Program Officer

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA

The mission of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (JRS/USA) is to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees and forcibly displaced persons. JRS works in more than 50 countries worldwide to meet the educational, health, psycho-social and emergency needs of more than 670,000 refugees and other forcibly displaced persons regardless of race, ethnic origin or religious beliefs. For more information about JRS/USA please visit our website: www.jrsusa.org.

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of Programs, the Program Officer will support the daily operations of the Program Department, including grants management, general project management and administrative support. The Program Officer will also assist with proposal development, programmatic and financial reporting, and tracking overseas grant funding. The Program Officer must be capable of making independent judgments to determine appropriate courses of action and must take initiative in performing job duties and developing relationships with field-based colleagues.

Responsibilities

Program and Grant Management

• Under the supervision of the Director of Programs, lead monitoring of grants and programs funded through US institutional and private donors, including progress of activities and achievement of key objectives and deliverables.

• Coordinate proposal development with field-based colleagues for US institutional and private funding, provide substantive feedback and recommendations on proposal content and program design, and ensure proposals are submitted on time and to a high level of quality.

• Travel to the field as necessary to monitor program quality and progress, provide training on US institutional and private funding guidelines, and provide input throughout the program management cycle in the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation stages.

• Provide oversight and guidance for U.S. Government-funded programs, including reviewing all quarterly program and financial reports for quality and accuracy, ensuring timely submission, facilitating program modifications and adjustments, and responding to other donor requests.

• Work closely with the Grants and Compliance Officer to ensure regular review of spending against budgets and workplans, U.S. Government compliance requirements are understood and respected in relevant JRS overseas offices, and determine and monitor corrective action where needed.

• Coordinate with the Development Department to identify programs for funding proposals and support proposal development and tracking of private grants.

• Assist with determining program funding priorities, exploring new funding opportunities, and expanding partnerships with other JRS offices and partner organizations.

• Act as a global focal point for Latin America and the Caribbean, in close coordination with the JRS International Office. This includes:

• Support Regional and Country offices in the creation of concept notes, project proposals and applications for international and local opportunities

• Work in coordination with International, Regional, and Country Program Officers to develop standardized policies, procedures, guidelines and tools for field programming, and ensure relevant LAC staff are familiar with and trained in their use.

• Review Regional and Country strategies to ensure alignment with international standards and JRS mission, vision and values

• Engage with other IO Departments with regards to specific requests, as needed.

• Represent JRS/USA externally in coordination or partnership meetings, donor meetings, and other conferences or events as needed.

• Liaise with appropriate technical specialists in Monitoring & Evaluation, Psychosocial, Education, Reconciliation, and Livelihoods units, as well as international program staff in international, regional, and country offices, as needed.

• Coordinate with Development, Communications, and Advocacy Departments on dissemination of information about overseas programming and participation in JRS/USA campaigns.

• Handle administrative tasks for the Program Department, including supporting travel arrangements, preparing documentation for contracts and cooperative agreements, and managing filing systems for overseas program funding.

• Support the development of new domestic programming in the United States, as assigned.

• Serve as point of contact in JRS/USA program office for the Department of Homeland Security-funded National Detention Project.

• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations, International Development, Economics, Political Science, Business Administration, or other related field is required, Master’s Degree preferred.

• At least 4 years of professional experience, preferably related to emergency relief or international development or with a non-governmental organization.

• Strong knowledge of and experience working with institutional donors, including during the contracting and award management process, or willingness to learn. Experience with U.S. Department of State or USAID strongly preferred.

• Ability to communicate and develop key working relationships remotely with international colleagues in a diverse, multi-cultural environment.

• Strong knowledge and skills in word processing, databases, spreadsheets and presentations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English required.

• Proficiency in Spanish is required.

JRS/USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, JRS/USA does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by the law. We welcome applicants from a diverse spectrum of qualified candidates.