The Program Officer II will provide administrative, financial, programmatic, logistical and other operational support to Global Education post-primary programs, in addition to some communications support and technical assistance. The position will support the following projects: the MCC Guatemala Secondary Quality Improvement Program (approximately 50%); the MCC El Salvador Strengthening the National Education System Program (approximately 50%); and other efforts, such as business development, for the Post-Primary Education team as needed.
The Secondary Education Quality Improvement Program, funded by MCC, is a 3-year (2017-2020) project to improve the quality and relevance of lower secondary education in Guatemala. In partnership with the Government of Guatemala’s National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM) and the Ministry of Education, FHI 360 will work in five provinces. The program improves education quality in three key areas: (1) strengthening teacher training and professional development programs; (2) developing education networks of teachers, parents, students, and community members, and (3) building institutional capacity of the Ministry of Education in evidence-based decision-making to help sustain the reforms.
The Strengthening the National Education System Program, also funded by MCC, is a 2.5-year program working to strengthen the quality of education and the "Full Time Inclusive School" model in 350 schools organized into 45 school clusters in eight of El Salvador's 14 most high-risk departments. The Program works across five components, addressing education needs from grades 1-11: (1) teacher professional development, (2) strengthening ministry capacity in technical assistance to schools and school leaders; (3) school governance of schools and school clusters; (4) learning assessment and curriculum development; (5) strengthening upper secondary technical vocational education.
Project Management
- Provides project management support to management teams in the field and liaises with internal units at headquarters to ensure smooth project operations in the areas of project start-up, procurement (Costpoint), accounting, travel, contracts, information technology, and finance.
- In coordination with the Human Resources and Legal departments and local team, provides technical support and guidance on project HR and legal services actions, such as recruitment, contracting, separations, compliance with local labor law, developing and revising the HR handbook and operations manual, among other items.
- Assists with the recruitment and hiring of consultants. This includes coordination and posting of scopes of work, coordinating consultant selection processes in compliance with FHI 360 polices, in coordination with the project manager(s) obtaining contract management services (CMS) approval and issuing consultant agreements, initiating travel and security clearance, and accepting final deliverables and processing consultant invoices
- Supports the development, management, and close-out of sub-agreements with local and international partner organizations, including drafting memos of negotiation, contractual documents, scopes of work, and other relevant attachments in coordination with CMS and project teams.
- Works with project director/manager, program officers, and finance manager to assist with management of awards, contracts, and sub-awards by developing project tracking tools, processing vendor invoices and subcontractor payments, and expediting contract actions.
- Helps to facilitate expatriate staff/dependent travel and posting/repatriation, including shipping and storage of household effects, processing of travel documents, international insurance coverage, general logistics, and employee benefits. Additionally, assists with the management of allowances for expatriates, including processing of expense authorization for Annual Travel Leave, expense reimbursement, etc.
- Maintains proper filing systems, both electronic and hard copies, in accordance with FHI 360 policy.
- Mentors staff and provides training on systems, processes, policies, and regulations.
Technical, Communications, and Business Development
- Works directly with program managers and program officers to contribute to workplans and budgets and support the writing, review, and/or translation of project reports as needed.
- Provides technical input to projects, particularly around gender.
- Documents and shares project accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned among internal and external partners as needed.
- Assists with regular reviews and updates to project web site(s), SharePoint site(s), and other communications materials.
- Assists with business development efforts, including data gathering, formatting and editing of documents, and other related tasks.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
- At least five years of experience with international programs, US government rules and regulations preferred.
- Experience managing complex tasks within fixed time frames.
- Articulate and professional and able to communicate in a clear, positive fashion with clients and staff. Strong writing skills required.
- Must be able to read, write, and speak fluent English and Spanish.
- Prior work experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization preferred.
- Experience using Microsoft Office Suite.
This job description summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.
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