The Program Officer is responsible for coordinating programmatic work in the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), including (a) carrying out operational and thematic research to inform internal and external engagements and decision-making process of the Executive Secretary (ES); (b) responding to official correspondence, requests submitted for the Executive Secretary’s consideration and engagement with partners, and (c) supporting the preparation of reports, budgets, business plans and work of various committees and the secretariat to the Boards (Executive Board and Board of Governors) and organization of major events.

A. Duties and Responsibilities

i) Operational and thematic research

1. Conduct research in support of the ES’s engagements to gather background information on events, develop for the ES talking points articulating strategic interest of the engagement for ACBF as well as ACBF’s position on the subject matter of the engagement;

2. Identify people/institutions the Executive Secretary will engage during these events, conduct background research on them and assist in developing talking points on possible avenues for result-oriented partnership for ACBF

3. In consultation with the Operations and the Knowledge, Monitoring and Evaluation Departments, support research on the themes of high level forums organized by ACBF or to which the ES  is a resource person.

ii) Coordinating responses to requests addressed to the OES and engagement with partners

1. Support the OES in organizing, coordinating and monitoring the flow of work within the Executive Secretary’s office, including the facilitation of interactions with the various departments, as well as the Executive Secretary’s interactions with key partners and stakeholders, bringing to his attention critical issues requiring his attention in a timely manner.

2. Support the coordination of the ES’s official engagements, keeping track of important events and meetings requiring the ES’s participation, managing the timely preparation of background papers as well as speeches and presentations to be delivered by the ES.

3. Support the OES in organizing Town Halls and Management Meetings by collecting agenda items from Departments, ensuring timely circulation of relevant documents; taking minutes of meetings; developing and monitoring the necessary matrices of actions.

iii) Support the preparation of reports, business plans and engagement with committees and boards

1. Support the OES in the preparation and implementation of the strategic medium-term plan and the annual business plans; develop and maintain a dashboard on the implementation of the Business Plan; report monthly on the status of this implementation to allow the ES’s decision-making process.

2. Participate in the activities of the Project Review Committee (PRC) and keep track of recommendations submitted for the Executive Secretary’s attention.

3. Support the preparations for the annual meetings of the Boards of Governors and quarterly meetings of the Executive Board as well as other special meetings and major events.

4. Assist in coordinating and monitoring the finalization and timely dispatch of all supporting materials to be attached to the agendas of meetings of the Executive Board and Board of Governors.

5. Support in providing secretarial services to the Board in liaison with the Legal Counsel and Administrative Assistant; this includes preparation of the transcription of Board deliberations, summaries of Board decisions and committee reports; monitoring implementation of the decisions by the relevant departments /organizational units.

6. Undertake other program initiatives and/or any other assignment delegated by Supervisors

B. Desired Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

• Education: Advanced degree (doctorate or masters’) in public or business administration, economics, law, international development or related social sciences field from a recognized institution.
• Prior Work Experience: A minimum of six years of experience in in a similar position preferably with an international organisation. Previous work experience with international development programs or government is highly desirable.
• Language proficiency: Fluency in English; knowledge of French will be an advantage.

C. Competencies:

Core Competencies

• Planning and organizing
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Communication
• Respect for organizational, intercultural and ethical values
• Learning and Innovation

D. Functional Competencies

• Strong conceptual and analytical mind augmented by strong research skills coupled with technical knowledge on international economic and development issues. Demonstrated ability to obtain, evaluate and interpret data, and to prepare precise, accurate and complete reports.
• Ability to perform across sectors/Departments in response to organizational needs and requirements.

• Excellent, oral, writing and presentation skills with ability of communicating and presenting information in a clear, concise, well-structured and organized manner to the audience.
• Takes personal responsibility and accountability for timely response to client queries, requests or needs, working to remove obstacles that may impede execution or overall success.
• Takes personal ownership and accountability to meet deadlines and achieve agreed-upon results, and has the personal organization to do so.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications, quoting the reference “Program Officer – OES/20/16,” including curriculum vitae with three (3) referees should be received at the address below by 07 December  2016.

The Executive Secretary

The African Capacity Building Foundation

P.O. Box 1562

HARARE, Zimbabwe

E-mail:  Recruitment@acbf-pact.org

Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. The Executive Secretary reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

ACBF is a smoke-free environment.