LOCATION: OUAGADOUGOU
DURATION OF CONTRACT: TWO YEARS WITH POSSIBILITY OF RENEWAL
DEADLINE: 31ST OCTOBER 2023.
Context
WASCAL (West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use) is a research and education-focused institution designed to provide knowledge and climate services that should help tackle the climate change challenge and thereby enhance the resilience of human and environmental systems. It does so by strengthening the research capacity and infrastructure related to climate change in West Africa by pooling the expertise of ten West African countries and Germany. The West African countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo.
With the support of its technical partner GERICS, WASCAL is implementing the CICLES project (“Customized and Integrated Climate Services for Improved Resilience and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development in West Africa,” BMBF/PT-DLR Grant Contract N# 01LG2292B, 2023-2026.). The overall objective of CICLES at WASCAL is to design, demonstrate, and disseminate CES to support resilience and sustainable development in West African states. The services will combine human skills and expertise, financial investments, information resources, tools, and training to strengthen risk-prone nations’ adaptive capacity and resilience to global warming and climate change.
The project officer for the CICLES project is defined for all the office management activities related to the project implementation based at WASCAL Competence Centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Key duties and responsibilities
Under the responsibility and supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Officer will undertake the following tasks:
- Supporting the management of all CICLES’ correspondence and the agenda of activities.
- Keeping and updating the Project manager’s administrative agenda,
- Handling the logistics planning and organization of project meetings, workshops,
- Writing minutes of meetings and drafting the reports of all project events,
- Facilitate liaison between WASCAL, GERICS, and partner institutions,
- Support the monitoring and evaluation of activities in project pilot sites with the project coordinator and partners,
- Manage internal communications of the Project Manager, RTCs, DMD, and Director of Research (memos, requests forms, newsletters, etc.),
- Support and monitor field works and data collection activities in pilot sites
- Bookkeeping and drafting the quarterly financial report of CICLES expenditures for the WASCAL finance department.
- Review/reshape, check the conformity, and consolidate projects’ reports,
- Support CICLES’ communication and visibility,
- Undertake Any other duty that the project manager may assign.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, Environmental Science, or a related field. A postgraduate qualification in any of these areas or in Climate Science would be an added advantage. Relevant project management certifications, such as PMP (Project Management Professional) or PRINCE2, would be beneficial.
Technical Skills:
- Office Management Skills: Demonstrated ability to manage correspondence, agendas, and other administrative duties.
- Report Writing and Documentation: Ability to draft detailed and accurate reports, meeting minutes, and other project-related documentation.
- Financial Bookkeeping: Basic understanding of bookkeeping, budgeting, and financial reporting.
- Logistics and Event Management: Proven experience in planning and organizing meetings, workshops, and other events.
- Stakeholder Management: Ability to work with and facilitate communication between multiple stakeholders, including international partners.
Soft Skills:
- Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Organizational Skills: Ability to handle multiple tasks, prioritize them, and meet deadlines.
- Interpersonal Skills: Ability to collaborate with team members and interact with diverse groups of stakeholders.
- Adaptability: Flexible and able to adapt to changing project needs.
- Attention to Detail: Critical for tasks such as bookkeeping, drafting reports, and checking conformity of various documents.
- Problem-Solving: Ability to identify challenges and provide suitable solutions.
Desirable Experience:
- Relevant Work Experience: At least 2-4 years of experience in project coordination or management, preferably in research, environmental, or climate change-related projects.
- Knowledge of Climate Science and West African Context: Familiarity with the regional dynamics, climate challenges, and the specific context of West African countries would be beneficial.
- Language: Proficiency in English and French: Both written and spoken. Fluency in one of the languages and other local languages would be a significant advantage.
- Computer Proficiency: Familiarity with project management software (e.g., ASANA, TRELLO, MSProject, etc.), MS Office (especially Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and communication tools.
Application procedure
Application including a cover letter (no more than two pages) with a statement of motivation highlighting the candidate’s experience against the listed criteria and a detailed Curriculum Vitae should be emailed to candidature@wascal.org. Please indicate the job title in the subject line.
Applicants must come from ECOWAS member countries.
For further information, please visit: www.wascal.org
Deadline: 31st October 2023.