The British Council in Nigeria has been contracted by the UK’s Department for International Development to manage the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP). The British Council works in partnership with International Alert and with Social Development Direct. The implementation phase of this five year programme will start in August 2012.The British Council is now looking for suitably qualified individuals to complement the existing team and to fill the following post.
Job Title: Programme Officer (Abuja) - Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP)
Directorate or Region: SSA
Department/Country: Nigeria
Location of post: Abuja
Pay Band: PB 6
Reports to: Operations Manager
Duration of job: 2 years with extensions possible
Purpose of job
To support implementation of a specified project or number of projects, ensuring project management and financial management meets client, corporate and programme quality standards.
Context and environment
Nigeria is the British Council’s largest operation in SSA with offices in four cities: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano. NSRP is a DFID-funded programme managed by the British Council (who lead a consortium including International Alert and Social Development Direct) that aims to enhance collective efforts to identify and respond effectively to potential sources of violent conflict in Nigeria and reduce the negative impacts of conflict on the most vulnerable among the Nigerian population.
The programme will operate from four regional offices in Nigeria with a programme management unit situated in Abuja. The Programme Officer will be based in Abuja and will be required to travel to the regional offices periodically. The post will form part of the programme support team.
The post holder must have the ability to work in difficult environments, often with limited infrastructure or support facilities. The programme will link closely with other BC-managed work in Nigeria, notably the Justice For All (J4A) programme. The post holder will work closely with the resources officers and with the technical team as well as the finance team and will report to the Operations Manager based in Abuja but will also require to have significant dealings with the technical team and the Programme Manager.
Accountabilities, responsibilities and main duties
Accountabilities
- Accountable for the successful implementation of specified projects, ensuring client, corporate and programme standards are fully met.
- Accountable for ensuring specified project activities are accurately costed and budgets are managed effectively.
- Accountable for ensuring timely and accurate support to financial and technical reporting.
Responsibilities and main duties
1. Project implementation – 35%
Main duties will include:
- Responsibility for the implementation of an agreed portfolio of projects within NSRP, ensuring documentation and processes are consistent with client, corporate and programme standards.
- Responsibility for compliance with corporate systems.
- Procurement and management of internal and external resources for specific activities in consultation with Procurement Officer.
- Risk management (identification, reporting and management) of designated area of work ensuring risks are identified and reported in a timely manner to the satisfaction of the Operations Manager/ Programme Manager.
- Designing of activity plans and schedules ensuring project activities are delivered on time, to quality and cost targets and client satisfaction.
- Identify and implement improvements to project delivery.
- Provision of logistical and administrative support to ensure implementation of designated portfolio ensuring client, corporate and programme policies and standards are met (e.g. for travel and accommodation) in conjunction with Resources Officer.
2. Project evaluation and reporting – 15%
Main duties will include:
- To support financial and technical reporting to internal/external clients and customers, ensuring reporting standards are in accordance with client and corporate standards.
- To support project evaluation activities
- To be responsible for activity closures and related processes, ensuring closures are completed in according to client and corporate and programme standards.
- To be responsible for capturing and communicating the findings from feedback on project activities.
3. Financial planning and management – 35%
Main duties will include:
- Managing project-level finances using programme systems for an agreed portfolio of NRSP projects, ensuring client, corporate and programme standards are met.
- Managing expenditure and activity risk for an agreed portfolio of projects to ensure financial targets are met.
- Producing and managing activity and project budgets for an agreed portfolio of projects.
- Managing the payment and reconciliation of advances (including supporting documentation) for workshops under an agreed portfolio of projects.
- Ensuring all financial management for a designated portfolio of projects meets internal and external audit requirements.
- Ensuring timely preparation and completion of reporting and checks.
4. Marketing and customer services – 5%
Main duties include:
- Contributing to the development of programme related activities.
- Contributing to programme communication and promotion.
- Ensuring excellent service delivery and act as a point of contact with the client and partners.
5. Relationship management – 10%
Main duties include:
- Building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders which enhance the ability in project delivery, ensuring the programme acts on feedback from the client and partners.
Key relationships
Internal: Operations Manager; Programme Support Team; Regional Co-ordinators, Programme Manager
External: External relationship management where appropriate (i.e. linked to function of role), to include: consultants; external partner organisations; state institutions, academic institutions, etc.
Other important features or requirements of the job
- Periodic travel to high-risk areas is likely to be necessary following close liaison with British High Commission /BC/DFID. Regular unsocial and over-hours will be required to meet operational requirements of the post and programme.
Skills and Knowledge
- Project and contract management – level 2
- Financial planning and management – level 2
Experience
Project management
- Clear ability to identify, design, plan, manage and evaluate projects from initiation to completion and to achieve the stated outputs and results and keep to budget, timescale and client satisfaction.
Financial management
- Experience of costing and managing project budgets and using corporate financial management systems and controls.
Qualifications
- Masters degree or Equivalent
- Recognised project management/ international development/ conflict management qualification.
Method of Application
Download the role profile by clicking HERE and read through the document. Download and complete the application form. To help you understand and complete the application form, read through the ‘How to complete the application’ document Here. Listed within the role profile document, you will find a number of listed ‘behaviours’ and ‘skills and knowledge’. Evidence against those criteria’s will need to be provided in your role application form. To help you understand those criteria’s, we have provided a ‘behaviours’ and ‘generic skills’ dictionary HERE.
Please read all the documents carefully before you fill in the job application form. Telephone applications will not be considered. Completed applications and a covering letter should be sent via email to NSRP@britishcouncil.org by no later than 15 June 2012.
Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted. We do not accept CV’s, handwritten applications or expressions of interest. The application form must clearly explain how your experience matches the above profile and include names and contact details of three references. We will not be able to consider any application which arrives after that date.
Please ensure that the position you are applying for is given as the subject head of your e-mail. Please note all posts will be filled for two years in the first instance subject to the standard probationary period.
Categories: Jobs In Nigeria, NGO / Research
