Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) Vacancy for a Project Officer, Northern Nigeria
VSO is the world's leading independent international development
organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in
developing countries. Our highimpact approach brings people together
to
share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding
and action to change lives and make the world a fairer place.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Project Officer, Northern Nigeria
Location: Kano,
Contract: Fixed Term
Job Type: Full Time, 36 hours per week
Job Purpose
- Support the Senior Program Officer on programme and admin related issues.
Responsibilities
- Programme Development and Delivery: Support Cluster Lead to
ensure project outcomes are delivered to quality required by the
programme and to schedule, within set budgets and scope. Provide a key
co-ordination and implementation role, ensuring project management
standards are followed and deadlines met.
- Programme Support In coordination with finance and operations
team, manage logistics, administration and finance for programme
activities.
- Work with programme team to collate financial and narrative
reporting information on programmes, placements and projects, assisting
in preparation and dissemination of learning.
- Contribute to the development of the Cluster Program Plan - draw
up programme development planning documents, plan and administer
programme development workshops and partner assessments, prepare
budgets.
- Assist programme managers in negotiating partnership agreements, monitor partner contributions towards volunteer costs.
- Maintain relationships with key stakeholders to fulfil VSO objectives, representing VSO at external events as necessary.
- Assist with external fundraising as appropriate.
- Stakeholder Management and Communications: Build effective
working relationships with project stakeholders, engaging them at each
project stage, ensuring communications have appropriate content and
tone.
- Financial Management: Assist and support programme managers on
development of realistic project plans and budgets, ensuring compliance
with donor requirements.
- Assist and support on developing, maintaining and regularly
reviewing financial plans to deliver programme objectives including full
participation in the annual budget preparation process.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Assist Cluster Leads on M&E
activities. Travel to partners and volunteers to conduct related
programme activities. Collate and review programme data for analysis and
reporting purposes.
- Maintain databases as and when requested by line manager.
- Keep records of programme activities and support data collection activities.
- Championing Change: Inspire enthusiasm, momentum and commitment for outcomes project will deliver.
- Manage information flows between the directing and delivering
levels of the project. Ensure organisational communications about
project benefits, progress and outcomes suit audience and are timely.
Anticipate project risks and issues, communicating them to stakeholders,
taking action to resolve.
- Internal Reporting: Ensure project activity, outcome progress,
issues, risks, exception reports are available to Stakeholders and
management teams as appropriate.
- Volunteer Support: Support volunteer recruitment and volunteer
management in-country. Ensure queries from volunteers are answered and
resolved in a timely fashion.
- Support programme managers in a) updating volunteer information
on VSO volunteer management system in coordination with People Manager;
b) managing volunteer activities and maintaining correspondence
documentation and files; c) monitoring and encouraging prompt completion
of volunteer reports, evaluations and references.
Key Performance Indicators:
- Successful delivery of project following VSO project
methodology, Project delivered on time, to budget and quality standards
specified with expected benefits realised.
- High level of positive customer feedback from volunteers
Logistics, administration and finance for programme activities are
appropriate, well-managed, and programme delivery targets are met.
- An approved M & E framework and plan is in place. Data and reporting is conducted in line with the plan.
- Evidence of lessons learnt from evaluation being used to adapt ongoing programmes and inform future programme development.
- Grants are managed in line with donor terms and conditions outlined in contracts.
- Stakeholders’ satisfaction with standard and frequency of project activity, progress, outcome, communications, and reports.
- High quality and timely reports to internal and external stakeholders.
- All volunteer reports, evaluations and references are completed within deadlines.
Competencies
- Working together - Strength Successfully leads teams and develops others’ team-working skills.
- Communication & influencing - Strength Inspires others by:
advocating plans and ideas within and outside VSO; maintaining a wide,
influential network; coaching Managing Knowledge - Strength Leads
initiatives that improve knowledge management; develops others’
knowledge management skills.
- Developing People - Adds value Helps team members to create and
implement clear development plans that meet their own and VSO’s - short
and long term needs.
- Processes and opportunities.
- Leading for the Future - Strength Builds confidence and
excitement in VSO's work and vision, both internally and externally;
leads innovative projects.
- Thinking Strategically - Strength Leads strategic projects,
coaching others to consider global and long-term impact, and to consult
within and beyond VSO.
- Delivering Results - Adds Value Analyses objectives, considers
options, plans and manages appropriately; holds self and team
accountable for achieving goals.
- Striving for excellence - Strength Leads initiatives to improve
monitoring, evaluation and learning; is a role model for continuous
learning and improvement.
- Managing Resources - Strength Leads others to pursue significant
or innovative funding opportunities; finds creative ways to allocate
funds and people on complex or interrelated projects.
- Managing People - Strength Builds a high performing team that
meets challenging objectives linked to corporate objectives; ensures own
team works efficiently with other teams..
Skills Required
Essential:
- Project Management - Experience of planning and managing
projects with multiple stakeholders, delivering expected benefits in
challenging contexts to tight deadlines.
- Communication - Excellent oral and written communication skills
with ability to vary communication content and style to suit audiences
to inform, motivate and inspire
- People Management - Experience of management of project team
members Organisation and planning - Excellent coordination and planning
skills with experience of working under pressure.
- Time management skills.
- Analysis and creative problem-solving - Ability to analyse and
quickly grasp the fundamentals of a need or issue. Able to find
innovative ways of solving or pre-empting problems.
- Flexibility - Ability to manage a project in a climate of
change, recognising and being open to ambiguity, uncertainty and
opportunities.
- Education/Qualification for the role - A Bachelor's Degree in Development studies or related field.
- Ability to speak fluent Hausa and have experience living and working in Northern Nigeria
- Monitoring and Evaluation - Experience of designing a project
monitoring and evaluation framework, conducting project monitoring
activities and writing reports.
- Relationship Building - Ability to build effective working
relationships, inspiring confidence and credibility with employees at
all levels. Strong influencer of others.
- Ability to work effectively across a globally dispersed organisation.
Desirable:
- Practical experience within a development organisation Commitment to VSO's work and values.
Remuneration
Competitive package.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply
Click here for more Information (PDF)
Interview/Assessment Date(s) 11th July, 2016.
Start Date 1st August, 2016.
Application Deadline 26th June, 2016.