Project Support Assistant (Maternity Cover) job opportunity. Deadline 10th October 2021

Volunteer role: Project Support Assistant (Maternity Cover)

VSO is the world’s leading international development charity that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. At VSO we pride ourselves on doing development differently. We fight poverty not by sending aid, but by working through volunteers and partners to create long-lasting change in some of the world’s poorest regions. We bring key stakeholders together to coordinate collective action, from local organisations to national governments. Our programmes in Africa and Asia focus on health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience, peace building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We’re not about delivering quick fixes, but instead, we focus on long-lasting, sustainable change that will improve the lives of generations to come.

Role overview

Working at project location – In this role, you will provide on-site support in the project location and/or VSO office, (full-time unless otherwise specified) for a set period of time.

To lead on the delivery of all aspects of the ‘Imbere Heza’ / ‘Bright Futures’ project including close coordination with the Make Way project part of VSO Rwanda Sexual Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health and Rights (SRMNCAHR).

Skills, qualifications and experience

The ideal candidate will have the following desirable skills and experience:

•  Knowledge of maternal, newborn and child health;
•  Knowledge of intersectionality in relation to vulnerable youth and SRH

he/He will have the following essential skills and experience:

•  At least three years of experience managing small projects.
• Experience in health programming with a focus on youth SRH.
• Experience in project logistics, finances, and procurement.
•  Experience in working with local communities, community groups, community volunteers, and community leaders.
•  Experience working with local health services providers, and local authority staff and officials responsible for health services.
•  Ability to lead and manage others, including volunteers.
•  Ability to work with a range of people from different backgrounds and with different abilities.
• Knowledge of social inclusion and gender issues particularly in relation to young people.
• Experience in gathering data and evidence for monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Ability to produce narrative and financial reports.
• Confident public speaker and good networking and relationship building skills.
•  Excellent writing skills.

Competencies and Behaviour

At VSO we believe progress is only possible by working together. Whether you want to join us as an employee, or as a volunteer working in your own country, overseas or online, our selection process includes an assessment based on these core competencies:

• Ability to be open minded and respectful
• Ability to be resilient and adaptive to new situations
• Ability to facilitate positive change and build sustainable working relationships
•  Ability to seek and share knowledge

Equal Opportunities

VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

Allowance

As a VSO volunteer, you will work on an ad hoc basis, performing activities for VSO / your community during your free time. Expenses you incur while volunteering for VSO are reimbursed (be more specific if applicable).

Accommodation

If you are not able to work from your own home, VSO will provide basic accommodation (including utilities).

Some background about VSO

Much has changed since VSO started 60 years ago. We’ve gone from being a UK charity to a truly global development organisation. In 2016/2017 alone, we worked with over 7,000 volunteers from all over the world and from all backgrounds to deliver services that had an impact on the lives of almost 2.6 million people in the 24 countries where we work. Our programmes focus on the areas of health, education and livelihoods, with an increasing emphasis on resilience building, social accountability, gender and social inclusion. We believe progress is only possible when we work together and that strong partnerships are crucial to delivering positive change. That’s why we work with over 500 partner organisations, from local and national governments to businesses, NGOs, funders, charities and community groups. Currently, over 30% of our people are recruited from within the country in which they work, and we continue to grow the share of community and national volunteers involved in our programmes. We also send increasing numbers of volunteers from one developing country to another. However, our vision has remained the same; to build a world without poverty

Your application and COVID-19

We are continually reviewing our ability to safely programme and implement projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many local restrictions are being implemented in several VSO locations, which impacts VSO’s existing programme delivery.

We will continue to follow the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and national governments to protect the wellbeing and safety of all communities, employees and volunteers.

We’re continuing to build a talent pool of prospective professional volunteers so we can get back to supporting communities as soon as we’re able to.

If your application is shortlisted, a VSO hiring manager will be in touch to discuss the next steps and any changes to your placement and role.

You can read VSO’s COVID-19 statement and frequently asked questions about volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic here.

If you’re interested in applying for this role, please download the job description for more information.

Once you’re ready to apply, click on ‘make an application’ below to complete the online form.

Make an application

VSO has zero tolerance for abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. We expect all our employees/volunteers to ensure we protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from harm and abide by our safeguarding policy (PDF).