Programme Development Officer – National and International Position

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) is a dynamic, international non-governmental organization. We work with people affected by violent conflicts to enhance their security and dignity through Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP). We work to reduce violence, protect civilians in countries affected by violent conflict and its aftermath, and help transform the world’s response to conflict situations.

OVERVIEW

NP started operating in Iraq in 2017, working to protect people affected by violence, particularly those in critical need of protection in the IDP camps, people returning to contested and high-risk areas, and those located in tense regions near the Syrian and Turkish borders in northern Iraq. Moving ahead, the international and NP’s understanding of contextual dynamics in Iraq has shifted. Currently, Iraq is no longer considered to be in an emergency, represented by a push to close IDP camps and a focus on integration of those people who fled violence previously to their areas of origin. Concurrently, global funding streams to support Iraq’s transition from violent conflict to sustainable peace have shifted from a focus on emergency response towards human security, stabilization and development.

JOB SUMMARY

The Program Development Officer works with the programme development team to write creative proposals on Unarmed Civilian Protection; create content for external communications to both donors and public media; manage grants and reporting; maintain and develop new relationships with embassies, international organizations and partner organizations; and support with Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL).

We are particularly seeking an enthusiastic individual with demonstrable interest and/or experience in report and proposal writing, communications and MEL. An understanding of the context related to protection and social cohesion, as well as existing connections with embassies and I/NGOs is desired. The ideal candidate has expertise in digital peacebuilding and women inclusion and participation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme Development, External Relationships and Partnerships

• Identifies new opportunities for programming and funding.
• Supports and at times leads the development of creative concept notes and proposals, including log frames and narratives. This requires significant coordination with implementing teams to solicit ideas, as well as with finance and MEL to develop a coherent proposal.
• Conducts research as needed on developments in Iraq related to conflict, peacebuilding, and development, using both external and internal sources. This research is utilized for programme development and for sharing with donors.
• Supports the development and maintenance of external relations with partner organiations, embassies and international organizations.
• Represents NP in meetings and events with external actors.

Communications

• Functions as the Communications Focal Point for all of NP Iraq.
• Takes the lead in creating new content, coordinating with field teams on blog posts, case studies and social media posts.
• Supports capacity building of national and international staff through trainings on communications.
• Works with NP global office to develop communication materials for the website and social media.

Grants Management & Reporting

• Compiles and analyzes data from field activity reports to align with grant deliverables.
• Supports the monitoring and evaluation of project outputs, track progress towards indicators and measure the impact of projects.
• Contributes to compliance to donor contracts by reviewing documents and supporting in identification of potential challenges.
• Leads in drafting narrative donor reports and coordinates with finance department to ensure that financial reports are submitted on time, adhere to financial reporting requirements, and correspond with the narrative reports.
• Provides capacity building and training to teams on report writing, log frames and project objectives.

Other

• Travels to field sites to enhance understanding of the context and programming for the purposes of developing proposals and reporting to/liaising with donors.
• Supports programmatic input into relevant advocacy efforts, whether in-country or at a global level.

QUALIFICATIONS

In short, we are looking for someone with excellent written and verbal communication skills with a passion for Unarmed Civilian Protection more broadly. Writing reports and proposals in short time frames are part of our daily work and requires both excellent stress-management and creative skills. In addition, a proactive approach to communications and social media to highlight impact effectively is demanded.

Experience:

• Relevant university degree in social sciences, conflict studies, international development, or other related area of studies.
• Experience in grants management, inclusive of developing narrative donor reports and compliance.
• Proven experience in proposal development and research for institutional donors with a track record of successful proposal packages, including narratives, log frames and budgets.
• Demonstrable skills/experience in writing success stories, case studies, or social media posts to highlight achievements.
• Preferred strong experience with M&E, rolling out, implementing and utilizing M&E tools. Any experience with Everyday Peace Indicators is an asset.
• Preferred experience implementing program in the field, ideally in (post)-conflict settings preferred.
• Existing connections with NGOs, private donors, civil society and embassies in Iraq are an asset.
• Experience with salesforce software is an asset.

Skills and Competencies:

• Demonstrable familiarity and interest in unarmed civilian protection, peacebuilding, and violence prevention programming or specific experience in the development-peace nexus in the Middle East.
• Excellence in both informal and formal communications, both in writing and verbally.
• Ability to work independent and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to manage information with discretion.
• Ability to be creative and innovative in generating new ideas.
• Interest and understanding of MEL systems – inclusive of analyzing impact for learning purposes – is preferred.
• Commitment to abide by and work in accordance with NP values and principles, including non-partisanship, primacy of local actors and independence.
• C2 level written and spoken English is required;
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic is preferred

Commitment to NP Principles   

All NP employees must demonstrate a commitment to NP’s mission and vision. They are expected to work in accordance with the organization’s guiding principles below. These principles and beliefs shall guide our actions and relationships in protecting civilians in violent conflicts through unarmed strategies.

• Nonviolence
• Direct action
• Radical connection
• Process-oriented
• Independence
• Nonpartisanship
• Redemption and healing
• Pluriversality
• Accountability

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Candidates meeting the above requirements are requested to submit a CV (max. two pages) and cover letter (max. 1 page) through our website https://nonviolentpeaceforce.bamboohr.com/careers/457 detailing their experience and how they qualify for the role. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• The closing date for applications is 21 October 2024
• This position is open for International and National Candidates
• Candidates may be selected before the closing date; apply early
• As part of the recruitment process, shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a technical assignment before participating in an interview.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Nonviolent Peaceforce is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

Nonviolent Peaceforce acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of employees, contractors, volunteers, interns, communities we work with, and other stakeholders and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance and complies with best practices in the Humanitarian and Development sector.NP expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We priorities ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organization.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. NP also participates in the InterAgency 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 their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

NO FEE 

We never ask for payment as part of our selection process, and we always contact candidates via our corporate accounts and platforms. If you are approached for payment, this is likely to be fraudulent. Please check whether the role you are interested in is posted here on our website.