Regional Grants Officer (VSI) - Laos

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. The organisation works alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. 

Since its creation in 1982, HI has run development programmes in more than 60 countries and responded to numerous emergencies. Today, we have a budget of approximately 255 million euros, with 4794 employees worldwide. 

At Handicap International-Humanity & Inclusion, we truly believe in the importance of inclusion and diversity within our organisation. This is why we are engaged to a disability policy to encourage the inclusion and integration of people with disabilities. 

Please indicate if you require any special accommodation, even at the first interview. For more information about the organisation: www.hi.org 

JOB CONTEXT:  
The South East Asia region is characterized by its size, the diversity of its contexts, and above all, by its cultural and linguistic heterogeneity (7 major languages and more than 500 local languages). This is the region of birth of HI and our activities are still largely traditional, with a dominant in Inclusion (42% of the 2021 budget volume), Rehabilitation (19%), and Mine Action (15%). The region encompasses a wide variety of humanitarian contexts, ranging from the civil war in Myanmar, to support to the Vietnamese government in the development of an international standard of rehabilitation services, or to emergency responses to climate-related disasters in the Philippines.  

The regional office is in Vientiane (Laos). In March 2023, the decision was taken to merge the Myanmar/Thailand program into the Mekong program and the Philippines (joined in January 2023) to finalize the integration of the Regional Direction and Geographic Direction. The merge should be completed by January 2025 at the latest. The Regional Program Development Officer will support all the countries within the South East Asia region.  

YOUR MISSION:  

Mission 1 : Contribute to the quality of project design narratives and reporting - Support with the development of quality proposals and concept notes in compliance with donor regulations and internal technical processes, in collaboration with the Project managers, Business Development Specialist, Operations Manager, and Finance/HR/Logistics departments and IPO - Coordinate the project reporting phases:  

• Draw up retro-plannings for each report, collaborating with the different departments involved (operations, finance, logistics, technical unit, security, HR and MEAL, headquarters and national association)  

• Contribute to the smooth coordination between Project Managers, Area Managers, Operations Managers and Country Managers, Global Specialists and the Operations Manager for the compilation of narrative report contributions and in the monitoring of donor contracts (a monitoring tool, used at the level of the geographical directorate, should be adapted)  

• Ensure coordination with shared services to ensure overall consistency of narrative and financial reports and completeness of annexes  

• Ensure compilation of narrative versions for selected regional and consortium projects - Proofread reports to ensure quality control and compliance with donor requirements and procedures  

• Ensure that concept notes, project proposals, and narrative reports (including logical framework and timeline) are submitted on time and following donor procedures  

• Regularly update grant information & donors’ relations on the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform (currently under development)  

Mission 2: Donor Compliance  

• Support the team on contractual issues and link with headquarters / partners: contracting process with partners and questions on donor rules, in line with HQ compliance and risk unit and IPOs (if relevant)  

• Organize Grant Opening and Grant Closing Meetings for all relevant staff members / departments to ensure coherence in the understanding of the grant design across departments and bases, as well as to promote the sharing of achievements and lessons learned  

• Ensure regular communication and coordination with relevant IPSO and IPOs in NAs, Operations and Compliance, and risk manager at HQ level for all updates on donor rules, regulations, and strategies or possible fraud cases or violations of donor guidelines that occurred.  

• Responsible under the PD management to manage any dispute with donors on the grants followed, to mobilize HQ unit concerned (Financial controller, Institutional funding compliance & risks Manager, IPO) 

Mission 3: Capacity building in reporting and project design  

• Organize training and support capacity building for all field staff members of the organization and HI partners’ staff on program development and reporting, as well as on HI’s program-specific documentation  

• Facilitate the knowledge of field staff of the DFI Hinside spaces  

• Regularly visit field offices in order to work directly with program staff on the project implementation and to maintain an in-depth understanding of HI’s program activities and operations context - Raise compliance issues proactively with program staff and head of departments.  

• Archive document donor feedback and adapt reporting accordingly 

Mission 4: Assist the team in institutional communication and donor relations  

• Support in the development of internal and external communication materials (sitreps, factsheets, etc.)  

• Propose internal information channels and tools  

• Structure and share information for dissemination to the HQ, partners, coordination forums (newsletters, presentations, videos…)  

• Support the Regional Business Development Specialist in the analysis of the changes in donor strategies followed by the program (funding strategies, funding areas, positioning notes, etc.). List all funding partners (institutional or private) in the country  

• Support the Program Unit Manager in the organization of field visits and accompany field visits when necessary 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITION: 

The living conditions in Laos remain quite good with reliable transportation infrastructure, health services, and housing in the capital area. 

• Master’s degree in the following or related field: humanitarian management, development, international relations 

• First professional experience in the sector with HI  

• Experience in writing proposals/reports 

• Demonstrated experience in coordinating and preparing quality narrative and financial reports for a variety of donors 

• Reactivity, anticipation, adaptability, capacity to take initiative 

• Ability to classify and manage priorities 

• Listening and diplomacy skills 

• Knowledge of Windows environment and excellent experience with Microsoft Office. 

At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission. https://hi.org/en/join-the-team 

• 12 months Volontariat de Solidarité Internationale (VSI) contract starting from 25th, November 2024; 

• The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation: 

• Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals; 

• Pension scheme; 

• Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution; 

• Repatriation insurance paid by HI; 

• Perdiem: 491,89€ net/month - paid in the field  

• Paid leaves: 25 days per year; 

• Position: Unaccompanied 

• Housing: Individual taken in charge by HI; 

• If you are resident in the country: local package.