Women for Change

1. Job Opportunity:  Field Office Coordinator

Women for Change (WfC), a Gender-focused Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), seeks applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Field Office Coordinator (1) for the Women Empowerment Project (WEP) in Chongwe and Rufunsa Districts of Lusaka Province in Zambia. The Field Office Coordinator will be expected to work under the supervision of the Program Manager in implementing the WEP which is supported by Fundación Progresar and funded by The Foundation “Stiftelsen Support for Development”.

Location: Based in Chongwe field office

General objective:

Contribute to reducing poverty and gender inequalities in rural areas in Zambia and in particular Chongwe and Rufunsa, through economic empowerment, and women being able to claim their rights.

Responsibilities:

1. Coordinates the field implementation of the project and leads the operation, management and administration of the field office including:

a) Coordinates and supervises the work of field staff and consultants assigned to the field office and supports them in technical and administrative matters.

b) Identifies training needs of field office staff and trains them in methods and manuals. Coordinates project trainings with head office and external consultants.

c) Manages the budget assigned to the field office and its equipment and furniture. Prepares budget requisitions from the field office to the head office.

d) Checks and verifies petty cash (small cash) account.

e) Approves costs related to the field office and its operations and signs checks for project funds, credits and administrative costs (in collaboration with the Finance and Administration Officer)

f) Plans implementation of activities weekly, monthly and quarterly based on agreed workplans and provides inputs to the annual plan to the Programme Manager,

g) Prepares narrative reports weekly, monthly and quarterly and gives inputs to annual report to Programme Manager. Immediately informs the Programme Manager and Programme Officer about serious issues in the project concerning staff, groups, loans and situations which may affect the achievement of results.

h) Identifies and manages cooperations and relations with actors and stakeholders in the district based on decisions and strategies defined by the Programme Manager,

2. Ensures that the project method is adhered to and that all manuals are correctly used: a) village banking, b) emotional health, c) livestock manual, d) business development manual, e) manual of gender equality and women’s rights, f) vegetable and herb gardens, and g) compost.

3. Directly manages 4 to 6 groups as field officer.

4. Ensures that information is correctly entered, properly organized and up-to-date for each group in the group’s binder.

5. Monitors the development and results of participating groups and women.

6. Coordinates additional support in emotional health to groups and women based on needs, in addition to the support provided in the village bank model by field officers and promotors.

7. Supervises administrative activities and management of women’s groups by field staff in all cycles and recovery of 100% of credit.

8. Safeguards and assures transparent and correct management of check books by staff and the women groups by revising check books, comparing with the account balance twice in a cycle.

9. Presents the project in communities, evaluates annual group cycles and other activities that should be carried out by the Field office coordinator as defined in the village bank manual.

10. Coordinates the implementation of the Group promoter extension model and is responsible for administration and monthly training of group promotors. Supervise and approve the monthly agenda and costs of potluck lunch in groups and training of promoters.

11. Contributes to the adaptation of intervention models for the project

12. Participate in training, planning and evaluation meetings with the Programme Manager and Programme Officer.

13. Participates in the credit approval committee together with the Programme Manager and Programme Officer.

14. Conducts any other activity assigned by the Programme Manager or Programme Officer.

15. Participates in the joint-monitoring of the Project.

Minimum Education Qualifications:

• Bachelor`s degree in business administration, micro finance, social work, gender equality, community development or other related academic background.

Experience

At least five years of experience in:

• working with gender equality, women’s rights and organisation and training of poor rural women. Previous experience of micro enterprise development and income generation activities in rural areas. Knowledge in micro finance or saving projects for rural areas is considered an advantage. Experience of working with emotional health is a plus. OR
• working with micro enterprise development or income generation activities in rural areas. Knowledge in micro finance or saving projects for rural areas. Previous experience of gender equality and women’s rights and organisation and training of poor rural women is important. Experience of working with emotional health is a plus.
• Minimum six years continuous traceable experience in implementation of rural community development Project working with rural por women and preferably women survivors of gender based violence.
• Monitoring and Evaluating projects
• Traceable experience of managing Project team (staff).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Basic Knowledge of gender and gender analysis using participatory education methodologies tools.
• Skills in emotional health methods is considered an advantage
• Excellent English Language – written and oral skill
• Computer literate in Excel, Power Point and Ms Word

Ability

• Ability to communicate effectively in local languages
• Ability to conduct capacity building programs in English and local languages
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to produce high-quality reports
• Holder of clean motor cycle licence

Other Attributes

• Positive attitude, willingness and desire to improve the living standards of rural poor women in the Project area.
• Willingness to learn and adapt and openness to work with different emotional health methods.
• Good team player.