Job Opportunity Programme Officer at The British
High Commission in Abuja Nigeria Today 2015
The British High Commission is an equal opportunity employer
and seeks to deliver highest possible standards of service by
selecting experienced and professional staff.
Job Title: PROGRAMME OFFICER
Job Location: Abuja
Main purpose of job:
- This is an exciting new programme officer role in the West
Africa Regional Conflict and Stability Team, in the British
High Commission in Abuja.
- This dynamic, three person team has a regional remit in
support of upstream conflict prevention, rapid crisis response
and security in West Africa. The team currently oversees a £14m
p.a. programme of 25 projects located in eight countries across
West Africa.
- From April, we will manage the new UK Conflict Stability
and Security Fund (CSSF), with c.£20m focused on Nigeria and
the Sahel. The team will grow in size to around five staff and
will support a range of UK Government departments in Nigeria,
such as the Foreign Office, Department for International
Development, Ministry of Defence and National Crime Agency.
- The job holder will be responsible for the effective
management of programmes / projects funded by the CSSF in
Nigeria (and wider West Africa as needed). This involves
working with programme leads, implementing partners and
stakeholders to design, monitor and deliver projects within the
CSSF portfolio to time, cost and quality.
Roles and responsibilities:
Programme Management
- Oversee and support the programme
management of approximately £15m CSSF funds in Nigeria being
delivered by lead departments.
- Draft and agree terms of reference and
work-plans for the delivery of programme components. Work with
programme leads, implementing partners and other stakeholders
to design, monitor and deliver projects within the CSSF Nigeria
portfolio.
- Work with relevant lead departments to
run procurement processes and draft and agree contracts with
implementing partners.
- Oversee programmes to ensure that
delivery is to time, cost and quality. Identify problems and
successes, escalating as needed.
- Create and maintain schedule of key
project and programme milestones (start/end dates, report due
dates, monitoring visits required, evaluations) and action log.
- Create and update the lessons learned,
risks and issues register for CSSF Nigeria programme.
- Liaise with finance officer on ensuring
accurate and timely budget and spend figures are provided by
the Nigeria programme.
- Undertake regular reporting on projects
progress to the Head of CSSF West Africa team and the Head of
Mission chaired Nigeria Strategy and Delivery Board.
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
- Work with programme leads and
implementing partners to monitor progress against set criteria
to deliver programme and component objectives.
- Ensure regular reporting from
implementing partners against their programme and project
plans.
- Arrange review visits drawing on
in-house or external expertise.
- Ensure feedback from monitoring is acted
on by implementing partners and relevant stakeholders. Update
project and programme document when necessary.
- Form an effective partnership with the
team lead on M&E for West Africa.
Wider duties:
- Supporting wider West Africa programme
work, as needed.
- Develop and maintain stakeholder
communication plan
- Secretariat support to the Nigeria
Strategy Delivery Board.
- Administrative support e.g. organising
seminars or making flight and hotel bookings.
Resources managed: Supporting management and oversight of
£14.9m Nigeria programme.
Key competences required for the job:
- Competence 1:
Changing and Improving
- Competence 2: Making
Effective Decisions
- Competence 3:
Delivering a Quality Service
- Competence 4:
Delivering at Pace
Language requirements:
- Language: English
- Level of language required: Fluent
Other skills / experience / qualifications:
Essential on arrival:
- Experience of successful project /
programme management.
- Strong oral and written communication
skills.
- Highly organised, strong attention to
detail and able to take initiative and to work accurately
within deadlines and with limited supervision.
- Good team work and influencing skills,
for dealing with implementing partners and project leads.
Desirable:
- Qualifications in project / programme
management or finance.
- Prior expertise of working with the UK
government.
- Knowledge and interest in peace,
conflict and security issues in Nigeria and West Africa.
- IT skills, MS Office applications e.g.
excel and PowerPoint.
- Numerical and budget management skills,
with ability to report against milestones.
- Monitoring and Evaluation experience
- French language skills for engagement in
Francophone West Africa.
Learning and development opportunities:
There is a range of Learning and Development opportunities with
in-house and overseas training, e-learning, coaching etc. These
include:
- PRINCE 2 programme management foundation
and practitioner course.
- Conflict, security and stabilisation
training.
- FCO’s PRISM payments management system.
- Opportunities for travel and networking
with other CSSF teams in Africa (e.g. Bamako and Nairobi) and
London.
NOTE:
- All applicants must be legally able to
work in Nigeria with the correct visa/status or work permit.
- The British High Commission in Abuja is
an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a
diverse workforce and valuing difference.
- Staffs recruited locally by the British
High Commission in Abuja are subject to Terms and Conditions of
Service according to Nigerian employment law.
- Reference checking and security
clearances will be conducted.
- If you have not heard from us 3 weeks
after the closing date, please consider your application
unsuccessful. Note: Any questions you may have about this
position will only be answered during interview, should you be
invited.
Method of Application
All applicants should submit a short (1 page maximum) covering
letter stating why they are a suitable candidate for the
position along with a copy of their CV in English, by email
to: Recruitment.Africa@fco.gov.uk
Only electronic applications will be
accepted.
- Internal applicants should also submit the above, with a
copy of their most recent 24 months of appraisal evidence (i.e.
two full appraisals, or however many abridged appraisals,
minutes etc to make up two years’ worth of evidence) to the
same email address.
Deadline: 1st March 2015
All candidates: Please quote in the subject
line of your email, the Vacancy Notice No: 02/15 ABJ and
position you are applying for.
Internal candidates and spouses of diplomatic officers: Please
quote in the subject line of your email, the Vacancy Notice No:
02/15 ABJ, and position you are applying for, and also indicate
that you are an internal candidate or spouse of a diplomatic
officer.