Starting Salary: £37,488 - £39,071 p.a.
Contract: Maternity Cover – one year
Hours of work: 35 hours per week
Location: London (Hybrid working with a minimum of 40% of your time in CAFOD’s London Office)
Job Profile
To support CAFOD’s programme in Brazil in line with the agreed strategy, by taking the lead on the day-to-day management of a range of CAFOD-supported programmes and partnerships. The Brazil team works to promote long-term development, advocacy, and humanitarian responses, working through partnership with local grassroots organisations, social pastoral organisations and NGOs which works alongside communities facing political, socio-economic exclusion and environmental and climate change impacts. CAFOD’s programmes in Brazil seek to amplify the voice of the most excluded and support their struggle for social justice, respect for human rights, protection of our common home and transformation of the current development model. The scope of the post falls into the following broad functions and responsibilities:
Job Scope
CAFOD is currently looking for a Programme Officer to contribute to our goals of combating injustice, poverty, exclusion, right’s violation, and the impact of climate change in Brazil through the provision of quality programme development and programme cycle management and support to partner’s organisations. The Brazil team comprises a Country Representative (CR), two Programme Officers (POs), a Programme administrator. The Brazil team manages a diverse set of programmes and partners, and we are transitioning to a new strategy in this coming year.
We work in close collaboration and in partnership with grassroots organisations, social movements, social pastoral organisations linked to the Catholic Church and NGOs responding to socio-economic exclusion and inequality in urban, peri-urban and rural areas, governance issues, climate change and related environmental impacts and emergency response, violation of indigenous rights and human rights defenders, the impact of extractives on local population and their livelihoods and gender inequality. Safe, Accessible, dignified, and Inclusive (SADI), advocacy, and communication are integral part of CAFOD’s approach to development.
The post holder will ensure that quality programme management procedures are performed in line with CAFOD’s Programme management quality framework and programme Cycle management system, supporting the transition and implementation of Brazil new strategy. An essential part of the work requires excellent communication skills, understanding and sharing CAFOD’s partnership values and approach. It includes working across the organisation supporting Fundraising, Communications, Advocacy, Education, Campaign, Humanitarian, Policy and Parish Participation teams.
The work comprises assessing proposals and budgets, carrying out programme and project approvals, monitoring programmes and projects, providing support to partners in many areas, particularly developing SADI policies, developing indicators and evidencing, carrying out an organisational financial assessment and developing a plan to meet quality standards, writing funding applications, preparing the narrative and financial report to donors. Other important elements of this role involve communication and media, which includes writing small articles, blogs for internal and external dissemination and dealing with comms requests from other parts of the organisation, supporting partner’s visits to the UK, visiting catholic schools and parishes to talk about CAFOD’s partners work in Brazil.
We are seeking a proactive and flexible person who is fluent in both English and Portuguese. You will have previous solid programme cycle management experience, excellent numerical skills, excellent communication, and negotiation skills, and be competent in IT, particularly Word, Excel, data entry, Microsoft SharePoint, and Formstack. You will be able to hold a central role in communicating with partner’s organisations in Brazil, ensuring an effective flow of information and knowledge while building a relationship of respect and trust. You will have previous experience supporting and strengthening your partner’s capacity. It is imperative you are able to manage your own time and be used to juggling various tasks. As part of this role, you are expected to travel to Brazil once or twice a year.
Accountability
The post holder reports to the Brazil Country Representative.
Key Responsibilities
- Programme management and development in line with the direction set by the Brazil strategy: in co-operation with partners, developing and managing CAFOD-supported long-term development programmes.
- Managing effective relationships with partners: developing and nurturing partnerships and providing or facilitating capacity development support, where appropriate.
- Financial management and monitoring of programmes and projects: developing and managing budgets, and monitoring expenditures in line with agreed parameters.
- Systems and compliance: ensuring the effective use of CAFOD’s systems to share programme knowledge and inform decision-making. This includes ensuring compliance with agreements, regulations and requirements attached to our work.
- Safe, Accessible, Dignified, and Inclusive promoting SADI amongst partner’s organisations and maintaining a strong safeguarding culture.
- Communication supporting effective communication and flow of information from programme and partner’s work in Brazil across CAFOD, including acting as a key point of contact for programmes information under your responsibility.
- Representation: of Brazil programme across CAFOD, and occasionally externally, as requested and in coordination with the Brazil Country Representative.
Programme management and development in line with the direction set by CAFOD’s Integral Ecology Programme Model and the Brazil Country Strategy.
- In co-operation with partners, develop proposals and manage CAFOD-supported and institutionally funded programmes (this includes long-term development, advocacy and emergency), contributing to the development and implementation of Brazil’s new Integral Ecology strategy and programme frameworks.
- Jointly responsible with partners for the effective implementation, monitoring, evaluation (including facilitating external evaluations) and reporting on programmes and projects, in line with jointly agreed standards (quality programme cycle management) and donor contractual and financial management requirements.
- In agreement with partners, jointly develop a new and existing programme and project proposals and assess the capacities to manage and implement the work. This includes leading on the preparation of funding applications and reports for external funders, in liaison with Programme Development and Funding Officers and devising partner capacity development plans to address capacity issues.
- Collect and disseminate knowledge from partners and programmes and ensure that this informs programme strategies and learning and sharing between CAFOD’s partners in Brazil, the LAC region and across CAFOD.
- Model CAFOD’s principles by acting in line with CAFOD’s partnership standards, and by promoting and supporting partners’ adherence to jointly agreed accountability, gender, and CAFOD’s safe, accessible, dignity and Inclusive approach, financial management, supply chain management/procurement good practices and standards, as these emerge.
- Contribute, where appropriate and in agreement with partners, to advocacy and information work in support of partners’ efforts, with relevant stakeholders in the region, the UK and globally, in coordination with the Advocacy, Campaign and Education Teams, where appropriate.
- Oversee and support consultants working on CAFOD-supported programmes.
- Respond to emergencies as they occur, as requested by the Brazil Country Representative, and in coordination with CAFOD’s Emergency Response Group.
- Keep up to date with development issues and trends, both within Brazil, the development sector, and more generally.
- Monitor the political and security context to contribute to CAFOD’s organisational risk assessments and security plans.
Managing effective relationships with partners
- Develop, nurture and manage relationships with CAFOD’s partner organisations in line with the principles and standards set in our Partnership Policy, guidance and tools, and in agreement with the Brazil Country Representative.
- Work with partners to regularly assess the quality of the relationship, ensuring that effective communication channels are in place, and that any shortcomings are addressed.
- Invest in partners’ capacities, by jointly identifying needs, developing plans to strengthen capacities, identifying sources of support, and allocating resources.
- Support partners in accessing the tools and support required to successfully implement capacity development plans.
- Organise partner’ visits to the UK and organise (and where relevant accompany) visits by CAFOD to Brazil.
Financial management and monitoring of programmes and projects.
- In collaboration with the funding teams, identify opportunities for co-financing from donors and coordinate the process of securing and managing such funds.
- In close co-operation with the relevant roles in the finance team, prepare, manage and monitor budgets relating to both CAFOD and partner-led expenditure, as agreed with the Brazil Country Representative.
- Deliver the programme within agreed budgets or instigate budget revisions according to evolving needs, in line with CAFOD and donor finance guidelines and procedures.
- Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting on programme work.
- Develop relevant risk registers and monitor them in conjunction with the Brazil Country Representative, including management of financial risks.
- Where appropriate, commission and manage (with partners) audits for programmes and projects.
- Carry out partner financial profiles and reviews, in cooperation with the compliance and finance team.
Systems and Compliance
- Effectively use CAFOD’s programme management information systems to ensure programme and project information is up to date. This will include producing management information to support decision-making.
- Ensure compliance with agreements, regulations and requirements attached to our work.
- Effectively implementation of CAFOD’s Safe, accessible, dignified, and inclusive policies and system and CHS standards.
Internal and external representation
- Coordinate and communicate with other teams within CAFOD to ensure that Brazil programmes and partners’ work is well understood, and that information is available for fundraising and other communications, including publications, media briefings, education, etc. This may involve participation in events/meetings with Supporters, visit to Catholic schools, CAFOD’s communities of practice, working groups, etc., as agreed with the relevant manager.
- In coordination with the Brazil Country Representative develop, nurture, and sustain relationships and effective communications with relevant stakeholders, including donors and other agencies working in/on Brazil.
Communications
- Effective flow of information and communication with partners, within Brazil and LAC teams and across CAFOD.
- Act as a key point of contact for information of the portfolio under your responsibility across the organisation, ensuring that CAFOD’s work in Brazil is fully reflected in the organisational agenda (e.g., in campaigning, fundraising, educational or media work).
- Work collaboratively with the Regional Communications Officer to support raising the profile of the Brazil programme with other stakeholders across CAFOD.
Notes:
- This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as needed. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.
- If considered useful and appropriate, specific percentages per function/areas of responsibility can be assigned by agreement between the post holder and his/her line manager.
Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults
CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect. CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse. CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount. Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.
Person Specification & Key Competencies/ Essential
Understanding our context
- Understanding Catholic identity: Particularly in relating to UK Catholic community and Church partners in Brazil and Latin America
- Understanding international development: Understanding of effective and values-based partnership work between northern and southern organisations and communities. First-hand previous experience would be an advantage.
Working together
- Managing ourselves: Excellent time management, organisational and prioritisation skills, uses initiative to achieve results, experience managing an independent workload.
- Working with others: Helps others to achieve their goals, builds positive and productive relationships with all colleagues.
- Communicating: Ability to summarise information accurately, ability to work in a cross-cultural setting
- Looking outwards: Understanding of international development, programme management and values-based partnership work and quality standards in this context.
Making change happen
- Managing resources: Experience and confidence in managing budgets and financial reporting, Computer literacy (word, excel and information management)
- Achieving results: good attention to detail and numeracy, able to work with a high degree of accuracy, identifies and develops better processes and ways of working to improve results.
- Managing our performance: Receiving and providing feedback to ensure learning and development.
- Taking the lead: Proficient in taking charge of implementing changes and leading on certain aspects of programme.
Job-specific competencies
- Knowledge and or experience of working in Brazil.
- Demonstrate a sectoral knowledge of one or more of the programmatic areas: indigenous rights, human rights, rural livelihoods and agroecology, impact of extractives on peri-urban and rural livelihoods, impacts of climate change on rural and peri-urban livelihoods, adaptation, emergency response, gender, and safeguarding.
- Experience of using programme cycle management tools effectively to deliver work within an agreed programme framework.
- Experience of financial management, budget monitoring and efficient in data usage and management, including tracking partner and financial records and the use of databases and programme cycle management system and tools and including MS Word/ Excel/Outlook, and ideally MS SharePoint.
- Writing skills – experience writing funding application, donor’s reporting, and short comms materials (e.g., articles, blogs, reports)
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Portuguese.
- Excellent analytical, communication, organisational and coordination skills
- Commitment to CAFOD’s Vision, Mission, and Values.
Desirable
- Understanding and experience of international development work.
- Understanding and experience of programme management and quality standards in an international development context, including supporting approaches to improve accountability, child protection, safeguarding, CHS standard, gender mainstreaming and inclusion.
Interview Date: Wednesday, 26th April 2023
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Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities.
CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.