Project Officer — Maternity Cover

About Barnabas Aid

Barnabas International is a large family of Christian ministries and charities focused on giving practical support to suffering, abandoned and persecuted Christians around the world. The ministry was founded in 1993, and since then, it has funded projects in more than 100 countries, providing hope and help to millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Some of our key projects include supplying food aid, medical supplies, educational and vocational training, Bibles, micro-enterprise, disaster relief, help for victims of violence, and support for pastors and church leaders. Barnabas Aid also provides advocacy for religious freedom, especially for persecuted and suffering Christians.

Barnabas is a Christian ministry and a charity. Employees are expected to subscribe to the Vision, Mission, Value and Statement of Faith, and their work may be viewed as being vocational.

There is an occupational requirement for applicants to be practising Christians, who are engaged in their local church, in order to be able to carry out our roles.

About This Vacancy

We are looking for a motivated and organised Project Officer to join our International Programmes Team on a fixed-term basis for one year, covering a period of maternity leave.

Overview

The Project Officer will be part of a regional team that works with new and existing partners to design, deliver and learn from projects in line with the organisation’s mission. The team supports the full project cycle: partner engagement, application review, due diligence, project design, contracting, implementation support, monitoring, evaluation and project closure, maintaining accurate records throughout, in close collaboration with the Quality Team (Director and Quality Assurance and Impact (MEAL) Specialists).

The Project Officer will work collaboratively across the regional team, providing flexible support and surge capacity during peak periods and responding to emerging priorities as required. Under the supervision of Programme Managers and the Regional Director, they will also take day-to-day responsibility for a portfolio of assigned partners and specific projects, ensuring timely progression from concept to completion and that documentation, compliance, quality assurance and learning requirements are met. This includes working with the Quality Team to integrate appropriate MEAL approaches, support data quality and ensure learning is captured and shared.

Key Responsibilities

·      Project Identification and Evaluation

o  Identify and assess project concepts and proposals with assigned partners, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy, feasibility, risk, safeguarding considerations and expected impact.

o  Contribute to emergency or rapid-response programming when required, including providing surge support to colleagues and helping to coordinate time-critical actions.

o  Support partner mapping and relationship management activities, helping to identify potential partners and project opportunities.

o  Undertake contextual and partner due diligence research to inform project design, risk management and decision-making.

o  Prepare high-quality proposals for internal review and project governance processes, including summaries of recommendations, risks and mitigation actions with the support of the Quality Team and in line with standards set by them.

·      Grant Administration

o  Support Programme Managers and the Regional Director through the full project cycle, from initial scoping and proposal development through contracting, implementation support, monitoring, evaluation and closure.

o  Manage any individually assigned projects through the full project cycle, from initial scoping and proposal development through contracting, implementation support, monitoring, evaluation and closure.

o  Ensure projects comply with organisational policies and procedures (including safeguarding and due diligence), and any relevant donor, statutory and partner requirements.

o  Ensure the fulfilment of any actions mandated by the Programmes Subcommittee.

o  Track delivery against agreed plans, budgets and results frameworks; flag variances, support problem-solving with partners and colleagues, and recommend adjustments where needed.

o  Work with the Quality Team (Director and Quality Assurance and Impact (MEAL) Specialists) to agree proportionate MEAL plans for assigned projects (e.g., indicators, data sources, reporting schedules), and to strengthen quality assurance throughout implementation.

·      Stakeholder Engagement

o  Act as a key point of contact for assigned partners, working closely with Programme Managers and the wider regional team to coordinate support and decision-making.

o  Maintain regular communication with partners to provide guidance throughout proposal development and implementation, including on reporting requirements, procurement expectations and agreed outputs/outcomes.

o  Coordinate with the Quality Team (Director and Quality Assurance and Impact (MEAL) Specialists) to support partner capacity strengthening on quality assurance and MEAL requirements, and to address quality or evidence gaps identified during implementation.

o  Develop familiarity with other organisations working in the Region and look for opportunities to collaborate with and learn from them.

·      Budget Administration

o  Support sound financial management across the Regional Team and for assigned projects, including budget review, payment scheduling, verification of supporting documentation and reconciliation of expenditure against budgets.

o  For approved projects, ensure that all finance processes are completed to facilitate payments.

o  Prepare clear updates and financial summaries for Programme Managers, the Regional Director and other internal stakeholders, maintaining an appropriate audit trail.

·      Reporting and Documentation

o  Maintain complete and accurate project documentation for assigned projects, including due diligence records, agreements, correspondence, partner reports and closure documents.

o  Maintain project and partner information in relevant systems and trackers, producing reports and analysis as required.

o  Monitor progress and results, review partner narrative and financial reports, support evaluations where appropriate, and ensure project learning is captured and shared within the team.

o  Work with the Quality Team (Director and Quality Assurance and Impact (MEAL) Specialists) to review project evidence, ensure data quality standards are met, and support evaluations, reviews and learning products as required.

o  Coordinate meetings and follow-up actions (including agendas, minutes and action logs) to ensure decisions are recorded and progressed.

Other duties

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties. From time to time, the postholder may be asked or required to carry out additional tasks, or duties, over and above their usual day to day activities. Employees are expected to work collaboratively across the regional team, including providing flexible support and surge cover as needed.

Person Requirement

Essential

·      Experience in project administration or coordination, ideally in the charity, NGO or public sector.

·      Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of partners and stakeholders across different cultures and contexts.

·      Proficiency in MS Office suite and comfort using online systems for project tracking and document management.

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to plan and manage multiple projects and deadlines.

·      Strong attention to detail.

·      Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly as part of a diverse, dispersed team.

·      Ability to multitask and meet multiple deadlines under pressure.

·      Familiarity with CRM or grant management systems (e.g. Salesforce)

Desirable

·      Experience supporting monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL/MEAL) processes and/or producing donor-style reports, including working with quality assurance or MEAL specialists.-

·      Additional languages relevant to the region

Person specification

·      A strong commitment to the values and mission of Barnabas Aid, with an understanding of Christian principles and ethics in project management.

·      High level of integrity, ethical conduct and professionalism

·      Personal resilience and adaptability.

·      Discretion and sensitivity with understanding of issues of confidentiality.

·      A flexible approach to work, with a cooperative and collaborative attitude, ensuring excellent standards of service are always maintained.

From time to time, additional training, including safeguarding training, may be required.

The offer of employment will subject to the appropriate pre-employment checks such as references, qualifications, DBS criminal records, and eligibility to work in the UK.

How to Apply

Please apply by submitting your CV and a cover letter demonstrating how your skills and experience make you a good fit for this role and for the mission of Barnabas Aid.