Job Vacancy: Program Senior Officer
Job Description
Job Title: SOHA Senior Officer
Location: Remotely
Reporting to: Program Director
Position Category: Full-time
Type of Contract and duration: one year, with possibility of renewal/extension
BACKGROUND:
Dawlaty is a nonprofit foundation that believes in nonviolence and peaceful resistance, and works towards achieving a democratic and peaceful transition in a state that upholds human rights, equality, tolerance and diversity.
The Syrian Oral History Archive- SOHA program was established in 2016 by Dawlaty and its partners. Since then, a total of +400 testimonies have been collected under two collections; experiences of women relatives of the missing, the disappeared, and the detained as well as experiences of youth between 18 and 24 years of age. These testimonies have been collected through field interviews of relevant narrators who volunteered to provide their testimonies. In 2020, Dawlaty plans to launch the archive on an online platform
to provide access to these stories to the public. Dawlaty aims to make the SOHA a resource to build a collective memory for Syrian communities on the 2011 peaceful uprising and the conflict.
The SOHA works to influence and challenge the narrative around the conflict by grounding its work in partnerships with community groups, CSOs, cultural actors, etc…; with a focus on the voices of marginalized groups. As such, it has explored venues of community outreach work by implementing events that have used art installations, storytelling, theatrical performances to tell the stories of female relatives of the disappeared, the attacks and forced displacement of civilians in Ghouta, as well as the experiences of youth in the Syrian conflict. The events held by Dawlaty and its partners have received interest from artists and researchers who requested access to the testimonies.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The SOHA Program Senior Officer will oversee the development and implementation of Dawlaty Syrian Oral History Archive program in the field of memory work and (transitional) justice. The SOHA Program Senior Officer will work closely with the archivers, SOHA platform software engineer, consultants, partners and donors to ensure the expansion, implementation, and outreach of the programs in a timely, effective, and financially sound manner. The position encompasses a wide range of management and technical support tasks, including planning and coordination, archive expansion, budget development and management, fundraising, communications and outreach, donor reporting, partnership establishment, and capacity building for staff. The SOHA Program Senior Officer also plays a key role in ensuring that SOHA program is a work in progress moving toward more institutionalization within Syrian, regional, and global collaborations.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Program Development and implementation:
● Oversee the implementation of SOHA program, including monitoring of work plan milestones and the disbursement of program budgets.
● Ensure program results and outcomes are communicated to relevant audiences, including donors, beneficiaries and partners.
● Work closely with the communication and advocacy manager to develop and implement the program communication and advocacy strategies.
● Write reports on the program for management and for donors.
● Identify and evaluate the risks associated with program activities and take appropriate action to control the risks.
● Work with the MEAL department to ensure the program is closely monitored and evaluated.
● Develop and improve needed policies and methodologies of SOHA to ensure better quality of work.
● Manage relationships with consultants and experts hired by Dawlaty.
● Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with community-based civil society organisations, arts and culture actors and various stakeholders.
● Work with management and staff, to develop new proposals and fund raise for the program to support the strategic direction of SOHA.
● Follow other oral history initiatives in the region and globally so that SOHA is in line with the latest developments in that field.
Team Management:
● Supervise program staff by providing direction, input and feedback
● Ensure structured reporting among the different team members, and between the team and the top management
● Work with partners to strengthen linkages with other actors to enhance SOHA learnings and policies
Representation and Coordination
● Participate in the development and maintenance of working relationships and coordinate with relevant international and local organizations active in the Syrian context especially those working on similar programs and use community art for justice and recovery
● Represent Dawlaty at relevant meetings and conferences
Support to Management of Organization
● Participate in overall management of the office and organization
● Support the management of the organization including coordinating between Dawlaty departments, and ensuring all policies and procedures are followed.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:
SOHA project officer, two part-time archivers.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
● 3-5 years’ experience in project management, including budget management and M&E, preferably in NGO environment.
● Experience in working with memory work, (transitional) justice, youth, community organizing and/or advocacy are strongly preferred.
● Previous experience in managing and/or developing oral history and archiving programs and institutions.
● Previous project development and design in conflict & post-conflict necessary, demonstrating working knowledge of the Syrian context (highly desirable).
● Proven work record related to community-led approaches and organizing
● Experience in developing strategies.
● Knowledge of the Syrian and Syrian refugee context and of Syrian civil society.
● Experience in research, art, media and communication are strongly preferred.
● Strong written and oral communication skills.
● Working knowledge of Arabic and English.
HOW TO APPLY:
Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by sending the following applications:
– CV must include two employment references, and full contact information.
– Cover letter.
– Only if available: previous work samples/ portfolio.
Applicants should include the following subject heading in their email SOHA Senior Officer, and sent via email to jobs@dawlaty.org by Sunday 20th August 2020.
Only Short-listed candidates will be contacted within a period of two weeks after the deadline, apologies for not sending messages to the rest of the applicants.
*Note: Due to Dawlaty’s low profile activities, shortlisted candidates are required to provide us with personal security reference.