Project Officer

Sightsavers implements projects in over 30 countries in Africa and South Asia working to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote the rights of people with disabilities.

Title: Project Officer

Location: Pakistan, Islamabad

Contract: 12-month fixed term contract

Salary: Local Terms and Conditions apply

About the role

Sightsavers is launching a three-year FCDO-funded initiative to support out-of-school children, especially girls and children with disabilities, in KPK and South Punjab. As Project Officer, you’ll manage activities, donor reporting, and stakeholder relationships, ensuring top-quality project execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate activities with partners and stakeholders, ensuring effective planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Manage all aspects of the project cycle, including financial and asset management, reporting, and documentation.
• Manage all aspects of the project cycle with the partners including effective planning, start-up, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, financial and asset management, reporting, documentation and closeout.
• Monitor project activities and recommend corrective measures as needed.
• Build and maintain effective partner relationships, supporting long-term collaboration.
• Identify and facilitate partners’ technical and organisational capacity building needs.
• Promote shared learning and collaboration between partners by facilitating partner networks and meetings.
• Ensure that partners manage and utilize project assets as per Sightsavers’ and/or donor policy.
• Promote shared learning and collaboration through partner networks and meetings.
• Assist in budget preparation and monitor project expenditures.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial returns from partners.
• Manage project assets in accordance with Sightsavers’ and donor policies.
• Represent Sightsavers in project and disability/inclusion-related events/meetings, and advocate for Sightsavers’ philosophy and policies.

This is a highly varied and involved role and the above is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills. Please see the Job Description for full details.

About you

As an experienced Project Officer with a passion for making a difference in the lives of out-of-school children, particularly girls and children with disabilities. The Project Officer will have a proven track record in managing complex projects, ensuring they are planned, implemented, coordinated, monitored, and evaluated to the highest standards. Your expertise in working with diverse stakeholders, including implementing partners, technical collaborators, and key stakeholders, enables you to effectively coordinate activities and share lessons learned.

Building strong, effective partnerships is second nature to you. You support partners in identifying their technical and organisational capacity-building needs and facilitate access to resources and opportunities. Your commitment to promoting shared learning and collaboration between partners fosters a supportive and innovative project environment.

Jobholder Requirements

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of implementing education projects, including experience of the disability sector and gender mainstreaming.
• Extensive experience in program management, including budget oversight, reporting, and team leadership.
• Experience in working with international organizations, government bodies, and community-based organisations.
• Familiarity with national legislation and policies in the field of disability and education sectors in Pakistan.
• Experience of designing, managing and carrying out advocacy work for education, social inclusion/disability projects.
• Experience providing technical assistance to other organizations such as implementing partners.
• Knowledge of current issues and best practices in disability, UNCRPD, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Desirable:

• Experience of working for donor funded project in the area of education and social inclusion.