Education Program Officer at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is the world’s leading international development organization whose vision is “A World without poverty”. Our approach to fighting poverty is through the lasting power of volunteering. VSO currently works in 24 countries across Africa, Asia and The Pacific.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Education Program Officer

Location: Abuja ( with frequent travels to project locations), Nigeria
Start date: 4th November 2019
Full Time: 35 hours per week
Contract Type: Fixed Term

Job Purpose  

• Support the Program Manager to effectively and timely  delivery of programme  outcomes, within budget and to the required standard.

Responsibilities

• Programme Development and Delivery: Support Programme Manager 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.
• Working with programme team to collate financial and narrative reporting information on programmes, placements and projects, assisting in preparation and dissemination of learning.
• Mapping and identification of the ultimate beneficiaries.
• Providing volunteers and primary actors with necessary skills and resources to improve education activities. Support recruitment, induction/orientation and training activities.
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders to fulfil VSO objectives, representing VSO at external events as necessary.
• 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 activities, outcome progress, issues, risks, exception reports are available to Stakeholders and management teams as appropriate.
• Financial Management:  Assist and support programme manager 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 Programme Manager and M&E Lead 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.
• Safeguarding and Security: Act as Safeguarding/security focal point in project communities. Support training and the collation of and reporting of community intelligence on security and safeguarding matters to the Country Security/Safeguarding Lead. Ensure timely reporting of all security and safeguarding incidents on Medgate. 
• Fulfil other appropriate level accountabilities as defined by the Program Manager from time to time.

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.
• 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. 
• Timely reporting and resolution of safeguarding and security incidents.
• Taking the decision to inform the appropriate authority and follow instructions on issues of security emergency 
• Timely report of security and safeguarding matters as they arises.
  

Skills Required
Essential:

• Education/Qualification for the role – A bachelor's degree in Development Studies or related field./Options-Previous Position with  VSO as Officer.
• Project Management – Minimum working experience of 2 years in supporting projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Communication - Excellent oral, written communication and facilitation skills with ability to vary communication content and style to suit audiences to inform, motivate and inspire.
• Monitoring and Evaluation – Experience of implementing a project monitoring and evaluation framework, conducting project monitoring activities and writing reports.
• Relationship Building - Ability to build effective working relationships, and coordinate relationships among stakeholders.
• People Management - Experience of managing, delegating and mentoring volunteers.
• Organisation and planning - Excellent coordination and planning skills with experience of working under pressure.
• Strong time management and administrative 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.
• Commitment to VSO’s work and values

Desirable:
Practical experience within a development organisation

Competencies
Working together – Strength:

• Successfully leads volunteer team, and develops their 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 inter-related 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.

Salary
N2,500,000 - N4,000,000 per annum.

Application Closing Date
16th September, 2019.

Interview Date
25th September, 2019.

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

Click here for more information (MS Word)