Volunteer Program Coordinator

ABAAD-Resource Center for Gender Equality

Terms of Reference for the Position of

Volunteer Program Coordinator

About ABAAD

ABAAD is a non-profit, non-politically affiliated, non-confessional organization that aims to achieve gender equality as an essential condition to sustainable peace, democracy and social and economic development in the MENA region. ABAAD believes that eliminating gender based barriers, discrimination and violence while building women and girls’ agency and critical consciousness can allow them to participate effectively in all life spheres, lead change on their own, realize their rights and freely determine their life outcomes.

Overall Purpose

The ‘Volunteer Program Coordinator’ is responsible for recruiting volunteers, providing them with direction and motivation while coordinating all volunteer-related activities and taking initiatives to involve the local communities in events organized by ABAAD. S/he must at all times preserve the image, values and credibility of ABAAD in all actions, messages and interactions with the volunteers and/or those also carried out by the volunteers within their targeted communities.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

The Volunteer Program Coordinator’s main responsibilities and duties are: 

Volunteer Program

• Oversee the volunteer program and supervise all related program activities.
• Recruit new volunteers and maintain a volunteer base as required by ABAAD’s strategies and programs.
• Take information and keep detailed records of volunteers’ personal information and the assignments that each has been involved in.
• Conduct orientation sessions around ABAAD’s programs and areas of focus. 
• Match volunteers with assignments that suit their passions and skills with ABAAD’s available activities and events.
• Produce workplans and task charts for activities and share with the volunteers.
• Ensure the use of the proper social media tools to communicate with the volunteers and to disseminate messages across to the audience(s) that ABAAD wishes to target.
• Design programs around the volunteer program, work in the local communities and volunteer’s personal development.
• Organize and lead the volunteers to conduct research and studies that are initiated by ABAAD and/or its partners.
• Conduct regular meetings and sessions with volunteers and keep them informed of all ABAAD’s activities, events and achievements.
• Develop proper volunteer related policies and procedures.
• Monitor and evaluate the volunteer program and write reports about the progress of the program and the development of the volunteers.

Developing & Maintaining Volunteers

• Train volunteers on different skills and ensure they acquire proper skills needed to do the work assigned to them.
• Ensure that volunteers are comfortable with what they do and that they fully understand the responsibilities given to them and the outcomes of their actions and contributions.
• Listen closely to the volunteers to understand what they aim for and accordingly determine the roles that volunteers will take.
• Ensure that volunteers are adequately appreciated and frequently rewarded.
• Maintain communication with all volunteers and ensure that their opinions and ideas are listened and responded to timely and responsively.
• Ensure that volunteers grow, develop and self-realize under the wings of ABAAD.

Community Interaction

• Organize community events and contribute in other events organized by ABAAD’s program department.
• Contribute into building the image of ABAAD in the all targeted communities and at the national level.
• Conduct meetings with community members, leaders and organizations as needed and to boost collaboration and cooperation.
• Design activities that can enhance ABAAD’s work and image in the local communities.

Coordination

• Serve as liaison officer between the different volunteer groups as well as between the volunteers and ABAAD.
• Serve as a contact person between the different local communities especially when there are shared activities and events.
• Coordinate with other ABAAD’s programs and examine how the volunteers can be integrated into the activities and events that designed by the different programs’ interventions.

Education Requirements

• University degree in Community Development, Leadership, People Management, Public Administration or relevant field.
• Diplomas, courses or workshops on topics related to community development, youth, volunteers, first aid, social change, behavioral change, gender studies, measuring impact, conflict transformation, peace building, monitoring & evaluation, etc. 

Skills Requirements

• A minimum of 3-year experience in programs related to volunteering, youths, rights, advocacy, social media, conflict, community health, dialogue, etc. 
• Strong skills and abilities to animate, motivate and manage people. 
• Strong skills in training and facilitating discussions. 
• Strong analytical skills to address and solve problems.
• A good knowledge of the NGO sector and the civil society.
• A good understanding of research and how volunteers can be mobilized to carry out national surveys and studies.
• A general understanding and basic skills to work around program design, implementation and budgeting.
• A knowledge of issues related to local communities and youths’ points of focus and current societal issues and debates. 
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic. French or other languages can be an asset.
• Fluency in the use of the Office Suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
• A proficiency in the use of online and social media tools.

Preferred Qualities 

• A strong personal commitment to ABAAD’s values, vision and mission and a strong dedication to the principle of gender equality, participation and empowerment.
• A commitment to not-for-profit ethical standards, accountability and transparency.
• Strong inter-personal communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective relations with multi-cultural teams and diverse groups.
• Strong leadership skills to motivate volunteers and community groups.
• Ability to work independently in the field and take unattended initiatives.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills and techniques to design and conduct research.

Application Procedures

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, should apply by sending a cover letter and CV together addressed to hr@abaadmena.org and dalal.ouesse@abaadmena.org; no later than January 26th, 2018. Please include the title of the job in the subject line of your email.

Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be considered and that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.