Project Officer, Northern Nigeria at Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO)

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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.
• 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..
• 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.

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
• 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.
• 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.

Desirable:

• Practical experience within a development organisation Commitment to VSO's work and values.

Remuneration
Competitive package.

Interview/Assessment Date(s)
11th July, 2016.

Start Date
1st August, 2016.

Application Closing Date
26th June, 2016.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here for more Information (PDF)