EC FFPA Project Officer

EC FFPA Project Officer

FLO – Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International

Bonn, Germany

UNIT/TEAM: International Partnerships and Programmes Implementation
REPORTS TO: Head of International Partnerships and Programmes Implementation

OVERVIEW

Fairtrade changes the way trade works by putting farmers and workers first. That means better prices, decent working conditions and more trade power for small-scale producers.

Fairtrade International is an independent non-profit organization representing 1.8 million farmers and workers worldwide. Leading by example, Fairtrade has producers represented in 50% of its governance. It owns the FAIRTRADE Mark, a registered certification mark appearing on more than 30,000 products, which is the most recognized and trusted sustainability label in the world. Fairtrade International and its member organizations collaborate with businesses, engage shoppers, activate civil society, and enable producers to take control in order to bring about a fair, sustainable future – a future rooted in social justice.

Fairtrade International has secured a grant from the European Commission’s (EC) Funding Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA) to deliver a multi-stakeholder four-year project (2024-2027) aiming to:

• increase the influence of male and female small producers and workers from local to global level, and create a more inclusive, representative and efficient Fairtrade network;
• strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of Fairtrade for coordinated actions at the global, regional, and national levels;
• reinforce the capacity of Fairtrade for coordinated actions at global, regional and national level, that effectively represent producer organisations and workers and promote the role and responsibilities of Fairtrade member organisations.

The project is being implemented by Fairtrade International and its three Producer Networks in Latin America and the Caribbean (CLAC), in Africa (FTA) and in Asia and the Pacific (NAPP), as well as the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Belgium.

OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE

Fairtrade International, as the project lead, is responsible for carrying out project management, monitoring, ensuring that resources are used in line with EC funding and compliance requirements, and that accounts are audited.

The project’s co-applicants (Fair Trade Advocacy Office, Fairtrade Africa, CLAC and NAPP) are represented in the Consortium Steering Committee. Fairtrade International is responsible for organizing the Committee meetings which take place on a quarterly basis.

The EC FFPA project team at Fairtrade International is responsible for:

• Coordination of all project partners to ensure the effective implementation of the project, including setting up and managing internal project management tools, the Consortium Steering Group, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) mechanisms;
• Leading on donor financial and narrative reporting;
• Fulfilment of compliance and visibility requirements;
• Ensuring the project delivers against its logframe and workplan by leading on the financial management of the project (with close support from the Fairtrade International Finance Unit) and on the implementation of the project’s monitoring and evaluation plan (in close collaboration with MEL experts at Fairtrade International and partner organizations). Serving as the main contact of the European Commission and the Consortium Steering Group, responsible for escalating challenges and providing regular progress updates to the group.

PRINCIPAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The EC FFPA Project Officer will be responsible for providing support and coordination for the effective delivery of the EC-funded project, and for all matters related to project cycle management and donor compliance. In particular, the post holder will be responsible for:

Contribution to project management:

(in coordination with Fairtrade International’s EC FFPA Project team)

• Support the EC FFPA project team with donor narrative reporting, by collecting required information from partners, searching online articles, producing charts and tables to summarize project results;
• Closely monitor the quality of quarterly reports and timely communication to the project partners;
• Maintain project monitoring tools, using MS Office format as well as digital platforms and software for tracking project deliverables as per the project logframe, collect, clean and compile data generated from project interventions;
• Provide logistical support to organize virtual and physical project meetings and other events, including setting up virtual conference tools and organizing translations when necessary;
• Attend project meetings, recording and distributing notes and follow up on actions items;
• Carry out procurement of goods and services according to the donor’s requirements and in line with Fairtrade International’s internal procurement procedures;
• Provide logistical support for project events including participants’ invitation letters, VISA accommodations, travel and accommodation, etc. including liaising with producer networks regarding producers’ participation in global events;
• Support the visibility of project outputs including dissemination of position papers, post articles about events and news related to project activities on the Fairtrade Intranet and external website;
• Support the project team with the procurement process as per the EC requirements and on the commissioning of consultants for project related activities (drafting of terms of reference, internal contractual sign off documentation);
• Provide support in the application process for side events as part of global advocacy activities;
• Coordinate updated contractual documentation with partners and submission of Contract Request Forms;
• Ensure the fulfillment of compliance and visibility requirements of the European Commission on all project materials.

Contribution to the Financial grant management:

(in coordination with the EC FFPA project team and FI Finance Manager)

• Support EC FFPA project team with quarterly and annual financial reporting and audits by ensuring the supporting documents are in a good quality and accurately filed;
• Process incoming invoices from project partners, verify receipts, and submit for payment in accordance with regulations of the Fairtrade finance department;
• Coordinate effective and cost efficient administrative and internal financial procedures, provide suggestions for improvement;
• Have understanding of the project’s budget, payments, and other financial issues in accordance with the requirements of the European Commission;
• Submit timely payment requests to Fairtrade International’s finance department;
• Escalate to the EC FFPA Project Manager and senior leadership issues that need to be addressed in relation to financial grant management.

Other responsibilities:

• Support the presentation of the project in internal and external events, as relevant;
• Travel as required;
• Perform other duties and tasks, consistent with the skills and expertise, as required.

SKILLS REQUIRED (E = essential, D = desirable)

Level of education:

• A minimum of Bachelor’s degree in International Development, Finance Management, Programme/Project Design and Management, Business Administration or similar discipline.

Knowledge/Job Specific Competencies (E= Essential; D=Desirable):

• At least 2 year of working experience of project coordination (E);
• Understanding of donor reporting requirements and donor funded project compliance and audits from EC or similar donor agencies (E);
• Understanding of EC programme and project design, administration of complex, multi-stakeholder projects to time and to budget requirements (D);
• Understanding of a Logical Framework, ability to create linkages between the project’s overall impact, outcome, inputs and outputs as per the Results chain (E);
• Understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals and global trade issues (D);
• Knowledge of Fairtrade and understanding Fairtrade’s mission and vision (D).

Professional Skills:

• Presentation: Good written and verbal presentation skills (E);
• Networking: able to build relationships across a wide range of organizations (E);
• Creativity: used to supporting colleagues to seek solutions to problems (E);
• MS office skills: Good knowledge of Microsoft Excel required (E);
• Languages: Fluent English is essential (E), other international language (Spanish or French) is an advantage (D).

Personal Qualities:

• Collaborative and supportive approach to teamwork (E);
• Demonstrable ability to tackle challenges and manage conflict (D);
• Be highly organised and able to prioritize and multi-task effectively (E);
• Have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team (E);
• Be results-oriented, respect deadlines and give attention to details (E);
• Able to demonstrate alignment with the Fairtrade International values of Accountability, Respect, Integrity, Partnership, and Can-Do Attitude (E).

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• A job offer for this position will be subject to approval by the EC;
• This is a full-time job and is based in Bonn, Germany;
• Limited contract until December 2027, in line with the project’s contractual period;
• Starting date: 1 October 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter;
• The working language is English;
• Salary as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (Gross- und Außenhandel NRW), commensurate to qualifications and experience plus attractive benefits package;
• 30 days’ annual leave and flexible working hours. Additional benefits will be explained during the interview process;
• International work environment.

APPLICATIONS

Applications, in the form of a letter of motivation and Curriculum Vitae, should be submitted via e-mail to applications@fairtrade.net, citing EC FFPA Project Officer in the subject field.

The deadline for completed applications is August 20, 2024.