Programme Officer: School Building and Learning Environment

SAIGONCHILDREN – ORGANISATION PROFILE

Saigonchildren is a UK-registered charity working exclusively in Vietnam, our mission is to remove barriers to education in Vietnam. Education is the most sustainable and effective way we can help children and their families to escape from the cycle of poverty. It represents an investment in the children and in the future of Vietnam. Everything we do helps children and young people learn and stay in education for longer, significantly improving life for themselves and their families through greater earnings and improved security. We do that through our main programmes: school building, scholarships, vocational support, and special needs education. Each day tens of thousands of children go to study in a public school built by saigonchildren - from the far south to the far north of Vietnam. We also award educational and vocational training scholarships to children for whom family poverty would otherwise prevent them from continuing in education. We also run Vietnam's leading autism education initiative and support many more special needs education projects for children with challenges including cerebral palsy, sight loss, and congenital birth defects. Our School Building and Learning Environment programme aims to build ten schools every year. Our schools are mainly primary schools and kindergartens in rural areas, often serving a significant proportion of ethnic minority children. In addition to school construction, saigonchildren also focuses on improving school sanitation, building a sustainable learning environment, and increasing local community capabilities through training and communication activities School Building and Learning Environment Department Structure: School Building and Learning Environment Programme Manager School Building and Learning Environment Programme Officer

JOB DESCRIPTION

1. Position: School Building and Learning Environment Programme Officer 2. Reports to: School Building and Learning Environment Program Manager 3. Roles and responsibilities: Within their role, the Project Officer is responsible for implementing the programme activities, in cooperation with local authorities, to ensure the activities comply with the strategic plan (5 years) and annual plans. The Project Officer is also responsible for working alongside the saigonchildren Fundraising & Communications team to ensure that existing donors are supported, and new donor proposals can be put together quickly and to a high standard. Saigonchildren requires all members of staff to be flexible in their working. Saigonchildren does not usually work on Saturdays and Sundays but there may be occasions when weekend work is required. This job is based in Ho Chi Minh City but requires extensive travel to the provinces and the occasional overnight stay.

Main Responsibilities:

General

● Responsible for administrative work of the programme, including drafting letters, reports, MOU, proposals, data filing and programme-related database management, translation, etc.; ● Assist the School Building Programme Manager in creating and presenting training sessions for communities; ● Assist the School Building Programme Manager in monitoring and supervision of construction work as required; ● Coordinate the equipment projects; ● Support the School Building Programme Manager and Fundraising & Communications Department in building relationships with donors;

Detailed

● Draft programme-related documents and manage the data filing in soft and hard copies. Regularly share and update information related to the programme for reports or social media means as required; ● Immediately update new information related to donors and partners onto SCC’s database; ● Regularly update progress of the projects and send project completion reports to the School Building Programme Manager as the projects are completed. Prepare and send the necessary stakeholder reports. ● Coordinate with local partners to plan for training sessions in project areas; fix agenda, prepare logistics (location and materials) and invite guest speakers (if required) for meetings or training; ● Coordinate with local partners to prepare for the visit of the guests/donors, or the groundbreaking/opening ceremonies; ● With support from the School Building Programme Manager, actively establish and maintain positive and effective relationships with saigonchildren’s national, provincial or local partners, people, parents, and children. Integrate them into the management and implementation of the programme as much as possible; build capacity and devolve responsibility to them where appropriate. ● Support the School Building Programme Manager to monitor and push up the implementation progress of the projects to ensure the projects are implemented according to the timelines agreed with donors; ● Coordinate with independent monitoring engineers and Community Management Unit (CMU) to monitor and supervise the quality of the school buildings; ● Monitor the quality, maintenance, and use of buildings supported by saigonchildren through regular visits; understand the need for further development of these schools and plan for further support when applicable; ● Coordinate with the School Building Programme Manager and Communications Department to build effective relationships with donors; ● Coordinate volunteer activities for construction projects or learning environment improvement projects when requested of donors; ● Participate in the process of planning, budgeting, monitoring, supervision and evaluation of the programme; ● Coordinate the implementation of equipment projects and minor repairs for schools previously built by saigonchildren; ● Implement other special tasks given by the School Building Programme Manager for the benefit of the children, the programme or saigonchildren. ● Monitor and update the 5-year strategic plan and annual plan for the programme. ● Develop and maintain effective stakeholder relationships. ● Suggest innovations and new approaches to improve the programme, and better support our children and communities.

EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Required:

● Must be a Vietnamese citizen; ● University degree or appropriate vocational qualification; ● Proficiency in written and spoken English; ● Proficiency in using computer and Microsoft office; ● Ability to travel regularly; ● Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness; ● Dedicated and skillful in communication, particularly in working with local authorities and children; ● Creative, dynamic, and eager to learn new things, strong organisational ability; not afraid to raise ideas to improve the work;

Desirable:

● Experience working in national or international non-governmental organisations ● Have a strong work ethic and require minimal direction ● Have strong teamwork spirit and good teamwork skills

Working place: 59 Tran Quoc Thao Street, Ward 7, District 3, HCMC

Deadline: Please submit resume and cover letter to Ms. Kim Phung at phung@saigonchildren.com by 13th January 2021.

We thank all applicants but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.