Bangladesh: Program Coordinator

Bibliothèques Sans Frontières / Libraries Without Borders (BSF) is an international NGO founded in 2007 which works to strengthen the autonomy and resilience of vulnerable populations by providing access to information and education and promoting cultural diversity. In the Middle-East, in Central and Eastern Africa, in Europe, or in Colombia, BSF works to put in place safe spaces and services for education, professional training, psychological support and social cohesion for vulnerable populations. To provide these services, BSF created the Ideas Box with support from the Alexander Soros Foundation. Ideas Boxes are multimedia centers in a kit, fully equipped with materials, that can be installed in less than 20 minutes. They provide access to a library, a cinema, thousands of educational and informational resources, and an internet connection. The resources are carefully chosen to match the needs, language, and culture of the local users. The technological equipment and teaching methods offered by the Ideas Box transform places like schools, libraries, and community centers to comprehensive resource- and learning-centers.

For more information, see www.bibliosansfrontieres.org (French), or www.librarieswithoutborders.org (English).

Context

For more than 30 years, Bangladesh has been one of the theaters of the Rohingya crisis. For decades, the Muslim minority has faced repression and discrimination in their home country, Myanmar, particularly in the northern state of Rakhine. Many of these people looked for refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, in the Cox’s Bazar region. Since the events of August 25, 2017, more than 671,000 Rohingyas have crossed the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh. By March 2018, there were more than 880,000 refugees in the country. The sudden increase in the number of Rohingya arriving stretched the capacities of humanitarian organizations working in Bangladesh. The new arrivals are living in refugee camps but also in overpopulated makeshift camps, in schools, community centers, religious establishments, or with local families. New colonies have also been put in place and continue to develop. Because of the Rohingya crisis, there is an immediate need for cross-sectoral assistance. The difficulties for these newly displaced people include the loss of food and nutritional security, gender and protection issues, and the need for water and sanitation facilities, housing, health facilities, psychosocial support, and family services. Evaluation reports show a significant need for access to accurate information to prevent risks related to rumors and unreliable information; access to basic literacy and to a quality education, especially for girls and women; and access to safe spaces for traditional psychosocial programs.

After studying needs in the Cox’s Bazar district, BSF is beginning a mission and launching activities around themes linked to education and training, access to information, and protection for the communities in the region.

In doing so, BSF is looking to hire a Program Coordinator.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

Put in place, and coordinate, activities and BSF’s program teams in Cox’s Bazar.

POSITION PROFILE

Under the direct supervision of the Mission Chief, the Program Coordinator is responsible for the implementation of the BSF program in Bangladesh. The Program Coordinator is the supervisor of operational teams in the field, and works in close cooperation with the Program Coordinator at BSF headquarters. He or she also works regularly with departments responsible for content, technology, finances, logistics, and administration. The Program Coordinator is responsible for:

· Ensuring the project calendar is respected, and positive activities are led, respecting the quality standards of Bibliothèques Sans Frontières and its partners and donors.

· Proposing adjustments or expansions to ensure the relevance of the projects whenever necessary

· Coordinating activities with the program teams and other departments from Bibliothèques Sans Frontières, as well as with BSF’s partners.

· Contributing to the hiring of, and provide direct supervision of, operational teams in the field.

· Assuring the continual training and the skills growth for employees under his or her supervision

· Coordinating the writing of narrative reports

· Working with the Administration/Logistics/Finances Coordinator to monitor the project budget and validate financial reports

· Assisting the Mission Chief in strategic planning, and in putting in place and updating a daily security plan

· Assuring, upon request of the Mission Chief, BSF is represented in the clusters in which the organization participates

· Assuring the performance and proper functioning of the office when the Mission Chief is absent

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• Master (Bac +5) in a relevant field of study

• Degree from the Bioforce Institute (Humanitarian training institute in France) is a plus

• At least 3 years of experience in a similar position

• Knowledge of principal donors

• Good experience managing a humanitarian project or in its development (project cycle, reporting, etc…) and in leading a team

• Experience in organization administration

• Mastery of Microsoft Office pack

• Can work in French and English

Qualities

• Good stress management

• Thorough, organized, and reliable

• Sense of responsibility

• Able to work autonomously

• Dynamic, capable of making good suggestions

• Capable of adapting, managing priorities, and acting pragmatically

• Persuasive

• Interpersonal and communication skills, team spirit

• Integrity, honesty

• Interest for digital education and new technologies is appreciated

Conditions of Hiring

· Status: Renewable, 6-month fixed contract

· Beginning: ASAP

· Location: based in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

· Salary and benefits: daily allowance, salary based on experience and BSF salary scale, insurance, lodging in Guest House, unaccompanied post

https://bibliosansfrontieres.secure.force.com/Offres/saisieCandidat?offre=a0e5800000IABF3AAP

Documents to Send: CV and cover letter (Subject: RH/BANG/CoordoProg) and three references with their contact information