Project officer, Zimbabwe

Poverty is an outrage against humanity. It robs people of dignity, freedom and hope, of power over their own lives. Christian Aid has a vision – an end to poverty – and we believe that vision can become a reality. We are striving to bring lasting change to the lives of the poorest communities. We work wherever there is great need, helping people to find their own solutions to the problems they face, irrespective of their religion, caste or creed. If you’re passionate about positive change across the world, then this job might be for you.

Christian Aid is seeking the services of a Project Officer based in Harare, with extensive travel throughout Zimbabwe, to support and monitor partner projects in both urban and rural settings. The post is funded by institutional donors and was created specifically to support the Christian Aid partnership in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the "Graduation from Survival to Protection/Promotion of Livelihoods" project. In doing this, the post holder will ensure observation of the cardinal principles of speed, value for money, transparency, accountability and results/impact. The post holder will participate in planned programme internal and external reviews, baselines and any other surveys deemed necessary to ensure that the project delivers value to the development partners, in particular the poor women and men, girls and boys. The post holder will work closely with the Programme Officer – Performance and M&E in supplying data for analysis. The role will also strengthen Christian Aid partners’ capacity in implementing the graduation proposal and acting upon recommendations from M&E reports. The role also acts as the interface between Christian Aid, GRM and partners and is expected to represent the organisation at relevant meetings, clusters and working groups.

The role is directly managed by the Senior Programme Officer and works closely with the Zimbabwe programme team and partners and as required with other departments of Christian Aid such as Communications, Programme Funding and Humanitarian.

In order to carry out the remit of this role effectively, prospective candidates should have a tertiary qualification in a development-related field and should also possess skills in community based approaches, participatory reviews, networking and report writing in the English language. The candidate should also possess extensive knowledge of the country context, major institutional donors and a thorough understanding of the way in which the international development sector operates.

This is a fixed-term contract for up to 8 months, to start as soon as possible after interviews but preferably by 3 January 2011. The candidate is expected to be fluent in local languages (Shona and Ndebele) and should be able to drive him/herself to the project sites.

Please show your suitability for this post by giving answers to the following four questions relating to the four core competencies: Using the guidance notes may help you formulate your answers.

Creativity and innovation

Describe a time when you had to give negative feedback on an employee’s performance during a learning activity.

What was the feedback?
How did you present it to the employee?
How did the employee take it?
What mechanism did you put in place to facilitate learning?
Did the employee’s performance improve?
Why or why not?

Effectiveness and accountability

Describe a situation where you assigned tasks and priorities and then monitored the progress of others.

What project/task was involved?
What factors did you consider in assigning tasks and setting priorities?
How did you monitor progress?
Did you need to deal with any missed deadlines or unacceptable work?
Was the project completed on time?
Was the objective met?

Team work

Please describe an event that demonstrates your desire that your team treat all individuals with respect. regardless of their background or lifestyle.

Communication and interaction

Please describe how you have identified people who may have been able to help you in the past and how you have kept in contact with them since.

We value the contribution each person makes to the success of our organisation. So you can expect a wide range of rewards and benefits that will ensure you enjoy a good work/life balance.

Download the role profile (74 KB pdf)

To apply for this post, please download an application pack and email your completed International application form to: zimbabwerecruit@christian-aid.org quoting the job reference number.

Preference will be given to applicants who are Zimbabwean nationals or who are eligible to work in Zimbabwe. Internal candidates should refer to the Human Resources team for further advice.

Please note that CVs will not be accepted and that only short-listed candidates will be contacted. If you have not been contacted by 28 November 2011, please assume your application was unsuccessful.

Job reference: ZIM/PJOG-1112/NK

Closing date: Friday 18 November 2011

Interview date: Week commencing 28 November 2011

Christian Aid values diversity and aspires to reflect this in our workforce. We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, colour, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.