Project Officer – Special Grants

The organisation

The Commonwealth Foundation is an international intergovernmental organisation established by Heads of Government in support of the belief that the Commonwealth is as much an association of peoples as it is of governments.

It is the Commonwealth agency for civil society; a unique, stand-alone inter-governmental organisation established by, funded by, and reporting to governments.

The Foundation is dedicated to strengthening people’s participation in all aspects of public dialogue, to act together and learn from each other to build democratic societies. To that end it works to:

• Support the active and constructive participation of Commonwealth citizens in all aspects of their governance
• Nurture the growth of vibrant and free civil societies in all Commonwealth countries
• Advance the principles and ideals of the Commonwealth

We work together to promote a welcoming and inclusive environment, which attracts a wide range of candidates and reflects our commitment to celebrating and promoting diversity.

The role

As Project Officer for Special Grants (PO-SG) you will lead the implementation of the project: Strengthening Civic Engagement and Improving Resilience of Communities Impacted by Covid-19.

The PO-SG will be responsible for overseeing the ten national level projects that fall within this project: collaborating closely with partner organisations; supporting them in implementation and reporting; and ensuring that lessons and impact are captured and analysed.

The PO-SG will also work with other members of the team to support other grantees that are outside this project but within the broader initiative, with a view to ensuring consistency of approach and facilitating learning across the entire initiative.

This project forms part of a broader Commonwealth Foundation initiative that is providing both funding and capacity development to civil society organisations in support of their pandemic related recovery and rebuilding. The focus of the initiative is on participatory governance with special emphasis on gender equality.

The role is London based with initial remote working until the office re-opens.

The person

The successful candidate will have worked in a grants management role.  You will have a sound understanding of results-based management and demonstrated experience in monitoring, assessment and evaluation with a track record of applying a range of tools and methodologies in the context of grant making. You will have a good knowledge of international development issues. You will have excellent IT skills with Microsoft Office and databases. You will have excellent organisational skills, with attention to detail and be a self-starter who is able to prioritise your own workload and multi-task as required. Experience in working in the area of participatory governance or related field is an asset.

 Key tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will have the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Oversee all aspects of one tranche (10 projects) of the special project Strengthening Civic Engagement and Improving Resilience of Communities Impacted by Covid-19, establishing close partnership with grantees and ensuring efficient programme delivery.
• Contribute to successful implementation of the umbrella project including through participation in capacity development activities for grantees.
• Contribute to whole-of-Foundation learning by participating in all aspects of monitoring, evaluation and learning associated with this special project.
• Undertaking related tasks as required.

In performing all tasks, the incumbent will actively promote the values and ideals of the Commonwealth.

Closing date:  

Monday 10 May 2021, 1pm BST

Interviews:  

Week of 10 May 2021

Start date:

As soon as possible after 17 May 2021

Salary/benefits:

• Fixed term contract of 14 months
• Salary of £30,000 pa
• 15% of gross salary in a tax-free gratuity payment –  available for withdrawal at the conclusion of the contract
• Holiday allowance of 30 days p/a (pro-rata) plus statutory bank holidays and privilege days
• Access to learning opportunities at the Foundation for career development

Process

Please provide a covering letter, CV and copy of proof of right to work in the UK using the application process found on this page.

We expect your covering letter to demonstrate how your experience meets the requirements of the role and the Foundation’s values. Please refer to the information above and that found in the job description when writing your cover letter. The job description can be downloaded below.

Download Job Description for Project Officer – Special Grants