Program Officer – Free To Be Me At Hivos

Region: Southern Africa

Office: Harare, Zimbabwe

Hours: 37.5

Application deadline: March 24, 2024

We are looking for a Program Officer for Free to Be Me – an ambitious, daring and innovative program that will help build and maintain a vibrant LGBTIQ+ movement that is confident and capable to lobby and advocate for their human and economic rights. The program is led by an alliance of three consortium members – Hivos (the lead party), ILGA World and Positive Vibes – and three technical partners – Sogicampaigns, The Global Interfaith Network (GIN) and Workplace Pride.

Together the alliance will coach, accompany, fund and train LGBTIQ+ persons and organizations to influence norms and attitudes, generate (public) support, and promote laws, policies and regulations that recognize, respect and protect LGBTIQ+ people’s human and economic rights.

Role purpose

The Program Officer (PO) supports the functioning of the Communities of Action (CoAs), as well as the development, approval and implementation of organizational level and joint project proposals, and ensures these processes are developed in line with agreed procedures. She/he/they ensures contracts with local organizations are signed and checks on progress and deliverables. They also ensure and oversee exit plans and closure of contracts.

She/he/they is responsible for upholding Free to be Me values and principles and translating them into practice. The PO coordinates the delivery of sound country-level narrative plans and reports, that visualize activities and results of local organizations, joint CoA-activities and Hivos. These contribute to the overarching Free to be Me plans and reports. In doing so, s/he/they will closely work together with the Hivos financial officer, the DMEL officer, as well as with the CoA facilitator, amongst others.

She/he/they participates in the regional management team and plays an active role in coordinating activities in the field of capacity strengthening, lobby and advocacy, learning, etc. with consortium partners and local organizations, as well as with the relevant Hivos staff. Next to that, the PO will share progress and results of the program with both the global program management team as well as Hivos colleagues in other countries and global office as well as the local Dutch embassies. She/he/they is also responsible for the preparation of stories and content for website, media and other channels and the organization of internal and external events. The PO will assist the Design, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (DMEL) officer in outcome harvesting, narrative assessment and other reporting needed. The PO will work as a team with the DMEL officer, the financial officer, the linking and learning specialist, amongst others.

Responsibilities

Program design

• Supports the CoAs in developing their localized ToC, plans and (in coordination with the financial officer) budget, in line with guidelines.
• Supports and guides local organizations in the development of their individual or joint plans and proposals for lobby and advocacy, and including activities on capacity strengthening.
• Contributes to the development of Hivos’ overarching Free to be Me planning, and particularly to the design of innovative elements of both programs, in particular the functioning of the CoAs, as well as the design of a participatory grantmaking mechanism.

Implementation of work plans

• Realizes successful implementation in accordance with the specific goals, working methods and budgets of the projects.
• Supports and guides local organizations in the development of their individual or joint plans and proposals.
• Participates in participatory grantmaking mechanisms.
• Ensures contracts with local organizations and host organizations are established.
• Coordinates with CoAs, with consortium members and with Hivos’ staff around capacity strengthening and advocacy activities.
• Ensures Hivos’ own activities are implemented according to plan.

Monitoring & control

• Monitors progress towards established goals in CoAs, and in the organizational level or joint project plans, and flags in the Hivos overarching management team when problems arise.
• Relates progress to the overarching Free to be Me plans.

Coordination and collaboration

• Throughout the process of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the PO plays a proactive role in coordinating with the CoA facilitator, with the organizations that participate in the CoA, with the host organization, with consortium members and with the regional and global Hivos team.
• Actively contributes to and supports activities at the national and regional level, such as research, advocacy campaigns, learning events, etc.

Sharing, learning, and quality improvement

• Identifies, analyses and highlights success and good practices, as well as potential risks and problems.
• Proposes solutions for identified problems and follows-up on those.
• Contributes to identifying and sharing positive stories.
• Collaborates with the CoAs, the consortium members, and Hivos’ capacity strengthening officer, in the design and realization of exchange and learning events.
• Contributes to reflection and learning on both the national and regional level, as well as on the wider programmatic level.
• Maintains regular contact and engages the Dutch embassies in both countries

Requirements

• Relevant degree or equivalent work experience, and academic level of working and an intersectional analysis.
• Minimum of five years relevant working experience.
• Work experience with civil society, in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and working in international teams.
• Expertise in working on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH-R), LGBTIQ+ rights and programming or with one or several of the rightsholder groups.
• Keen on ensuring ownership by local organizations, and in finding innovative and creative solutions to realize goals.
• Work experience in an international environment.
• Flexible attitude, creative, supports Hivos’ and Free to Be Me values, has a progressive and positive view on SOGIESC issues, SRH-R and the leadership of rightsholders.
• Full professional proficiency in English Language.
• Lived experience as a part of one or more of the rightsholder groups is an asset.

We particularly welcome applications from young women, LGBTIQ+ persons and/or persons that belongs to one or more of the rightsholder groups.

What we offer

Hivos offers a challenging position in an international environment.

The Regional office is based in Harare, Zimbabwe. This position will be based in Harare, Zimbabwe. Hivos welcomes International & Regional applicants but can only offer a position to only those with a valid work permit for Zimbabwe. Hivos can only offer employment on local terms and conditions.