Programmes Officer

Job Description & Person Specification

Programmes Officer

Salary: £23,000 – £27,000 per annum

Contract: Permanent Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week

Location: Manchester, M14

Reports to: Programmes Manager

Closing Date: Rolling (Interviews to be conducted on a rolling basis)

About READ Foundation

READ Foundation is a UK based registered charity working to create school places for children living in poverty in the developing world.

We create opportunities for orphan and needy children to go to school to gain an education and build a better life for themselves. We do this by renovating old dilapidated schools or constructing entirely new ones from the ground up, as well as offering full scholarships to orphan children and subsidised fees to children from low-income families.

We created our first school in 1994 with a single classroom of 25 children, while as of this academic year we are now running 382 schools, in which 103,790 children study, almost 10% of whom are orphaned by father or both parents. However, with a global shortage of classrooms in the millions, there is still much to do to achieve universal education.

Purpose of Job

The Programmes Officer will support the Programmes Co-ordinator and Programmes Manager in administering READ’s portfolio of education projects across the globe. The role holder’s primarily role will be to ensure effective project management and administration of READ’s educational projects globally.

Main Responsibilities

Included but not limited to;

• Project administration

Administration and reporting

• Ensure efficient document management, including storing of all project information and supporting documents.
• Critically review concept notes and proposals from partner organisations and vet according to key requirements such as implementation quality, value for money, impact etc.
• Effective communication between field offices/partners and the HQ to ensure up to date information is available on the status of READ projects.
• Work with READ’s orphan sponsorship team, to provide inputs from a child welfare and safeguarding perspective. Some follow up will be required for reporting from field offices and partners.
• Ensure effective communication of project outcomes and deliverables to the Marketing department through case studies, videos etc.
• Provide administrative support to READ fields offices globally.

Contract management support

• Contribute to writing concept notes and proposals in coordination with the partnerships coordinator.
• Effectively manage project-related donor queries through swift and efficient communication, in coordination with the programmes partnership officer.
• Oversee logistical support with the Programmes coordinator and HR to ensure processes are developed and abided to for field trips (internal or external).

Risk management

• Administer and follow up on READ’s partner due diligence framework with selected organisations.
• Establish an effective culture of risk management across the organisation (both at HQ and field office level).
• Work closely with the finance team to ensure effective governance across the whole project lifecycle.

Company benefits

The position also comes with the following benefits:

1. 32 days annual leave (including Bank Holidays and company-wide holidays)

2. Awards for employee of the year

3. Paid time off for bereavement, sick days and medical appointments

4. Investment in training, professional growth and development

5. Occupational Pension Scheme

6. Hybrid working options available (some days working remotely can be discussed at time of interview)

READ Foundation is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work, along with encouraging a healthy work life balance.