is implementing an integrated drowning-prevention programme in the high-risk districts of South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, and Paschim Medinipur in West Bengal. The programme will establish 50 community-based, supervised childcare centres operating for long hours for children aged 1–4 years, with the objective of reducing children’s unsupervised exposure to nearby water bodies while ensuring safety, nutrition, early stimulation, caregiver engagement, and community integration. In addition, the programme will promote child-centred water-safety and survival awareness, community mobilisation, and first-responder preparedness to strengthen local prevention systems.
The programme will work closely with Panchayati Raj Institutions, ICDS, public health systems, NRLM/Anandadhara platforms, and community institutions to create sustainable and scalable drowning prevention systems rooted in local governance and community participation.
As an organization, Mobile Creches adheres to a strict safeguarding policy, and all staff, volunteers, consultants, interns, and partners are required to comply with safeguarding norms and child protection protocols.
To know more about MC, please log on to www.mobilecreches.org.
Department: Child Care Services
Designation: Community & Government Engagement Officer
Level: 4
Reporting to: District Coordinator
Location: One of the programme districts – South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, or Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal
Position Overview:
The Community & Government Engagement Officer will support village-level community mobilisation and local coordination processes under the drowning prevention crèche programme in the assigned district. The position will promote awareness on Early Childhood Development (ECD), child safety, safe child supervision, and drowning prevention while supporting enrolment of children into community-based crèche centres.
The role will facilitate formation and strengthening of Crèche Monitoring Committees (CMCs), Parents’ Groups, and village-level first responder systems, including mobilisation of community youth and volunteers as first responders for child safety emergencies. The position will also support coordination with Panchayats, ICDS, NRLM platforms, and other local stakeholders to strengthen local participation and sustainability of programme interventions.
The role is primarily field-based and requires strong community mobilisation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills along with extensive travel across programme villages within the assigned district.
Educational Qualifications:
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work, Rural Development, Sociology, Community Development, Public Health, or a related field from a recognised institute.
Total Work Experience:
Minimum 3–5 years of experience in community mobilisation, rural development, government convergence, child protection, public health, or community-based development programmes.
Experience working with Panchayats, ICDS, SHGs, NRLM platforms, or village institutions will be preferred.
Age Criteria: 25–40 years.
Essential Requirements:
• Willingness to relocate to one of the programme districts in West Bengal based on programme requirements.
• Willingness to travel extensively across villages and programme locations for field implementation and community engagement activities.
• Candidate must possess a valid two-wheeler driving license and preferably own a two-wheeler for regular field travel.
• Strong understanding of community mobilisation processes, rural institutions, and village-level government systems will be preferred.
Key Responsibilities:
Community Mobilisation and Awareness:
• Facilitate community mobilisation processes in programme villages to strengthen community participation and local ownership for the drowning prevention crèche programme.
• Support implementation of village-specific community engagement plans developed in coordination with the District Coordinator and programme team.
• Organise village meetings, awareness campaigns, community events, and interpersonal communication activities on Early Childhood Development (ECD), child safety, safe child supervision, child protection, and drowning prevention.
• Build awareness among parents, caregivers, community leaders, and village institutions on the importance of supervised childcare and child safety practices.
• Facilitate household outreach and home visits to strengthen family engagement and promote positive caregiving and supervision practices.
Child Enrolment and Community Participation:
• Support identification and enrolment of eligible children aged 1–4 years into community-based crèche centres through community outreach and mobilisation activities.
• Mobilise community volunteers, first responders, Field Supervisors, and local stakeholders to support enrolment drives and awareness activities.
• Work closely with families and communities to ensure regular attendance and participation of children in programme services.
• Track enrolment trends, attendance patterns, and community participation to strengthen utilisation of crèche services.
Crèche Monitoring Committees (CMCs) and Parents’ Groups:
• Facilitate formation, orientation, and strengthening of Crèche Monitoring Committees (CMCs), Parents’ Groups, and other community support structures in all programme villages.
• Ensure regular meetings of CMCs and Parents’ Groups and strengthen their participation in monitoring, supporting, and sustaining crèche operations.
• Promote community accountability and local ownership for safe childcare, child protection, and drowning prevention initiatives.
• Maintain records and documentation related to community meetings, CMC activities, and parent engagement processes.
First Responder Systems and Community Safety:
• Mobilise and identify community youth and volunteers to function as village-level first responders for drowning prevention and child safety emergencies.
• Support establishment and strengthening of village-level first responder systems in programme villages where community crèches are operational.
• Support Trainers and district teams in organising orientation and training of first responders on drowning prevention, emergency preparedness, child safety, and referral mechanisms.
• Support follow-up, mentoring, and engagement of first responder volunteers to ensure active and functional community-based safety systems.
• Facilitate community outreach and household engagement activities related to emergency preparedness and safe child supervision practices.
Government Coordination and Local Convergence:
• Coordinate with Gram Panchayats, ICDS functionaries, NRLM platforms, health, child protection, and other village-level institutions for effective implementation of community engagement activities.
• Support community consultations and village-level coordination processes related to integration of programme activities into Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) and local development plans.
• Support the District Coordinator during meetings, consultations, and coordination processes with Panchayats and government stakeholders.
• Participate in village, block, and district-level meetings and community consultations as required.
Community Assessment and Programme Support:
• Support village-level need assessments, community mapping, and risk identification processes in selected programme villages in coordination with Field Supervisors, community members, and Panchayats.
• Facilitate community consultations and participatory planning exercises to identify local child safety concerns, drowning risks, and programme priorities.
• Support baseline, endline, and other programme assessments in coordination with MEAL and district teams.
Monitoring, Documentation, and Reporting:
• Maintain documentation of community mobilisation activities, awareness programmes, home visits, first responder engagement, and stakeholder meetings.
• Document community processes, case studies, success stories, field learnings, and best practices from programme villages.
• Ensure timely submission of field reports, activity updates, and community engagement data to the District Coordinator.
• Provide regular field feedback and community insights to support programme improvement and adaptive implementation.
Other Responsibilities:
• Undertake any other responsibilities assigned by the District Coordinator or programme management team.
Key Skills Required:
• Strong community mobilisation, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Good understanding of Panchayati Raj systems, ICDS, NRLM platforms, and rural governance structures.
• Ability to work effectively with communities, volunteers, government stakeholders, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong planning, coordination, and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience in conducting awareness campaigns, community meetings, and village-level mobilisation activities.
• Proficiency in MS Office and digital reporting systems.
• Fluency in Bengali is strongly preferred; documentation in English/Bengali are required, and working knowledge of Hindi will be an added advantage.
Interested candidates may email their resume, cover letter, and last drawn CTC (mandatory) to hradmin@mobilecreches.org.
https://forms.office.com/r/5265u3PJiY
Subject line: Community & Government Engagement Officer – [Name of Preferred District], West Bengal (Applicants are requested to indicate one preferred district from South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, or Paschim Medinipur.)
We will review applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the position as soon as a suitable candidate is found. Hence, early applications are strongly encouraged.