Location:  Yangon, Myanmar

Contract type: Permanent

Salary & Benefits:   $1300 - $2400 per month plus attractive benefits package i.e. 13th month salary, terminal service gratuity in lieu of pension, medical cover for staff, and medical allowance for staff with dependants, 37 annual leave days including public holidays.

Closing date: Tuesday 1st February 2015

Interview date:  w/c 6th February 2015

Introduction to VSO

VSO is the world’s leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. Our high-impact approach brings people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action to change lives and make the world a fairer place. 

It is an exciting time to join VSO in Myanmar with a new startup country programme, team. Since 2013 we have been successfully working with state and non-state partners in the fields of Education, Health and Livelihood. Civil Society strengthening will be strongly integrated, with a particular focus on gender equality. We will work with the most disadvantaged communities, and draw on our unique competencies in different forms of volunteerism and active citizenship. This is a rare opportunity to bring people together and build a programme from the bottom up, deliver ambitious plans for a new programme that will have a significant and lasting impact on the lives of poor people at this pivotal period in Myanmar.

The role

You will lead and deliver a strong programme of civil society strengthening for VSO in Myanmar, with a particular focus on gender equality. The Civil Society programme is currently under development but will involve engagement and support to the government sector as well as civil society. It will be for the post holder working with the team to further develop and realise the Civil Society Programme for VSO in Myanmar. 

Reporting directly to the Country Director, you will be working with the other programme managers. This role includes; 

• Create a strong programme of civil society strengthening in Myanmar, in line with VSO’s global and regional thinking. Support volunteers and partners to achieve placement and ultimately country objectives. 
• Proactively identify and aggressively pursue funding opportunities for programming at scale, maintaining close working relationships with the donor community. Effectively manage grants. 
• Ensure VSO has a positive profile with key stakeholders working in the civil society sector in Myanmar, and strong partnerships to support programming. 
• Partnership development and management, developing relationships with partners in civil society and government and identifying with which partners VSO could collaborate to have impact, representing the organisation in the civil society sector 
• With support from Regional M&E Manager, design and deliver appropriate monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks and processes. Ensure learning results in evidence-based programming and high quality reporting. 
• Work with the programme support team to induct and provide on-going support to International volunteers, ensuring they are set up to support VSO’s objectives and ensuring duty of care commitments are met 
It’s important for you to create a positive volunteer community to work effectively with partners and engage in programme development, implementation, and review. In addition, you will be a role model in resource and risk management in managing the programme team’s human resources and financial resources as well as other programme resources.

The applicant

You will bring with you knowledge, experience and understanding of the civil society sector in Myanmar with proven track record in programme management and influencing at a senior level for development goals. Your technical skills and experience in civil society development; gender and development; or social accountability will be value added. 

You will demonstrate strategic thinking, planning and organisation, and ability to manage a programme in a complex environment. You will have good analytical, problem solving, and financial management skills, and have experience of monitoring and evaluation and donor reporting. You will have excellent communications skill in both local languages and English. In the Myanmar context you will understand influencing policy, networking and have the ability to build relationships at all levels with partners, developing proposals and securing external funding and grants. In addition, you will have good people management skills and work well in a team. You will be committed to VSO’s purpose, values, and to diversity and equality. 

There will be substantial travel for up to 30% of time, both within the country and occasionally internationally and some weekend and evening work. (Time off in lieu of hours worked will be available for additional hours.)

This is a national hired post. You will have the right to work in Myanmar.  We will be unable to provide a work visa to non- Myanmar nationals.

How to apply

To find out more details and apply, please visit our website http://www.vsointernational.org/vso-today/careers-at-vso/how-to-apply/vacancies.asp  using the vacancy search function to find for the employee position “Civil Society Programme Manager, Myanmar” and complete the online application form

 or e-mail ZinMar.Kyin@vsoint.org . The application should detail the reasons you believe you are most suitable candidate for the role and outline your current salary, benefits package and salary expectations.

VSO office, No.146/E-2, Sandar Thiri Lane, 8½Miles, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar

Before you apply, please download and read the job description for full details of the roles and person specification and application guidelines available on our website. 

VSO is committed to a policy of equal opportunities, values inclusion and seeks to have a diverse workforce.

Applications are welcome from people of all origins, ethnicities, religions, gender, age and disability. Every application will be reviewed against the above requirement with the position only.

Due to a high volume of applications, only short listed candidates will be contacted.