Project Officer

The Project Officer at Islamic Relief Pakistan plays a crucial role in overseeing and coordinating project activities to achieve program goals effectively. The position requires a candidate with at least a master's degree and five years of relevant experience or a bachelor's degree with 14 years of education and five years of experience. The officer leads a team of 10 persons, ensuring efficient social mobilization, project implementation, and progress reporting. This role demands a proactive approach to managing resources and engaging with stakeholders to maximize impact. The Project Officer is responsible for planning, executing, and monitoring project interventions while maintaining clear communication with all project stakeholders. The ideal candidate exhibits advanced skills in social mobilization, report writing, and team leadership. Working closely with internal and external partners, the officer facilitates capacity building, ensures compliance with organizational standards, and promotes community engagement to support sustainable development initiatives.
Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a team of 10 members, providing guidance and support to achieve project objectives.
• Develop detailed project work plans, timelines, and schedules to ensure timely completion of deliverables.
• Coordinate social mobilization activities to engage beneficiaries and community stakeholders effectively.
• Prepare comprehensive reports on project progress, challenges, and outcomes for internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor project implementation to ensure adherence to standards, policies, and donor requirements.
• Facilitate capacity building and training sessions for project staff and community members.
• Liaise with government bodies, local organizations, and other stakeholders to enhance project collaboration and resource mobilization.
• Identify risks and challenges within the project environment and implement mitigation strategies.
• Conduct field visits to assess program effectiveness and gather beneficiary feedback.
• Ensure proper documentation and record-keeping of project activities and achievements.
• Support the development and submission of grant proposals and funding applications as required.
• Promote community participation and ownership to foster sustainable project outcomes.

Technical Level

The job holder is accountable for fulfilling his or her roles and responsibilities in line with Islamic values and principles of fairness, humanity, honesty, respect and fair treatment of his/her colleagues and staff.

The following are the main responsibilities that the role holder will be accountable for:

·       Designing integrated work plans in collaboration with teams from other departments/thematic areas.

·       Coordinate with internal (APM, Programme Coordinator & other area level Leads) & external (Clusters/NGOs, UN agencies, contractors, public health department, other organization’s representatives working in project areas, community activists, COs, VOs and beneficiary households) stakeholders related to project and other matters of mutual interest.

·       Develop a plan for effective communications to be done at all levels, including behaviour change of the targeted community.

·       Keep in place contingency plan to deal with external factors affecting or may affect the field activities.

·       Ensure preparation & record management of project activities.

·       Preparation of daily, weekly, monthly and other progress reports for management’s info.

·       Ensure proper filling of forms & formats as per desired standard

·       Extend support to MEAL / MIS / Communications staff for gathering desired information.

·       Close coordination with line manager for effective implementation of project activities.

·       Ensure the Area Management and are kept informed about assessment progress, emergency response implementation and strategies, project plans, progress reports, and other significant developments.

Operational Level

• Preparation of weekly / monthly work plans against PMT (performance measured time frame) by ensuring timely completion of assigned tasks in stipulated time period.
• Maintenance of hard record that includes field visits reports, CO meeting minutes, beneficiary data, assessment record, distribution record & other documentation.
• Ensure appropriate beneficiary’s data collection & screening prior to making any transaction
• Ensure proper filling of forms & formats as per desired standard
• Extend support to MEAL / MIS / Communications staff for gathering desired information.
• Ensure availability of up-to-date info in MIS on regular basis with consultation of MIS / M&E.
• Close coordination with line manager for effective implementation of project activities.
• Ensure IRP member and mission from IRW are fully briefed on all aspects of security, social and cultural norms and local conditions and behaviour;
• Establish and maintain constructive working relationships with other NGO’s, UN agencies, provincial and local government, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other principle stakeholders including the military where present;
• Create the conditions to ensure effective teamwork and morale.

·       Ensure that administrative support functions are established and maintained in accordance with IRP administrative policies and procedures;

·       Ensure compliance with country legal, contractual, labour and statutory requirements.

• Ensure all project staff understand and carry out their duties in accordance with humanitarian principles, core values, IR International Code and SPHERE.
• Conduct performance appraisals of project staff and ensure regular feedback and mentoring on individual performance;
• Ensure the Area Management and are kept informed about assessment progress, emergency response implementation and strategies, project plans, progress reports, and other significant developments.
• Support the PR/Media team in the development of constructive working relationships with media representatives to build international and public profile and ensure positive coverage and the timely provision of situation reports and fundraising material to IRW.

• Any other task related to program assigned by supervisor

Organizational Level

·       Ensure compliance with IR’s policies & procedures in true spirit for effective delivery of services to communities.

·       In depth understanding of IR values and their demonstration in the field while working with communities.

·     Abide by the IR zero tolerance policy towards bribery & corruption through sensitization / empowerment of communities on coping mechanism so that they can raise voice as & when feel inappropriate.

·       Thorough knowledge of IR strategic priorities to ensure effective implementation with future sustainability.

·       Assist in identification & documentation of organizational successes for show casing IR work

·   Facilitate communities in adaptation of environment friendly & cost-effective approaches to meet their current as well as future needs with specific attention to climate change.

·       Focused efforts to be made for mainstreaming of marginalized groups i.e. Persons with disability and old age, minorities, Women & children etc in consultation & implementation of project activities at ground.

·       Strengthen mechanism to Influence the decision makers through communities to pay attention towards DRR planning, give voice to suffering and the excluded, highlighting the protection needs of people.

·    Participation and facilitation in implementation of IR seasonal programmes & emergency response

PERSON SPECIFICATION

It is essential that the post holder shows a good understanding and sympathy with the organizational values & principles, vision and mission as well as commitment to its SEAH (sexual exploitation abuse and harassment) protocols. We have zero tolerance policy towards SEAH and doesn’t support any action that promote or encourage SEAH.

Qualification:

·       Bachelors or master’s degree in development studies, Social Sciences or equivalent subject.

Experience:

·       Master with 03 years/Bachelor (14 Year) with 5 years.

Skills:

·       MS Office, Outlook, ERP systems familiarity

·       Experience in complex decision making and leading a multi-disciplinary team under difficult circumstances

·       The highest level of expertise in representation and negotiation with governments.

·       Strong understanding of the humanitarian operating context, including Sphere, the humanitarian system, donors, security, civil military liaison and program management

·       An Excellent understanding of the current Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies in Country

·       He or She must have experience of working for a Humanitarian Organization specifically in the context of Balochistan Districts.

Language:

Urdu and Local Languages Specially Balochi, Brahvi and Pashto

Key Personal Qualities:

·       People Management Skills: Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and can support and train local and international staff and also able to work with disaster affected communities in a sensitive and participatory manner.

·       Communication Skills: Well, developed written and oral communication skills. Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders as a representative of IR. This includes effective negotiation and representation skills.

·       Integrity: Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to IR's core values and humanitarian principles.

·       Resilience/Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances including stress, high security risks and harsh living conditions. Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner.

·       Awareness and sensitivity of self and others: Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity. Have experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner. Has a capacity to make accurate self-assessment particularly in high stress and high security contexts.

·       Work style: Is well planned and organized even within a fluid working environment and has a capacity for initiative and decision making with competent analytical and problem solving skills.

·  Knowledge and application of Sphere Standards, Humanitarian Principles, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills and other guiding principles during interaction with Disaster affected communities.

·  Fluency in English (oral and written) including excellent writing skills, however command over Pashto language is desirable.

Value Added Skills

·         Advance level Social Mobilization

·         Report writing

·         PRA / RRA Tools

·         Inclusion

·         DRR / Resilience / Climate Change

·         Advocacy & Campaigning

·         GBV / Protection

·         Health & Hygiene Promotion

·         Monitoring & Accountability

·         Water, Health & Sanitation

·         Food Security & Livelihood

Note:  Application will be reviewed on Rolling Basis

Declarations # 1: I hereby confirm that I have never been involved and/or charged in violation of SEAH (Sexual Exploitation Abuse & Harassment) related concerns in my career.

Declarations # 2: I confirm that the above information in the CV/Application is complete and correct and that any untrue or misleading information will give my employer the right to terminate any employment contract offered.

Declarations # 3: I agree that information contained within this application and supporting documents (including "sensitive information”) may be accessed, stored and used and by the organization in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Pre-employment Checks:

Any employment with Islamic Relief will be subject to the following checks:

* Screening clearance

* Receipt of satisfactory references

Please note, we are only able to accept applications from candidates who are eligible to live and work in Pakistan. We are unable to progress applications that would require sponsorship.

Our Values and Commitment to Safeguarding:

IR is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom IR engages. IR expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on 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 checks. IRW also participates in the Inter-Agency 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 applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Islamic Relief is an equal opportunities employer