Assistant to the Director of Programmes and Operations

Position Overview:

As the international development sector continues to grow, most jobs at international not-for-profits, charities and NGOs will require their employees to have experience working abroad. This post represents an excellent opportunity to gain on-the-ground experience for anyone wishing to pursue a career in international development.

The Assistant will spend 6-12 months in Madagascar, working alongside the Director of Programmes and Operations. He or she will get a valuable insight to the work of an international NGO, by experiencing both on-the-ground project management and administrative activities at the office in Fort Dauphin.

This is an excellent opportunity for a new or recent graduate to gain a rounded experience of how a small NGO operates.  The role is varied and there is scope for adapting this to the Assistants particular interests to ensuring that this is a two way learning experience. The role is practical and experienced based and as a small NGO Azafady does not have provision to provide formal training.

The Assistant to the Director will work within the existing team to aid all aspects of operations. Example tasks include input and analysis of data for projects, working with the team on drafting policies, maintenance of equipment inventory and policy and project research. For specific responsibilities, see the section below.

Azafady currently runs projects across the fields of environment, sustainable livelihoods, construction and health which includes school building, hygiene training, HIV education and conservation projects. For further details of the projects run by Azafady see www.madagascar.co.uk.

Duties and responsibilities:

The Assistant to the Director of Programmes and Operations will work across all departments and will include elements of the following tasks: 

• Assist the Director of Operations in all of their day-to-day tasks which will include project and administration related work
• Working with the Director of Operations and Programmes in developing administrative systems and procedures across the NGO
• Working with the Project Development team in researching elements of new projects or assisting to evaluate existing ones
• Assisting in project implementation alongside Departmental Heads
• Collating, inputting and describing project data in conjunction with department heads
• Preparation of summary reports for internal and external audiences
• Proof reading of reports to donors
• Writing minutes of management meeting and assisting the NGO staff with notes when required
• Construction and maintenance of equipment inventories and logs
• Development and maintenance of archive system for photographs and information
• Creation and management of the facebook and website information for the organisations on line presence
• Basic IT support
• Liaison with incoming volunteers and maintenance of volunteer information and feedback
• Policy, procedure and project research
• Any other tasks as needed by the Director of Operations and Head of Project Development

Contract type: unsalaried, no expenses

Contract duration: 6-12 months

Location: Azafady, Fort Dauphin, Madagascar

Reporting to: Director of Operations

Requirements:

The successful applicant will:

• Hold an undergraduate degree in or relating to Development or Conservation  
• Be able demonstrate ability to work independently
• Be able demonstrate commitment to conservation and community development
• Have good all round computing skills and experience in a range of software packages
• Have previous experience working to deadlines and have ability to successfully manage their time
• Be able to suggest further work developing from the projects undertaken
• To have a curious mind and a patient, problem solving attitude
• Ideally have previous experience living, working or travelling in a developing country, though is not essential
• Be fluent in English. A working knowledge of French is desirable but not essential
• Be capable and comfortable adapting to life in a least developed country with sometimes basic living conditions
• Be able to work and socialise within a small group of people and to be respectful and take personal responsibility for maintaining a good reputation for the NGO in the community
• Be able to adjust to life in another culture and a foreign language and be able to work at all times with cultural sensitivity
• Be able to financially support themselves for 6-12 months

Country and organisation background:

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It has an ethnically diverse population of some 19 million people, and the number of inhabitants is increasing at a rate of about 3% per year.  It is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 143/177 in the 2008-9 Human Development Report, with more than 70% of the population living below the poverty line. 

Isolation of communities and lack of state capacity mean service delivery is extremely poor. Government educational services, extremely limited as they are across the island, rarely reach rural communities. State provided health facilities are seriously under-funded. Island-wide, among rural populations only 35% of people have improved water sources, and just 26% have adequate sanitation facilities (UNICEF, 2008).

Tolagnaro (or Fort Dauphin), where ONG Azafady is based, is an isolated town in the southeast of the island, in Anosy Region. The people of Anosy are one of the poorest ethnic groups in the country.  Whilst the government has adopted a detailed strategy paper for poverty reduction, Anosy’s isolation means that little has changed. The region’s population suffers one of the lowest per capita incomes and highest rates of disease, infant mortality (34% in some communities) and illiteracy (over 80%). Diarrhoeal disease, malaria, respiratory and sexually transmitted infections are rife: as many as 3 in 10 children under 5 years old die from easily preventable diseases and illnesses. Average life expectancy is just 59 years, (UNICEF, 2006) and the mortality rate for those under five years is over one in ten (115/1000 live births, UNICEF, 2008 estimate).

Azafady has over 10 years experience of grassroots community development work. The organisation intervenes in Fort Dauphin and surrounding rural communities aiming to alleviate extreme poverty and protect a unique but greatly endangered environment by empowering the poorest people of the region to improve health and wellbeing and establish more sustainable livelihoods. At the heart of Azafady’s work is an integrated approach to community development sensitively built around what are directly expressed to be the most pressing needs of local populations and which maximises their participation. Project activities are focused on the fields of health and sanitation, livelihood diversification and natural resource management. All projects align with and contribute to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and of the Madagascar Action Plan commitments in these sectors.

Application procedure

Send CV and cover letter to Lisa@azafady.org. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email. Interviews will take place with Madagascar team by phone and with the London team in person.

Deadline for application -  Monday 8^th October, 2012