• Job Title: Programme Officer, Papua New Guinea
• Location: Melbourne, with occasional international travel
• Reporting to: PNG Project Manager
• Duration: 12-month fixed term contract (subject to funding confirmation)

Conciliation Resources

Conciliation Resources is an independent international organisation working with people in conflict to prevent violence, resolve conflicts and promote peaceful societies. We believe that building sustainable peace takes time. We provide practical support to help people affected by violent conflict achieve lasting peace. We draw on our shared experiences to improve peacebuilding policies and practice worldwide. We have worked in the South East Asia and the Pacific regions since 1994 and currently have four programmes: a regional Pacific Programme, a Fiji Programme, a Papua New Guinea Programme and a Philippines programme.

Conciliation Resources’ core values of Collaboration, Creativity, Challenge and Commitment underpin everything we do, and staff are expected to apply these values to their work and in their interactions with others. In addition, we foster an internal environment of transparency, mutual respect, integrity and professional discretion.

Conciliation Resources has worked in the Pacific region since 1994. The organisation first worked in Bougainville (an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea) in 2001. Currently we work in partnership with the Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation, the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government as part of a programme of work with the aim of:

• Supporting inter-governmental dialogue processes.
• Strengthening community analysis and conflict resolution mechanisms in Bougainville.
• Building the skills of key peacebuilding actors in Bougainville.
• Improving cohesion and collaboration between peacebuilding initiatives in Bougainville
• Bringing peacebuilding knowledge from other post-conflict regions of the world.

Job purpose

The Programme Officer provides project, administrative and logistical support necessary for the implementation of the Papua New Guinea programme. The post holder will play a key role in liaising with partners across the areas in which we work, and in managing programme events and information. They will support consults and volunteers working with the team. Reporting to the Project Manager, the Programme Officer will be based in Melbourne and will undertake occasional travel to Papua New Guinea.

Specific responsibilities and tasks

Strategic and operational planning:

• Contribute to the Papua New Guinea programme’s strategic and operational planning processes, including participation in the annual planning cycle and monitoring and evaluation processes, through scheduling and minuting meetings, and assisting with the preparation and submission of completed annual plans.
• Participate in team and other internal meetings or working groups.

Programme management and partner support:

• Provide logistical, financial and administrative support to programmes of the full range of activities undertaken by the programme, including arranging travel, visas, accommodation and other tasks required to organise meetings and workshops. Prepare event materials, participant packages and equipment; participate in events, take notes and produce reports of events where needed.
• Assist the Project Manager and other team members in producing and regularly updating project management documentation, including Partnership Agreements, workplans, budgets, transfer schedules, financial and narrative reporting forms, consultant contracts and associated Terms of Reference.
• Provide support and advice to partner organisations (in person, by phone/Skype and by email) implementing activities that support programme outcomes.
• Support the programme with specific research projects, conducting desk research related to programme activities and ad hoc research for fundraising proposals.
• Keep informed of political, social, economic and security developments within and affecting the various regions where Conciliation Resources is operating.
• Support the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the programme, including collecting data from programme partners and contributing to regular narrative reports on activities and impact (donor reports and quarterly reports to the Executive Management Team and Board).
• Draft contracts for consultants and other service providers, and supervise occasional volunteers and consultants as required, including ensuring that consultants and volunteers adhere to Conciliation Resources’ security and safeguarding policy and guidelines when working and travelling in all regions.
• As requested support additional programme or department meetings including participating in and support information sharing meetings with relevant teams across Conciliation Resources.
• Participate in monthly line management meetings and regular performance appraisals, and keep HR information system up to date.
• Comply with internal information management systems, including entering data on the Monitoring and Reporting System to ensure we are monitoring our activity and impact. Handle information inline with Conciliation Resources' Data Protection and Privacy Policy and other relevant policies. Input contacts and information onto our databases, helping to maintain efficient electronic and paper filing systems, and organisation-wide administrative systems.

Policy and analysis:

• Support learning in relation to the programme’s work, to enhance the effectiveness and impact of the programme, develop Conciliation Resources’ practice and help communicate impact and lessons.
• Engage in programme and organisational learning, through programme reviews, regular monitoring and evaluation at key points, as well as contributing to organisation learning events (including short downloads, brownbag lunches, organisational retreats and other activities).

Representation and networking:

• Work with our Communications team and the Project Manager to develop communications material related to Conciliation Resources work, including updating relevant programme and impact sections of the Conciliation Resources website and the intranet.
• Contribute to Conciliation Resources’ information systems: updating relevant programme and impact sections of the Conciliation Resources website (in liaison with the Communications Manager) and intranet (the Hub); uploading photographs to the electronic photo library, entering information into Conciliation Resources’ Contacts Database, and handle
• Collate, draft text for reports and proof-read reports and publications.

Financial management and fundraising:

• Support the timely and accurate processing of financial transactions for the programme. Process invoices and expenses claims from project staff, consultants and service providers, following Conciliation Resources’ financial management procedures. Prepare and process programme staff’s financial trip reports, transfer requests, travel advance requests and other programme expenditure documents, ensuring appropriate coding and in liaison with the Finance team.
• Assist in programme budget monitoring and reporting, including processing partner and project financial reports and (in conjunction with the Finance team) preparing expenditure reports for donors.
• Assist partners to compile budgets and financial reports based on templates and submit these for approval by the Project Manager, liaising with the Finance team and partners to resolve issues. Ensure partner transactions are properly coded and recorded, and that all necessary supporting documents are filed appropriately, electronically and/or in hard copy. Provide support and training to partners to enhance their understanding of our financial processes, delivered remotely or in-country.
• Support the Project Manager with programmatic financial management including monitoring and ensuring appropriate sign off of expenditure.
• Attend monthly programme finance meetings and provide accurate and timely financial information as required.
• Ensure procurement of services is carried out in an appropriate manner adhering to Conciliation Resources’ Procurement Policy covering such areas as consultants, proofreading and copy editing, translators and the translation of programme related materials.
• Support programme and cross-programmes fundraising efforts when requested by the Project Manager or Director of Programmes, including coordinating input and editing financial and narrative submissions, drafting budgets and narrative text.

Personnel management:

• Ensure they and consultants adhere to Conciliation Resources’ security and safeguarding policies and guidelines when working, and particularly when travelling to Papua New Guinea. Be mindful of and plan around the security implications for partners of engaging with Conciliation Resources.

Other:

• Perform additional tasks, consistent with the skills and expertise of the post-holder, as requested by the Project Manager or Director of Programmes.
• Apply our core values to all work and develop them within the organisation, including through signing and adhering to Conciliation Resources’ Code of Conduct.

Essential knowledge, skills and experience

• Experience of working in an administrative and support position to a team.
• Strong organisational skills including planning, developing, implementing and maintaining administrative systems.
• Understanding of and interest in peacebuilding and conflict transformation processes.
• Knowledge of and interest in Papua New Guinea.
• Experience supporting financial management including experience preparing budgets, monitoring organisational and partner expenditure and supporting financial reporting.
• Experience remotely supporting partners on the successful joint delivery of work.
• Experience of supporting monitoring, evaluation and reporting of projects.
• Experience of revising and contributing to the drafting of substantive reports.
• Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment.
• Appreciation of issues of confidentiality, and cross-cultural and political sensitivity.
• Willingness to work irregular hours occasionally and to undertake some international travel.
• Strong commitment to, and experience of, team and cross-organisational working.
• Initiative, enthusiasm and a problem-solving approach to new challenges.
• Graduate study or local equivalent or equivalent by experience in conflict resolution, international relations, development studies, international humanitarian law, peace and security.
• Ability and willingness to travel to Papua New Guinea, and experience of hostile environment training or willingness to undertake hostile environment training.

Desirable knowledge, skills and experience

• Spoken or written Tok Pisin
• Experience of undertaking supervised research work.

Other role requirements:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office software packages, databases, email, internet.
• Experience of working with databases, handling diverse sources of information and maintaining accessible filing systems.

How to Apply

Please download the Application Form and Application Statement from https://www.c-r.org/jobs/programme-officer-papua-new-guinea.

Please click 'Apply Now' to submit your application.

A Position description is attached to this advertisement. Please do not send your CV or resume at this stage.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which include national police checks. Please be advised that it is a requirement for all our staff to submit their COVID-19 vaccination proof.

If you have specific questions regarding the role, please contact [email protected] using the subject line: Programme Officer, Papua New Guinea - Melbourne Based enquiry via EthicalJobs.

We thank you for your interest in the role and our organisation, however only those applicants shortlisted will be contacted.