Job Title:              Project Officer, Goal Project – Pakistan

Job Location:        Islamabad, Pakistan

Reports to:            Program Manager

Job holder:           Vacant

Department:          Operation, Finance and Performance

Purpose of the role:

An International development organization is going to implement a three-years FCDO funded project titled “Girls and Out of School Children: Action for Learning (GOAL)” in consortium arrangement. The project will be focused on providing access, learning, and support to out-of-school children (OOSC), particularly girls and children with disabilities (CWD), in merged districts of KPK and South Punjab. The Project Officer will be responsible to manage all project activities, donor reporting and relationship with key stakeholders. The post holder will ensure that the project is planned, implemented, coordinated, monitored and evaluated to the highest possible quality standards.

Key accountabilities:

Principal Accountabilities (specific activities and end results):

1.      PROJECT Delivery (50% of time)

• Work with the Programme Manager, implementing partners, technical collaborators and key stakeholders to coordinate implementation of activities and sharing of lessons learned.

• Manage all aspects of the project cycle with the partners including effective planning, start-up, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, financial and asset management, reporting, documentation and closeout.

• Liaise and work with the technical leads and other internal experts as and when required.

• Coordinate with MERL Manager and other leads for implementation of monitoring and evaluation system for the project

• Work closely with implementing partners and monitoring officer to monitor the implementation of activities and recommend corrective measures when and where required.

• Ensure that implementing partners and consultants submit timely and quality progress reports.

2.  Working with Partners (25% of time)

• Build effective partner relationships and support longer-term relationships that go beyond the duration of the project by disseminating information and advocating for the project’s goals.

• Support partners to identify their own technical and organizational capacity building needs and facilitate access to technical assistance resources and opportunities to support them through the project cycle.

• Establish and maintain partnership with partners where appropriate

• Promote shared learning and collaboration between partners by facilitating partner networks and meetings.

3.    Financial & Resource Management (15% of time)

• Support project partners in the preparation of budgets and forecasts.

• Monitor expenditure of project financial resources in liaison with the Finance Officer, Senior Finance and Support Services Manager and Program manager.

• Ensure that partners submit timely and accurate financial returns.

• Ensure that partners manage and utilize project assets as per the organization’s and/or donor policy.

• Follow up with partners on actions arising from audits carried out by the finance team or external auditors.

4.    Information & Communication Management (10% of time)

• Be proactive in providing good quality information on case studies and interesting news stories relating to the project to support preparation of fundraising materials and advocacy materials.

• Ensure that the country office receives appropriate materials and information to support donor-reporting requirements.

• Participate in all PR activities related to inclusion and inclusive education etc.

• Represent the organization in project and disability/inclusion-related events/meetings, and advocate for the organization’s philosophy and policies.

• Disseminate information about the work of the organization when and where required

The principle accountabilities are not meant to be an exhaustive list of tasks. The need for flexibility is required and the post holder is expected to carry out any other related duties that are within the employee's skills and abilities whenever reasonably instructed.

Core Behaviors:

• Coordination, networking and influencing both within and outside the organization

• Change and improvement – consistently strives to achieve high standards of performance. Responds positively to change by adapting own behavior / approach.

• Communicating – Understands how their role contributes to the organization vision. Communicates confidently and effectively with colleagues and partners

• Decision-making – Gathers relevant information and uses effective reasoning to make timely decisions independently.

• Planning and organization – Prioritizes activities and develops plans to achieve them, monitoring own progress. Analyses and organizes routine data on a regular basis.

• Delivery and implementation – Gets things done, can be relied upon to do what they say they will and is committed to achieving good quality work to agreed standards.

• Team working – Understands how their work affects others. Knows about other parts of the organization and contributes positively to a global team.

Qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in education, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field.

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience of implementing education projects, including experience of the disability sector and gender mainstreaming.

• Demonstrable experience in program management, including budget oversight, reporting, and team leadership.

• Experience in working with international organizations, government bodies, and community-based organizations.

• Familiarity with national legislation and policies in the field of disability and education sectors in Pakistan.

• Experience of designing, managing and carrying out advocacy work for education, social inclusion/disability projects.

• Experience providing technical assistance to other organizations such as implementing partners.

• Knowledge of current issues and best practices in disability, UNCRPD, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Desirable:

Experience of working for donor funded project in the area of education and social inclusion.

As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. The organization is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.

Post subject to contract finalization