Job Description

 

 

 

 

Programme Manager – Samoa

 

Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) sends skilled Kiwis to the Pacific and beyond to share their experience and knowledge directly with local people and communities. Working together with our regional neighbours, our volunteers create new opportunities for people that will continue to ripple across communities for generations to come.

 

As Programme Manager based in Apia, you’ll be VSA’s representative managing the delivery of a high quality international development programme within Samoa.

This salaried programme leadership position provides a great opportunity for the right candidate (ideally already Samoa-based) to join VSA’s country management team. A key responsibility of this role will be to set and lead the strategic direction of our Samoa programme, with oversight from VSA’s Director International Development who is based in Wellington, New Zealand.

To be effective in this role, you’ll draw on your networks and expertise in relationship building to develop meaningful partnerships with local organisations.  You will then identify ways in which VSA volunteers could contribute to upskilling those partner organisations to achieve their particular goals.  You’ll also provide guidance and support to individual VSA volunteers working in Samoa and will oversee their logistical support needs with assistance from our local staff member who also works in Apia.

The role requires an experienced manager with an adventurous spirit, who enjoys a varied role and is excited by the opportunity to contribute to leading locally-led development in Samoa.

To be effective in this challenging and exciting role, you’ll be a motivated self-starter with heaps of “can do” attitude and initiative, as well as having:

• Proven management experience across a range of areas (especially people, strategic, finance and administration).
• Experience in developing, planning, coordinating and managing development programmes.
• Highly effective relationship-building, communication and influencing skills.
• Proven professional credibility within Samoa (or the Samoan community within New Zealand), with established contacts and networks with local businesses, sectors, institutions, etc.
• A tertiary qualification in international development or a similar discipline, or equivalent relevant expertise including sound understanding of development principles and the political, social, cultural and economic issues that are important to developing countries.
• Full fluency in both spoken and written Samoan and English language.
• Successful experience living, working and/or studying in both Samoa and New Zealand would be an advantage.

If you are interested in being considered for this position please visit VSA’s website https://vsa.org.nz/about-vsa/employment-vacancies/ to download the position description and full details of how to apply.

Applications close at 9am on Tuesday 18 June 2019.