Rural Livelihoods Advisor at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

Type of role: Business, management and IT
Start Date: As soon as role is filled

Role Overview

• You will provide support to the resilient livelihoods globally dispersed team of staff and volunteers to identify, test, and document new and promising practices across VSO’s Rural Livelihoods programmes, specifically in Nigeria, but also in Cambodia and other countries in Africa and Asia that have Resilient Rural Livelihoods programme activities
• The overall aim of the position is to support improvement in the quality and impact of VSO’s Resilient Rural Livelihoods programmes globally to enable VSO to document, replicate and expand effective approaches, with the aim of helping more of the world’s poor and marginalized people to achieve their livelihood aspirations.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Master's Degree in Development Studies, Agriculture or other relevant qualification, or equivalent experience
• Extensive experience and knowledge of innovations in assets and capabilities enhancement in rural livelihoods programming, especially on-farm and off-farm; enterprise development; market-led approaches.
• Proven experience of securing external funding and grants, including proposal development. Evidence of understanding the challenges of donor and contract management and the implications for programme management.
• Proven experience in financial management, including building a budget, monitoring and managing expenditure. Experience of having compiled financial reports.
• Excellent understanding and demonstrated experience of project cycle management, organisational assessment, planning and M&E tools and processes.
• Experience of compiling donor reports.
• Leadership and people management skills; including handling complex situations to an effective conclusion; experience of developing, coaching and managing high performing teams.
• Self-motivated, ability to use own initiative, flexibility.
• Strong representation and negotiation skills; ability to negotiate and maintain relations with external stakeholders.
• Oral and written fluency in English, with ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.
• Able to travel, including work away from the home base for up to 30% of time, both within the country and occasionally internationally with some weekend and evening work.
• Excellent coordination and planning skills with experience of working under pressure. Time management skills.

Competencies and Behaviour
At VSO we believe progress is only possible by working together. Whether you want to join us as an employee, or as a volunteer working in your own country, overseas or online, our selection process includes an assessment based on these core competencies:

• Ability to be open minded and respectful
• Ability to be resilient and adaptive to new situations
• Ability to facilitate positive change and build sustainable working relationships
• Ability to seek and share knowledge

Equal Opportunities

• VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

Allowance

• As a VSO volunteer, you will be sharing your skills with local communities on a full time basis. VSO will cover your travel, vaccinations, accommodation, and medical insurance costs, along with a local living allowance which will be paid in local currency
• This allowance meets reasonable living expenses in country, but will not be enough to send money home. You will also receive some financial support to contribute to your on-going expenses at home.

Accommodation

• VSO works with some of the poorest communities in the world which means accommodation varies and will be basic.

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Type of role: Business, management and IT
Start Date: As soon as role is filled

Role Overview

• You will provide support to the resilient livelihoods globally dispersed team of staff and volunteers to identify, test, and document new and promising practices across VSO’s Rural Livelihoods programmes, specifically in Nigeria, but also in Cambodia and other countries in Africa and Asia that have Resilient Rural Livelihoods programme activities
• The overall aim of the position is to support improvement in the quality and impact of VSO’s Resilient Rural Livelihoods programmes globally to enable VSO to document, replicate and expand effective approaches, with the aim of helping more of the world’s poor and marginalized people to achieve their livelihood aspirations.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Master's Degree in Development Studies, Agriculture or other relevant qualification, or equivalent experience
• Extensive experience and knowledge of innovations in assets and capabilities enhancement in rural livelihoods programming, especially on-farm and off-farm; enterprise development; market-led approaches.
• Proven experience of securing external funding and grants, including proposal development. Evidence of understanding the challenges of donor and contract management and the implications for programme management.
• Proven experience in financial management, including building a budget, monitoring and managing expenditure. Experience of having compiled financial reports.
• Excellent understanding and demonstrated experience of project cycle management, organisational assessment, planning and M&E tools and processes.
• Experience of compiling donor reports.
• Leadership and people management skills; including handling complex situations to an effective conclusion; experience of developing, coaching and managing high performing teams.
• Self-motivated, ability to use own initiative, flexibility.
• Strong representation and negotiation skills; ability to negotiate and maintain relations with external stakeholders.
• Oral and written fluency in English, with ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences.
• Able to travel, including work away from the home base for up to 30% of time, both within the country and occasionally internationally with some weekend and evening work.
• Excellent coordination and planning skills with experience of working under pressure. Time management skills.

Competencies and Behaviour
At VSO we believe progress is only possible by working together. Whether you want to join us as an employee, or as a volunteer working in your own country, overseas or online, our selection process includes an assessment based on these core competencies:

• Ability to be open minded and respectful
• Ability to be resilient and adaptive to new situations
• Ability to facilitate positive change and build sustainable working relationships
• Ability to seek and share knowledge

Equal Opportunities

• VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

Allowance

• As a VSO volunteer, you will be sharing your skills with local communities on a full time basis. VSO will cover your travel, vaccinations, accommodation, and medical insurance costs, along with a local living allowance which will be paid in local currency
• This allowance meets reasonable living expenses in country, but will not be enough to send money home. You will also receive some financial support to contribute to your on-going expenses at home.

Accommodation

• VSO works with some of the poorest communities in the world which means accommodation varies and will be basic.