Project Officer at Fauna & Flora International

Purpose of the role:

Under the immediate supervision of the Marine and Coastal Programme Manager, Kenya, the Project Officer will provide efficient project level support, both technically and administratively, to ensure the successful planning, implementation, reporting, monitoring and evaluation of various projects within the north Kenya seascape.

Specific Duties:

Project support

• Provide an efficient administrative and operational function to the North Kenya Seascape project
• Provide logistical support for meetings and workshops, including the putting together and dissemination of information packs that include external audiences.
• Attend meetings and take notes/minutes, ensuring appropriate dissemination and follow up on agreed actions.
• As required, provide logistical support to field activities, including the handling of cash payments and other funds disbursements, in line with FFI protocols, policies and procedures.
• Ensure that field operations are conducted to a high standard of health, safety, welfare, environmental good practice and cultural sensitivity, in line with FFI global policies and procedures and any national policies and procedures
• Implement data management in line with FFI protocols, policies and procedures, helping to ensure that all relevant documentation is on FFI’s data management systems.

Technical support

• Coordinate the local implementation and delivery of FFI’s commitments under the Darwin Initiative project and other funded projects.
• As required, compile ecological baselines and survey results against indicators and objectives, ensuring that it is kept updated regularly based on project’s progress.
• As required, ensure up-to-date workplans and budgets are in place to meet project aims, objectives and timelines and ensure that activities are implemented in line with workplans and within budget, for project partners to meet their commitments.
• As required, represent the Darwin Initiative-funded project and keep all relevant stakeholders abreast of the project and its progress, with a particular consideration for community and government institutions and NGOs active in the area and on related topics.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with all key stakeholders, gaining cooperation to accomplish project goals through these relationships.
• As required, support donor reporting, including collating supporting documents for half year and annual project reporting.
• Provide technical support and input as required on conservation issues and priorities including design, development and implementation of new projects.
• Support project monitoring and evaluation ensuring activities, logical framework milestones and indicators are attained within set timeframes and budgets.
• As required, provide support for setting up and implementing surveys on marine conservation.
• Track and review project deliverables assigned to partners and consultants ensuring timely submission of high quality outputs.
• Align project related work to FFI policies and procedures while also ensuring donor and legal compliance requirements are met.
• Support relevant partner staff and FFI colleagues in the gathering, consolidating and sharing of lessons learnt.

Partnerships

• Under the guidance of the Marine and Coastal Programme Manager:
• Carry out assessments with partners to ensure FFI understands the technical and administrative abilities of partner organisations to carry out project work, clearly identifying gaps that will need to be addressed for successful delivery of projects.
• Liaise with relevant staff to identify partner capacity gaps or any other issues with partner capacity to deliver projects.
• Ensure alignment and good relations are upheld with partner NGOs and private sector players operating in the landscape.
• Ensure that FFI Kenya continues to be well positioned, locally respected and valued by relevant authorities and development and civil society actors.

Communications and Representation

• Ensure regular and meaningful communication and coordination with FFI programme staff in the Kenya and the UK, and wider region as appropriate.
• As required, support development of project specific internal and external communication materials.
• As requested, attend external meetings to represent and actively promote FFI and project specific activities.
• Respond, as appropriate, to external enquiries relating to the project.
• As required, prepare and keep an updated a contact database to help convening meetings, dissemination of publications and communications etc.
• As required, prepare high quality power point presentations and communications based on literature reviews and other project activities.

Other

• Undertake other activities that fall within FFI’s strategy and plans as requested by your Line Manager, commensurate with your skills, experience and role.
• Work as an active member of the FFI Africa and FFI Kenya team and attend FFI Kenya team meetings.
• Duties may be altered, reasonably added or delegated from time to time to reflect changes within the organisation’s activities and structure.

Person Specification

Skills;

Essential

• Demonstrable experience of project management and providing logistical support to projects
• Strong technical skills relating to marine ecology and conservation
• Proven ability to develop and maintain effective partnerships with governments, local NGOs, community groups and businesses
• Proven project financial / budget management
• Strong written communication skills, with proven experience in excellent donor report writing skills
• Strong prioritisation and time management skills, with ability to work to multiple deadlines
• Excellent information organisation and presentation skills
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili (spoken and written)

Desirable

• Proposal writing
• Experience in implementation and reporting for Darwin Initiative funded projects or other main statutory donors

Knowledge and experience;

Essential

• Undergraduate degree in Marine conservation/biology/ecology, Wildlife Management, conservation biology, natural resources management
• Minimum of three years of experience in conservation project support at Officer/Coordinator level
• Experience in dealing with rural/coastal communities on management of local natural resources.
• Demonstrable skills in providing technical information for reports
• Experience in project monitoring and evaluation
• Meticulous at conducting desktop research and analysis of information
• Proven experience in coordinating and implementing marine species surveys
• Proven experience of using the logical framework as a monitoring tool

Desirable

• Five years of experience in conservation project support at Officer/Coordinator level
• Experience living and/or working in the Kenya coast
• Management of contracts/grants

Behavioural qualities;

Essential

• Self-motivated, independent and resourceful
• Commitment to FFI’s mission, vision and values
• Commitment to organisational and legal compliance, and responsible management of donor funds
• Team player, with ability to seek out views of others and build positive working relationships
• Ability to work under pressure and to deal with challenges in a calm, positive, pro-active and constructive way
• Ability to work within a multicultural environment