About the organisation:
SEED Madagascar is a British Charity working in partnership with communities in the south east of Madagascar. We integrate high quality community health, sustainable livelihoods, education infrastructure and conservation programmes to support long term, sustainable change and add to international best practice through research and publication across all of our programmatic areas. We are now looking for entry level officers and managers to work alongside national staff and expand our team.
Position Overview:
The role of Volunteer Coordination and Logistics Officer offers the right candidate a unique and exciting opportunity to work across both office and field environments providing planning, logisticaland pastoral support to all of SEED Madagascar’s international staff and volunteers. The officer will work alongside both local and International staff based in the town of Fort Dauphin, and also spend some time in the field in basic rural conditions in the beautiful area of Anosy, southeast Madagascar.
The role of the officer is key in supporting both International staff members who come to SEED for twelve months and to ensure the smooth functioning of SEEDs short term programmes, acting as a key liaison between project and volunteering teams both in the field and the office base. An internship for the first three months before taking on the full responsibility for the post this exciting post would suit someone with some experience or a passion to learn.
Title: Volunteer Coordination and Logistics Intern for initial 3 months, change of title and responsibilities to Officer subject to passing probationary review.
Contract type: One year, voluntary post for the full 12 months (food and transport paid in the field)
Job type: Office based with around 15% time spent in the field
Location: Anosy Region, Madagascar
Reporting to: International Operations Manager
Duties and responsibilities:
International Staff:
- Providing pre-departure logistical support and advice with visas, hotels, flights, accommodation, medication etc.
- Leading on the management and tracking of all logistics for incoming international staff
- Leading on supporting International staff during their initial time with SEED including airport pick up, orientation, social inclusion, housing and any other issues
- Supporting international staff with ongoing logistical issues, such as visa renewals, sickness, and housing
- Assisting with the recruitment of International staff, including primary responsibility for managing the advertisement of vacancies
- Maintaining all long term volunteer databases
- Responsibility for reviewing and updating procedures and documentation relating to the on-boarding of international staff
- Work alongside line managers to smoothly integrate new members into the team
- Completing ad hoc tasks related to logistics and communications as needed by International Operations Manager
Short-term Volunteers:
- Working alongside the London and Madagascar based teams to provide support to volunteers prior to coming to Madagascar
- Supporting welcome talks, orientation talks and activity briefings to ensure volunteers are fully informed about project work, local culture etc.
- Maintaining, reviewing and updating all volunteering information includingorientation guide, orientation talks and all documentation in the coordinator’s file
- Leading on social media content for the volunteering programme including volunteer blog and collation of photographs and video
- Working alongside London team in promoting and marketing the volunteering programme
- Leading on logistics and support for student groups both pre arrival and whilst in the field
- Lead on the collection, analysis and dissemination of feedback from the volunteer programme
- Ensuring all handbooks, procedures and risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated
- Supporting volunteers to settle in and work in the field placements to ensure successful communication between volunteers, project teams, guides Acting as a liaison between field-based and office-based volunteer teams, coordinating and assisting with all logistics, responding to all issues that arise in the field
- Liaising with Research Team to ensure support and care is provided to manage and maintain the physical and psychological welfare of volunteers
- Providing guidance and intervention to ensure all staff and volunteers act in a positive culturally and environmentally sensitive way
Person Specification:
- Experience of volunteering, abroad or in a developing country is desirable
- Have excellent communication skills
- Have excellent MS office skills and be comfortable using G-suite programmes
- Be fluent in English, although French language is not required, it would be an advantage
- Be patient and understanding when dealing with concerns
- Be comfortable living and working in rural, basic conditions when in the field
- Have the ability and desire to build capacity across cultures, working with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds and across multiple language barriers
- Possess an open mind and the ability to form good relationships both internally and externally with a variety of social groups, including excellent listening and verbal communication skills and a flexible and patient attitude
- Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to SEED’s ethos and approach and be a good ambassador for the organisation at all times
- Be able to work to and advocate for all of SEEDs policies and procedures, safeguarding those that SEED works with and reporting any concerns appropriately
- Demonstrate the ability, social skills and confidence to give clear guidance and support to other members of the team in respect of the philosophy and procedures of SEED in order to protect both their safety and the reputation of the NGO
- Be punctual and be able to work to tight deadlines in an organised manner and to a high standard
- Be able to work both independently and as part of a team
- Have passion, curiosity and motivation for the job while working in an honest and trustworthy manner.
Practicalities:
- Be able to financially support yourself for the duration of the contract
- Hold a first aid certificate
- Have a clear DBS check
- Have a suitable laptop computer and tent
Application procedure:
Interested applicants should send a CV and a cover letter outlining how their skills and experience match the requirements in the role description criteria and detailing why they wish to be considered for this post to Ellie Kearns by email on [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Long-listed applicants will have an initial informal chat with Madagascar based staff and short listed applicants will then be offered a face-to- face interview with the London team in person.
More Information
- Job City Madagascar