Project Officer, Strong In Diversity at Hivos East Africa

Number of hours: 

40

Job Context

Strong in Diversity (SID) is a three year project (2018 – 2020) that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) communities in two countries, one in East Africa and one in South East Asia. The project focuses on strengthening the resilience of LGBT+ communities and groups and supports them in building a critical mass of allies, particularly engaging those that oppose LGBT+ rights, and to change the dominant narrative on LGBT+ people in the media.

To this end three main and interlinked intervention strategies will be employed:

• Facilitate dialogue between LGBT+ persons and their (potential) allies, with societal leaders, and particularly politicians and religious leaders.
• To change the image; by stimulating media to present a non-stigmatizing of LGBT+ persons and the issues they face.
• Focus on building strength; to assist LGBT+ communities to improve their resilience and leadership.

Your Responsibilities

Create safe spaces for dialogue between LGBTI activists and societal leaders:

• Convene meetings and facilitate dialogue between activists and societal leaders;
• Organize and facilitate trainings for LGBTI persons and their mentors to ensure they are trained and coached to be able to engage in the safe spaces dialogue;
• Systemize and visualize experiences with space spaces dialogues to identify and share lessons learnt and best practices;
• Create and enhance working coalitions and relations with other human rights networks;
• Provide access to training and coach LGBTI persons to engage constructively with the media;
• Organize sensitization and capacity strengthening of the media to engage on Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGIE) issues.

Project Management:

• Undertake the day to day management of the project and ensure high standards of programming;
• Ensure the necessary administrative and financial mechanisms are in place to support the smooth implementation of the project;
• Create linkages between the SID and other Hivos programmes;
• Monitor progress of activities and ensure project targets are being achieved;
• Compile country narrative and financial reports and ensure timely submission to the Global Office (GO);
• In collaboration with other Hivos staff, develop and implement a safety and security approach to protect local human rights defenders and activists;

Maintaining relations with relevant actors:

• (Co-)represent the project in relevant international and national spaces as well as internally in Hivos;
• Contribute to the identification of opportunities to amplify the project and expand to other countries and support the development of new proposals to that end;
• Participate in Hivos planning and programming activities;
• Develop communication products for the programme.

Your profile

• A proactive team-player and a strategic thinker;
• A university degree in Social Sciences or a relevant discipline;
• At least 5 years of relevant working experience and good knowledge of human rights and marginalized groups;
• Passion about the promotion and protection of the human rights of LGBT+ persons;
• Knowledgeable on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression;
• Experience in working with international and diverse teams, and ability to coordinate team-work;
• Enjoys building bridges between persons and projects, to stimulate learning and to visualize results. Ability to work independently on project-elements, and come back to the team with proposals and ideas;
• Creativity in dealing with problems and ability to develop practical solutions;
• High level of integrity and accountability;
• Ability to work under pressure, often with tight deadlines without compromising the quality of deliverables;
• Strong English language skills; both written and spoken;
• Willingness to travel from time to time.

What we offer

One year renewable contract subject to performance and availability of funding. Employment is subject to Hivos Grade for the position of Project officer and is dependent on skills and experience. Travel costs are compensated in accordance with Hivos travel regulations.