The Swiss Red Cross (SRC) is a member of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; it is part of a worldwide network of 189 National Societies. The purpose of the Swiss Red Cross activities is to protect the lives, health and dignity of human beings worldwide, the Swiss Red Cross is active in a large number of humanitarian programmes.
The Swiss Red Cross has worked in Vietnam in collaboration with the Vietnamese Red Cross particularly in the sectors of health, rural development, disaster mitigation/preparedness, and encouraging programs to prevent and alleviate human suffering.
The Swiss Red Cross has an office in Hanoi in charge of overseeing and managing the day to day operation of SRC programmes in Vietnam as well as coordination with the Vietnamese Red Cross, the wider Red Cross Movement in Vietnam, and other DRR stakeholders.
On September 2012 the Swiss Red Cross started with the Vietnamese Red Cross to deliver Community Based Disaster Risk Management services in seven most vulnerable communes of the Ca Mau Province. Since August 2013 CBDRM activities expanded also to the Province of Ben Tre.
Who we are looking for?
SRC is looking for a committed and passionate Project Officer with strong humanitarian values to drive and oversee our work in the province of Ben Tre. You must be a team player and an excellent communicator. You must have strong project management and people skills and be able to demonstrate initiative in completing assigned tasks. Your main objective will be to coordinate the implementation of SRC activities in Ben Tre. You must be willing to live in the Province of Ben Tre and to travel frequently within the province, and from time to time, to neighbouring provinces. In this role you will also be supported by the SRC Country Coordinator and the SRC Team in Hanoi. The successful candidate with the right experience will be offered a competitive remuneration package and employment conditions.
Job description – SRC Project Officer
Title: Project Officer
Location: Ben Tre – VNRC Provincial Chapter (with frequent travel within the province).
Supervisor: Country Representative
The Project Officer will be based most the of time in the Province of Ben Tre and mainly responsible for supporting the hosting provincial Vietnamese Red Cross Chapter and Branches in the implementation and monitoring of activities funded by the Swiss RC. The remaining time the Project Officer will be working in other Provinces in Vietnam in support of organization needs.
1.Overall Responsibilities
- Oversee the implementation of SRC funded activities by working in close collaboration and providing support to the Project Team at different levels (chapter, districts, and communes).
- Ensure the timely implementation of activities in accordance with approved project documentation, in accordance with SRC policies and procedures and with high quality results.
- Support the SRC Country Coordinator, SRC Finance Manager, VNRC HQ in Hanoi and Chapters/Branches in Ca Mau with coordination, planning, monitoring, budgeting and narrative and financial reporting.
2.Specific Responsibilities
Coordination
- Coordinate with the VNRC staff, SRC staff and other Red Cross Movement partners, and local authorities on project activities at Provincial, District and Communes levels.
- Maintain effective project coordination mechanisms between VNRC HQ in Hanoi, the VNRC Provincial Chapter, District Branches, and Commune Officers.
- Support the Project Director and Officer at VNRC’s Ca Mau Chapter to undertake regular planning for the implementation of project activities.
- Represent the SRC at the provincial level including attending local provincial meetings and commune coordination meetings, as requested by the SRC Country Representative.
Adherence to Swiss RC Finance & Admin procedures
- Coordinate with SRC Finance & Admin Manager and Officer to provide assistance in the financial management of the project.
- Supported by the SRC Finance and Admin Officer, ensure the project budget at Provincial level is spent in line with approved activities, and guarantee adherence to SRC accounting and financial reporting standards.
- Support the Provincial Chapter of VNRC to ensure that project expenses are reported in parallel with activities implementation.
- Support the Provincial Chapter of VNRC to form detailed quarterly budgets and plans for
- Coordinate with finance staff on accounting, budget monitoring, and financial reporting
Monitoring & Evaluation
- Ensure project activities are implemented as per agreed project documents and conduct regular field visits to targeted districts, communes, and hamlets.
- Support the Country Coordinator to develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation framework for the project.
- Involve as much as possible project partners and beneficiaries in the identification of suitable (SMART) indicators to support the evaluation of the program.
- Ensure that supported activities are in line with the Red Cross approach to Disaster Risk Reduction.
- Support the VNRC Provincial Chapter, Districts Branches, and Communal Officers to track and meeting activity deadlines according to project work plans.
- Provide guidance, practical support and develop tools for partners to support data collection and monitoring and ensure that best practices and lessons learnt are integrated into activities implemented.
Reporting
- Work with the SRC Coordinator to establish effective reporting mechanisms for the project and review regularly to ensure relevance and appropriateness.
- Ensure high-quality narrative and financial reporting including supporting partners to provide reports within agreed time frames.
- Provide clear monthly narrative reports and regular and timely oral updates to SRC’s CC, describing the implementation of project activities against the agreed project implementation plans and challenges or issues faced in relation to project implementation or relationships at the provincial, district or commune level .
- Support VNRC project staff, as required, to provide timely updates on the status of the project.
- Ensure timely updates to line management (incl. to partners) through clear emails, and regular phone calls.
Other Duties Coincidental to the Position
Duties for this position should not be considered definitive. Duties may be added, deleted or modified in consultation with the incumbent as necessary. Job descriptions and staff performances will be reviewed regularly.
3.Qualifications & Skills
Required
- University or Master Degree in Disaster Risk Management, Community Development or related field.
- At least 3 years of demonstrated project management/ implementation experience in similar positions.
- Understanding of the CBDRM National Program ‘Community awareness raising and community-based disaster risk management’.
- Strong understanding of and demonstrated experience in implementing participatory approaches to working with stakeholders
- Proficiency in English and Vietnamese (both oral and written).
- Demonstrated strong written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate others and achieve outcomes in a team environment.
- Ability to analyse situations and provide recommendations on how to progress issues.
- Strong track record of demonstrating high levels of accountability, responsibility and attention to detail.
- Ability to be proactive, innovative and to demonstrate initiative when working in a project setting.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, a genuine desire to work with partners to find positive solutions to challenges and demonstrated experience in resolving conflict within the work place.
- Flexibility and capacity to embrace and initiate change according to organizational requirements.
- Capacity to foresee risk factors and propose innovative and practical solutions.
Desirable
- Experience within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement with strong commitment and understanding of humanitarian values and of the fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Applicants are invited to send their CVs and a motivation letter, clearly addressing the selection criteria to Ms Ha at [email protected] [1] (and cc to [email protected] [2]) by cob 1 December 2014.
Candidate reviews will commence immediately upon publication of this announcement and will continue until a suitable candidate has been identified.
While we appreciate all responses, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.