View Vacancy - Senior Programme Officer, Caribbean CSSF, Kingston, Jamaica
Main purpose of job
The Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) in the Caribbean is a £3.8 million cross-government programme designed to assist Caribbean countries to better tackle Serious Organised Crime threats to their security and stability, as well as deliver the UK’s own strategic aims in the region.
As part of a small regionally-focussed team you will be leading on key aspects of the programme management, acting as a focal point for planning and governance across the region, being responsible for the development and approval of project and programme plans, ensuring that the plans are coherent and contributing to the delivery of the UK’s Caribbean strategy.
You will be responsible for all aspects of preparing, organising and supporting the main regional governance board, the Caribbean CSSF Management Board (CCMB). You will also manage the good governance of the programme, ensuring that the Board is well informed about impact, risk and spending, and that systems are in place to provide assurance on their behalf.
As one of the CSSF’s programme team, you will be (or become) an expert on delivering projects in difficult environments to achieve policy objectives. You will be an expert resource to ensure that the delivery partners and project teams have the knowledge, resources and support they need to deliver HMG’s objectives. You will develop an excellent understanding of UK government financial processes and programme financial planning.
We are now looking for a candidate to join the team who can blend organisation, good programme management, financial skills and an ability to engage with senior HMG staff from many Departments with a healthy dose of common-sense to deliver against challenging timescales and targets. Written and verbal communication is an important factor in this role as the successful candidate will be required to liaise closely with the UK Missions across the region and a variety of UK government department stakeholders in London.
Programme Co-ordination & Support to Head of CSSF, Caribbean
- Assist the Head of the Caribbean CSSF in co-ordinating the day-to-day running of the fund across the region
- Monitoring progress of delivery of the programme, reporting issues and chasing progress on behalf of Head
- support HMG teams in delivering the Caribbean strategy,
- delivering training and team events, generating bids
- planning communications materials to explain the benefits that the CSSF has achieved in the Caribbean
- generate wider and deeper relations across the HMG partners to encourage more efficient delivery and better collaboration
Lead on Planning and Governance for the Caribbean CSSF
- Ensure that the Caribbean CSSF has robust programme and project plans that meet CCMB and CSSF requirements and contribute to the overarching HMG Caribbean Strategy
- Monitor the top-level programme plan and ensure that good governance activities such as Boards, audits and progress reporting take place in a timely fashion
- Liaising with the Americas Programme team to meet London requirements and deadlines
- Robustly challenging teams on value for money and risk assessments to ensure that UK taxpayers money is spend well and according to ODA rules
- Co-ordinating requests, queries, audits from London for programme information.
- Training, mentoring and supporting PAG and project implementing partners to ensure that they can deliver information needed
Secretariat to the CCMB
- Working with the CCMB Chair and Head of CSSF to create an agenda that ensures key decisions are made that are timely and the board is well informed.
- Leading on the management and organisation of the CCMB, ensuring that members receive briefing and papers in good time
- Robustly tracking, chasing and reporting on CCMB actions and decisions
- Reporting to the LSB on risks, providing analysis and recommendations where needed
- Organising venues, communications and briefing materials as needed.
- Policy Programme or Project experience
- Strong financial management skills and at least 2 years’ experience of managing multiple and diverse budgets preferably in a project or programme context.
- 2-4 years’ experience of programme or project management
- Previous exposure to CSSF systems and methods
- IT skills particularly excel; good communication and coordination skills; good administrative skills; Good literacy, numeracy and attention to detail.
**This position is currently available on a fixed-term basis to 31 March 2023. However, subject to confirmation of future funding, it is likely that the position will continue beyond that date. The role is also contingent upon the continuing availability of CSSF programme funds, which are renewed yearly.
Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed)
The CSSF values and promotes training for its staff, with courses that are widely available. Staff are expected to gain and maintain their skills on programme management, gender and conflict sensitivity, project design, risk and financial management and many other disciplines. Lesson sharing and learning from other programmes is encouraged, and staff are able to take part in reviews of other programmes around the world. Travel to prjects around the Caribbean region offers the opportunity to learn first-hand what our projects can do
CSSF staff are also part of the local High Commission team and regular training activities are available here as well, including team building and crisis management exercises.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
