Interpeace Programme Officer Great Lakes Region Job in Kenya

Job title: Programme Officer – Great Lakes Region

Date of Issuance: November 2011

Duty station: Nairobi, Kenya with extensive travel to the field

Closing: This position will remain open until filled

Interpeace, a Swiss non-profit organisation, works in close partnership with the United Nations, with the aim of building lasting peace. Interpeace has a two-fold mandate:

(i) to strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-violent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to develop social and political cohesion; and

(ii) to assist the international community (and in particular the United nations) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts around the world through better understanding and response to the challenges of creating local capacities that enhance social political cohesion.

Chaired by former President of Ghana, John Kufuor, and headquartered in Geneva, Interpeace is supported by bilateral and multilateral donors as well as private funding. The organization is currently active in Africa, Central America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Interpeace Regional Office for Eastern and Central Africa manages the Organization’s programmes in the Somali region, Rwanda and Burundi. All these programmes are carried out in close partnership with local peacebuilding organizations.

General Position Summary

The Programme Officer – Great Lakes Region (PO-GLR) is a member of the core programmatic team for Interpeace’s work in the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa specifically in Rwanda and Burundi, and will collaborate with the other members of the team: the Regional Director and the Senior Programme Officer (to be recruited) in the overall management of the programmes, with an emphasis on supporting Interpeace’s programmatic initiatives in the region.

In this capacity, he/she will also be the key conduit for shaping and disseminating Interpeace’s reconciliations and peacebuilding work to key stakeholders.

The PO-GLR is responsible for working with the local partners in Burundi and Rwanda to ensure that the work of Interpeace is well planned in its content, captured throughout its delivery and strategically disseminated to key stakeholders to optimize its impact.

He/She will also be part of developing the Great Lakes Regional programme, a collaborative initiative with our present partners in Burundi and Rwanda that also will involve local partners in the Kivu regions of DRC.

The PO-GLR serves as the key focal point between Interpeace and all external actors. The post of POGLR is based in Nairobi, and involves extensive travel to the field.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the general guidance and supervision of the Senior Programme Officer for the Great Lakes/Regional Director, the Programme Officer – Great Lakes Region will be responsible for the following duties:

Programmatic Support

• Provide programmatic guidance and operational support for field activities by Interpeace and its partners, specifically with respect to the content of the work. This includes, but is not limited to, collaboratively developing and nurturing a clear understanding of Interpeace’s programmes of work throughout the Great Lakes region;
• Play a strong supporting role in the development of strategy and the work plans for all field components of the programmes;
• Monitor and respond to the implementation of work plans and revise them in collaboration with the partners and others within the Interpeace team;
• Ensure that reflection and learning take place regularly with regard to programme development, methodological adaptations and generally on the topics under study;
• Oversee the collection, compilation and dissemination of both contractual and strategic reporting;
• Review written products of the Interpeace Great Lakes Programmes and provide quality control through a mentoring approach to ensure the development of written capacities within the local partners;
• Support the technical development of the field teams in the areas of methodology, writing and communications;
• Assist in the development of the regional Great Lakes programme and the strengthening of the new partner teams’ capacities
• Develop emerging thematic competences that can be used not only for the Interpeace’s programmes but could also be incorporated into the work of Interpeace in its other programmes of work.

Interpeace information about the Great Lakes Region

• Remain abreast of the political, economic and social context in the Great Lakes through coordinated updates with the field teams and other networks developed;
• Monitor substantive developments and provide regular briefings to the Senior Programme Officer for the Great Lakes and the Regional Director.;
• Maintain close liaison with team members to ensure that all Interpeace staff are regularly briefed on Great Lakes Region programme activities.

Financial Activities

• Support the fundraising initiatives of Interpeace and the local partners that ensure the financial sustainability of all Interpeace’s Great Lakes Programmes.
• Regularly monitoring the programme’s funding situation and monthly expenses, ensuring that programme expenditures are within approved budgets and available funds.
• Review and approve partner’s activity reports before payments are authorized by Senior Programme Officer/Regional Director.

Networking

• Utilize substantive relations vis-à-vis key Great Lakes Region stakeholders, in both informing and disseminating Interpeace’s programmes of work;
• Establish new and maintain existing relations with key international actors in the Great Lakes Region and Nairobi, including donor relations, and strategically engage these actors in the work of Interpeace.

Knowledge and Experience

• Master’s degree in peace-related studies, social or political science or other relevant fields
• At least three years of field experience in peacebuilding, political and/or developmental work
• Knowledge of and experience in the Great Lakes Region
• Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution/Peacebuilding, external relations, proposal writing, and training
• Strong communications skills: ability to write in clear, concise manner and to communicate effectively orally in both English and French
• Strong computer skills in MS Office applications
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Strong commitment to supporting local peacebuilding initiatives and to the values and working principles of Interpeace
• Strong writing and communications skills in English and French required, local language knowledge in Kinyarwanda/Kirundi and/or Kiswahili a bonus

Success Factors:

• Creative team player with an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible
• Commitment to inclusiveness and consensus building
• Confident, tactful and participatory skills
• Ability to problem solve, prioritize and follow up
• Sense of Humour

How to Apply:

Qualified candidates may submit their application, including a letter of interest and complete CV via email to recruitment@interpeace.org Please indicate Programme Officer – Great Lakes Region in the subject line, before 24 November 2011.

Interpeace is an equal opportunity employer.

Please note that only those candidates that are shortlisted for interviews will be notified.

For more information about Interpeace, its values and working principles, please visit its website at www.interpeace.org

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