Project Officer 100% – Sub-Saharan Africa Division (SSAD) At Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance

DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance is dedicated to improving the security of states and their people within a framework of democratic governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. DCAF contributes to making peace and development more sustainable by assisting partner states and international actors supporting these states, to improve the governance of their security sector through inclusive and participatory reforms. It creates innovative knowledge products, promotes norms and good practices, provides legal and policy advice and supports capacity‐building of both state and non‐state security sector stakeholders.

DCAF’s Foundation Council brings together representatives of around 60 states. Active in over 70 countries, DCAF is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading centres of excellence for security sector governance (SSG) and security sector reform (SSR). DCAF is guided by the operational principles of impartiality, local ownership, inclusive participation, and gender equality. DCAF embraces and promotes values of accountability, excellence, inclusivity, integrity and respect. For more information please visit www.dcaf.ch

For our Sub-Saharan Africa Division, we are seeking a dynamic, organised and creative individual to be our next:

Project Officer – 100%

Location: Geneva

Starting date: as soon as possible

Duration: 24 months, renewable

The role

The Project Officer (PO) provides support to the implementation and administration of programmes in DCAF’s Sub-Saharan Africa Division (SSAD). For this position, the PO will be assigned to projects in the Sahel with a regional component, including a regional project implemented in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, activities in Chad and Mauritania, and a project on SALW.

Based in Geneva with periodic travel to Sub-Saharan Africa, the PO will support all aspects of project cycle management, including budget oversight, and monitoring, evaluation & learning.

Project implementation:

• Support the project lead in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of several projects and action plans ;
• Handle the quarterly / annual reporting of several projects;
• Implement (or support the implementation) of regional and national activities, including budget monitoring and review and support to expert missions;
• Support the preparation, framing and organization of project activities such as workshops, expert missions and other events;
• Contribute to drafting documents for internal and external audiences such as concept notes, project proposals, terms of reference, budgets, contracts, summaries, reports, and planning documents;
• Provide support to monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) related activities ;
• Contribute to the measurement and articulation of project results through the DCAF Results-Based Management (RBM) system;
• Liaise and coordinate with DCAF’s Sahel Field Offices and Teams, and provide day-to-day support / follow up to the implementation of projects ;
• Liaise with PO’s working on other Sahelian projects ;
• Liaise with project-partners and consultants as requested ;
• Mentor junior staff ;
• Deploy on missions as a team member ;
• Support the drafting and uploading of web and e-learning content and the design of relevant online pages.

Administrative and logistic tasks:

· Liaise with experts and service providers such as translators, graphic designers and printers; handle the contract drafting, invoice follow up, payment etc.

· Support budget planning and expenditure processes ;

· Work closely with the administrative and finance teams ;

· Serve as the Division’s SharePoint Focal Point with the support of DCAF’s SharePoint manager, ensuring documents and resources are stored and organized appropriately in the division’s shared drive and SharePoint site;

· Assist in preparing background information and DCAF documents/publications, including presentations, posters, flyers, other promotional material;

· Update DCAF hard copy and online materials.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

· A minimum of four years of professional experience working on project management in the field of governance or peacebuilding projects in the context of states undergoing transition or democratic reform.

· Strong competencies on project development, planning, budget management, project implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

· Excellent communications skills, and a perfect command of written and spoken of French and English.

· Excellent organisation skills with strong attention to detail.

· Advanced university degree (or equivalent work experience) in international relations, peace, or security studies.

· Familiarity with the UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS, and other intergovernmental and/or regional organisations ;

· Familiarity with donor priorities and process;

· Previous Field experience desirable ;

· Good Knowledgeable in using Excel ;

· Swiss or EU citizenship or a valid work permit for Switzerland at the time of application is a pre-requisite.

We offer:

· a rewarding, dynamic and challenging work experience

· the chance to be part of a multicultural team of supportive, hardworking and values-driven people

· the chance to contribute to improving security of states and their people within a framework of democratic governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights