Proposal Writer and Liaison Officer Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V.

Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. is a German Christian non-governmental organisation, dedicated to excellence in the field of first aid, ambulance service, social service programmes and other projects in the medical and social field. The Federal Headquarters are based in Berlin, Germany.

Johanniter International Assistance

Johanniter International Assistance is the department for development co-operation and Emergency assistance, implementing and supporting mostly health projects world wide. (www.thejohanniter.de)

Project Description

Johanniter International Assistance is currently running humanitarian and development programs in the field of PHC, WASH, Nutrition and Livelihood in 6 African countries, coordinated by 5 Country Offices (in Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, DR Congo and Zimbabwe) and 1 Regional Office (in Kenya), as well as supporting further partner projects in some other countries. These programs and projects are funded partly by public donors (German, EU, UN and other donors) partly by private donations. The funding proposals are developed by the Country Teams supported by the Regional Office in Nairobi and the Desk in Berlin. The Regional Office also supports the liaison work with donors, be it in Nairobi, in the region or by organizing donor visits from Europe or elsewhere.

Job Description

The Proposal Writer and Liaison Officer will – on demand by the Africa Desk - support the acquisition of donor funds. Depending on the needs, this support may include leading the project planning workshop, writing or finalizing the concept note or the proposal itself, and liaising with the donor organization. The job may also include training Johanniter staff on donor guidelines and proposal writing, be it in Nairobi or one of the country offices. As this post is a “pilot activity”, the job description has some flexibility and additional tasks, as below described, may be assigned.

The Proposal Writer and Liaison Officer will be

• reporting to: Head of Africa Desk (in Berlin)
• reporting to: Regional Coordinator (in Nairobi) for office and team house coordination and security
• working with: Teams in various African countries (including Kenya), Desk Officers and Technical Advisors in Berlin.

Job Responsibilities

On demand by the Africa Desk:

• Liaise with donor organizations, especially ECHO, EU Delegations, UN organizations, USAID, DFID, SIDA, CIDA, AFD etc. in their regional offices in Nairobi, their headquarters, country offices or through the respective Embassies; Represent Johanniter towards them, inform them about Johanniter’s unique selling points, competencies and activities; invite them to visit Johanniter projects and events and accompany them; inform the country teams about relevant calls for proposals, new donor policies etc.
• Travel to Country Offices to lead or support project planning workshops
• Write or proofread or finalize concept notes or proposals (including budgets, logframes etc.) ensuring that they are in line with donor guidelines, Johanniter guidelines and international standards
• Possibly write or proofread or finalize project reports to donors
• Support donor evaluations and audits
• Draft overview of funding options for Johanniter Country Strategies
• Possibly train Johanniter staff on donor guidelines and proposal writing, be it in Nairobi or one of the country offices
• Exchange with regional offices of other INGOs on possible joint programs and consortia proposals
• Possibly support Country Offices in other tasks
• Maintain regular communication with the Regional Coordinator, the Desk in Berlin and the Country
  Directors.

Peson Specification

Profession/Qualification:

The Proposal Writer and Liaison Officer needs to hold a University Degree in international politics, international law, development sociology or a related field.

Experience:

• 3 years working experience in project coordination, including financial management, in humanitarian aid and/or development contexts, preferably in the health field in Africa
• Proven track record in successful acquisition of donor funding, especially with ECHO, EuropeAid, DFID and USAID
• Experience as trainer and workshop moderator.

Skills:

• Profound knowledge of donor guidelines, especially from ECHO and EuropeAid, and international standards in the humanitarian and development field
• Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation, representation and networking skills
• Fluency in English and French required, German a strong asset
• Experience with project budgeting
• Strong analytical skills
• Project Cycle Management skills
• Training skills
• Cultural sensitivity
• Stress management
• Proven ability to work independently but also closely with the team
• Prepared to travel to country offices, also in unstable countries.

Terms and Conditions

• Duration: 1 year contract with possible extension
• Start of contract 1st of November, 2012
• Remuneration: Salary according to Johanniter tariff system Per Diem according to the German Federal Travel Expense Law (currently 30 EUR per day in Kenya).

How to apply: 

Applications (including cover letter, CV of max. 4 pages, and contact details of 3 former supervisors for references) for this position should be sent to staff@johanniter.de . Please indicate “Proposal Writer NBI” in the subject line of email.

Only short-listed candidates will be notified.