CHARITY JOBS IN AFRICA

Organization: Search for Common Ground
Country: Niger
Closing date: 20 Sep 2013

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and in Brussels, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 600 staff worldwide, SFCG implements projects from 53 offices in 30 countries, including in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. The organization is an exciting and rewarding place in which to work, with dedicated and enthusiastic staff who love their work. You will be joining a highly motivated staff with a good team spirit and there will be opportunities to grow in the role.

Program

Within Sub-Saharan Africa, SFCG works in eighteen countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, CAR, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Since 1997, SFCG has developed regional strategies to guide and strengthen national programmes to support achievement of SFCG’s mission. In 2010, SFCG met with partners in Abuja to redefine its West Africa regional strategy. Working under the rubric of the ECOWAS conflict prevention strategy, the SFCG regional strategy focuses on key pillars around inclusion, and governance processes specifically mentioning women and young people. The regional themes have led to expansion in West Africa in 2010 as SFCG began building its engagement in the Sahel, notably Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso. There is a large multi-country project with IRD (PDEV2) in these three countries, but this is managed by a separate team. We do however expect a close coordination with the PDEV2 Team.

Summary of Position

The Niger Program Coordinator will be responsible for managing the startup of several new activities in Niger. The initial duration of the contract is three months, but could be extended. The Coordinator will be based in Niamey, but there will be frequent travels to various remote parts of the country. During these three months an office, needs to be secured, staff needs to be recruited, financial systems need to be put in place and programmatic guidance needs to be provided to staff.ResponsibilitiesThe main responsibilities of the Niger Program Coordinator will be to ensure that the three projects are up and running. Organizational Development and Implementation• Establish an office in Niamey to serve for the operational base of the project and serve as SFCG’s representative in Niger• Establish an action team for implementation of the projects - building partnerships with key partners in the project consortium and staff members • Ensure the workplanning with the team, implementation and reporting of the activities in respect of the project to support the project strategic objectives• Maintain regular written and oral reporting to the West and Central Africa Director on key country, regional, program, security and staff issues

Administration• Establishing and managing an operational office in Niamey from which the projects are implemented ensuring compliance with local laws and organizational policies and procedures, including the management and evaluation of a diverse staff across the four countries• Ensure the start-up of the Niger projects on-time and within budget• Ensure compliance with SFCG Operations Manual policies and procedures• Coordinate with the PDEV2 Team Leader updated security and evacuation plans• Oversee the management of the project funds, timely reporting and compliance with contract and donor guidelines • Establishing and monitoring a system of checks and balances to ensure the program is meeting its targets and delivering the requirements as well as capturing the learning locally at each stage. The Niger Program Coordinator will work with the West and Central Africa Director to establish wider strategic priorities in Niger and inform the present themes including defining program priorities, plans and long-term strategy within the overall Africa Program vision and goals. As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties

Minimum Qualifications

? Post graduate degree in social sciences or related field? At least five (5) years of experience in peace-building, media, development and/or related fields ? Proven ability to start up projects,? Affinity with logistical and administrative aspects of a start-up? Demonstrated people and process management skills? Dynamic leader with creative problem-solving skills, particularly in challenging situations? Knowledge of major donor rules and regulations, and the ability to manage multi-donor funding ? Excellent interpersonal and networking skills, as well as the ability to build and conduct effective professional working relationships at all levels, both internally and externally ? Spoken and written fluency in English and French? Strong oral and written communications skills? Cultural sensitivity and adaptability? Experience living and working in various African locales? Entrepreneurial spirit

Salary: Commensurate with education and experience, with excellent benefits

How to apply:

To Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to employment@sfcg.org or fax to +1 (202) 232-6718 with the subject heading: Niger Program Coordinator. Please be sure to include minimum salary requirements (in currency figures) or current salary, projected start date, and to mention where you found this posting. No phone calls please. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. Please see our web site www.sfcg.org for full details of our work.