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Foundation for Sustainable Development: International Programs Officer for Asia and East Africa

by Valerie Cleland on October 15, 2012

The International Programs Officer (IPO), based in San Francisco, plays a key role in advancing FSD’s grassroots development efforts in our sites based in Asia and East Africa. As a member of the international programs team (IPT), the IPO reports directly to FSD’s Executive Director and is responsible for managing the design, administration, and oversight of community partner initiatives and regional training programs. The IPO is also instrumental to the success of FSD’s expanding communications department, and is expected to support the Marketing and Communications Officer in collecting updates from the field for a number of new and existing initiatives.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

  • International Program Management (approximately 45%)
  • Oversee the promotion, recruitment, and training of FSD’s Asia/East Africa Field Staff
  • Ensure that FSD’s Field Staff understand and consistently support strategic program objectives, and support Field Staff teams in developing and executing site-based annual strategic plans
  • Reinforce and clarify established programmatic and operational policies and procedures
  • Provide supervision and support to local Program Directors, and conduct regular performance evaluations
  • Support the professional growth of FSD Field Staff through communication about performance and goals, conducting site visits, developing educational materials, and identifying opportunities to attend local and international conferences and events
  • In collaboration with Field Staff, regularly evaluate and develop FSD’s training programs to effectively build the capacity and skills of program participants, and to ensure positive outcomes for community partner organizations, host families, and program participants
  • Support Field Staff in identifying and developing capacity building activities for community partners
  • Coordinate the planning and administration of Global Service Trips (GSTs) to FSD’s Asia & east Africa sites
  • In collaboration with the IPT and Field Staff, facilitate and support grant competition activities, including RFPs, grant workshops, proposal reviews, funding decisions, and related administrative tasks
  • Facilitate ongoing monitoring and evaluation of funded projects and program activities, and report out on key successes and challenges
  • Provide input on budgeting for program development

 

Participant Relations (approximately 45%)

  • Develop relationships with program participants and manage expectations for their time abroad
  • Respond to inquiries from potential applicants about international programs and to applicants about the process
  • Review new applications and coordinate with Field Staff to ensure the timely delivery of supporting materials
  • Respond to families and friends of participants, both before and during participants’ time in the field
  • As necessary, respond to questions from donors and provide information from the field
  • Keep staff updated on applicant and participant status
  • Maintain applicant information and participant relations in Salesforce
  • Enter and update relevant program data (host family details, host organization descriptions, project assessments, etc) in appropriate databases
  • Support relationship management with University Partners, coordinate with IPT to facilitate unique applicant processes and create customized curriculum and programs
  • Manage participant invoices

Other Duties (approximately 10%)

  • Support the communications department in collecting timely updates from the field (project updates, photos, videos, stories, and media) and support copy editing, when needed
  • Assist in managing communications with potential and existing university, corporate, and foundation partners
  • Represent FSD at speaking opportunities and events
  • Participate in grant proposal evaluations
  • Contribute content for outgoing grant proposals
  • Recruit, train, and manage IPT San Francisco interns
  • Other duties as assigned by the ED

Expected Outcomes

  • Maximize the percentage of placement offers that are accepted by ensuring applicants are provided with the information they need in a way that is appropriate, accessible, timely, useful, creative and professional and so that program participants develop expectations for their experience abroad that are consistent with the intention of FSD programs
  • Ensure participant program documentation is well organized, maintained, and clearly communicated to the FSD site team, and that the site team is fully prepared to meet and manage the needs and expectations that each program participant has expressed through their interaction with FSD San Francisco
  • Increase outcomes for community partners by supporting capacity building activities in the field, and providing strong training for program participants
  • Produce high-quality, relevant FSD materials based on program needs
  • Speed the delivery of more information and media from the field to the communications team in San Francisco
  • Deliver regular qualitative and quantitative program assessments and reports to the ED
  • Ensure timely payments from program participants

Supervision and Guidance
The International Programs Officer (IPO) functions under the direct supervision of the Executive Director and in close coordination with other SF staff and FSD site teams abroad. The IPO performs many of the designated job functions independently. Performance evaluation is based upon successfully meeting the objectives set out in this description.

Desired Qualifications
Education: University degree in International Development, International/Regional Studies, Business or related field

Prior Experience: Project management, monitoring and evaluation, donor management and customer service is required; field experience in East Africa and/or India are required; staff management and volunteer/intern management is desired

Knowledge and experience: Good working knowledge of sustainable development and global culture/history/current events is required, regional knowledge East Africa and India is preferred

Travel: Some national and international travel, typically 5-15% of the time, depending on current needs and priorities

Skills and Abilities:

  • Motivation and commitment to work independently and collaboratively with dynamic team
  • Excellent customer service/sales skills
  • Microsoft office suite (excel especially) and Google Apps
  • Salesforce or similar CRM tool
  • Ability to represent FSD effectively with the donors, public, applicants, clients, and community partners
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Excellent time and project management skills, organizational and administrative skills; ability to multitask and attention to detail
  • High accountability and transparency ethics; ability to work in a stressful environment
  • Strong analysis and reporting abilities

Status

  • Full-time salaried position
  • Competitive salary commensurate with experience
  • Three weeks combined vacation/sick leave
  • Health, Vision, and Dental insurance
  • 401K matching plan

Position Timeline
FSD plans to fill the position as soon as possible

How to Apply
Send CV and cover letter to jobs@fsdinternational.org and include in the subject line: ‘International Programs Officer’.
Due to the high volume, we cannot respond to all applications. If you are selected for recruitment, you will be contacted.
Note that former FSD staff and alumni are preferred for this position, and field experience in East Africa and/or India are required.

Other Ways to Get “In the Door”

Please note that paid positions with FSD are extremely competitive and we receive far more applications for each position than we can feasibly interview. Whenever possible, we prefer to promote from within, thus many current members of our team are exceptionally talented former interns and volunteers. If you do not possess the minimum qualifications for a current opening, or if you apply and are not contacted, we strongly encourage you to consider joining FSD’s Intern and Volunteer programs. These programs commonly serve as a catalyst for paid positions with FSD and other like-minded International Development institutions.

To review our International Intern and Volunteer Programs, click here >>
To review our San Francisco Intern and Volunteer Programs, click here >>

For other opportunities, visit: www.StopDodo.com – Green and Environmental Jobs

From → Abroad, Jobs, Paid

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