Programme Officer - Somaliland

Programme Officer – Somaliland

Permanent. Full Time position

Location – Hargeisa, Somaliland with requirement to travel to other countries within the region

Salary – up to £30,000 depending on experience

Job Description

The HALO Trust is the world’s largest and oldest international humanitarian mine action charity. Our mission is to save lives and restore livelihoods for those affected by conflict. HALO is known for its work to clear landmines and the disposal of other explosive hazards such as bombs, rockets, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). HALO was established in Afghanistan in 1988 and now employs over 10,000 staff across 28 countries and territories.

The Programme Officer reports to the Programme Manager. The position will be based in Hargeisa but travel to other parts of the country is expected. This role is a multifaceted role assisting all areas of the programme, with particular emphasis on leading on coordination and monitoring of donor contracts and obligations, development partnerships, management of explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) teams, the Caerus conservation project and the vocational training officer, the Projects team, and monitoring & evaluation (M&E). The role offers excellent exposure to the management of one of HALO’s largest programmes, the opportunity to work closely with the Programme Manager at a strategic level as well as involvement in operations and exposure to training opportunities.

Responsibilities for the Programme Officer will include:

Donor Management:

• Manage various aspects of donor management, including donor reporting, contractual compliance and monitoring and evaluation.
• Writing concept notes and proposals alongside the Programme Manager to attract additional funding.
• Lead on the coordination of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) meetings and leading on the writing and collation of quarterly reports.

Team Management:

• Manage 2 EORE teams (8 people in total) to deliver high quality, extensive and targeted EORE and evaluative survey of EORE. Provide refresher training, direct prioritization and support coordination of external evaluations
• Manage the Data Team (4 people) comprising the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, ICT Officer, Database Officer and GIS Officer, ensuring that all data is managed in accordance with HALO guidelines

Partnerships:

• Nurture existing partnerships with other NGOs, e.g. Diversity Action Network
• Manage and evolve nascent partnerships with other local and international NGO’s to implement long-term community-based activities
• Establish new partnerships, with a particular emphasis on designing and implementing non-mine action activities, in line with HALO’s Goal 3 aims to build community resilience

Media and Comms:

• Work closely with the HQ Communications team to; gather and help develop content to raise awareness of programme and key milestones/events; create and manage imagery for the programme; plan the distribution of stories and news through a variety of communications channels as appropriate.
• Develop and prepare programme publications, including a monthly newsletter, presentation materials such as brochures, briefing documents, displays and powerpoints.

General Programme Support:

• Support with hosting visitors on the Programme and with regular training courses hosted by the programme.
• Source and analyse datasets to support programme objectives such as prioritisation.
• Identify talented members of national staff and nurture their development through exposure to new tasks and responsibilities.
• Provide support to the Programme Manager and HALO Senior Management on any other tasks as and when required
• Represent the programme at events where required
• Work closely with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team on a variety of projects
• Analyse and resolve any issues that arise, especially from a data and information management perspective
• Visit, assist, liaise and coordinate with Somalia and Ethiopia programmes as required.

Person Specification:

• Previous experience with a humanitarian or development organisation
• Experience in contract monitoring and management preferable
• Experience of proposal and report writing
• Excellent written and spoken English
• A sound understanding of quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, able to produce content appropriate for the audience
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills
• Strong numeracy skills
• Strong IT skills, proficient in the use of Excel
• Good cultural awareness, able to adapt to working in different cultures
• Interest in environment and conservation would be beneficial
• Degree in a social-science subject beneficial
• A practical and adaptable person, prepared to work and live in rural locations as required
• Ability to take on additional responsibilities as required

Benefits of working at HALO:

• Salary up to £30,000 dependent upon experience
• Local overseas allowance of $350 per month
• Shared accommodation in HALO accommodation provided at nil cost.
• 49 days of leave annually (weekend inclusive equivalent to 7 weeks of pay leave)
• Three economy return flights to the member’s official home address (or an alternative location up to an equivalent cost)
• Comprehensive insurance package: life assurance and emergency medical insurance, including evacuation and repatriation.

To apply for this role, please follow the link below and ensure you submit a cover letter / supporting statement (no more than 2 pages) detailing why you are suitable for this role, before the closing date for applications which is 11th August 2023. If there is a sufficient calibre of applicants, we reserve the right to close the role earlier than the date noted.

The HALO Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. The HALO Trust is committed to a culture that is both diverse and inclusive and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people form a diverse candidate pool.