Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA)

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE:Iraq Programme Officer(Full time post)

RESPONSIBLE TO:Deputy Executive Secretary

LOCATION:CARA Offices, London Southbank Technopark, 90 London Road, London SE1 6LN.

CONTRACT: Terms are specified in your contract of employment.

SALARY:To be confirmed on application

ABOUT CARA:

CARA is a UK registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.First established in 1933, it has supported thousands of academics over the past 78 years unable to continue their work due to persecution. 18 of those assisted in the 1930s and 40s went on to become Nobel Laureates and over 100 were elected as Fellows of The Royal Society and The British Academy, as academic leaders in their fields. CARA has 5 complementary programmes, for which the CARA Scholars at Risk UK Universities Network is a major resource:

  • Core Grant Programme The core grant programme awards grantsto academics holding refugee status to support their entry into the UK job market at a level commensurate with their skills and expertise, through additional qualification, requalification, guidance and mentoring, work placements and fellowships etc.
  • Information & AdviceIn addition to providing employment and training advice to successful core grant applicants, this allied service advises and signposts those who do not meet the CARA criteria, including asylum seekers.
  • Campaigns Awareness Raising Programmethis programme represents the interests of academic refugees to government, parliament, the universities, the public and other relevant organisations and bodies.
  • Iraq Programmethis programme has both a UK and Middle East presence and encompasses a number of complementary activities in support of Iraqi refugee academics and Iraqi academics still in Iraq.
  • Zimbabwe Programmethis programme encompasses a number of complementary activities aiming to support the resurgence of Zimbabwe’s higher education sector as a beacon in southern Africa.

CARA has a development strategy aiming to expand its work both within the UK and on the

international arena.

MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE POST

CARA established its Iraq Programme in late 2006 in response to the targeting of Iraqi academics as a group, leaving over 200 murdered and thousands more forced to flee the country or internally displaced. In mid-2008 the Council approved the development of a regional programme to support the many Iraq academics living in post-2003 exile. Development and pilot of a number of complementary initiatives under the Iraq Programme umbrella began in 2009, including the Iraq Research Fellowship Programmeand the Regional Round Table Discussion Series, to be implemented with the existing UK Fellowship Scheme for Iraqi academics. Central to each of the Iraq Programme initiatives is academic capacity-building.

Working in close collaboration with, and under the supervision of, the CARA Deputy Executive Secretary/Iraq Programme Manager, Kate Robertson, you will be responsible for supporting the running of the Iraq Programme and its multipleactivities, as follows:

  1. Logistical and administrative support to the Iraq Research Fellowship Programme and other research or capacity-building projects allied to the Iraq Programme;
  2. Developing and maintaining the Iraq Programme financial records and liaising as necessary with the Office Manager, Financial Officer and Executive Secretary;
  3. Responsibility for verification of quarterly reports from UK and IRFP Fellows and supervisors and timely notification to the Office Manager of forthcoming payments due;
  4. Supporting development and implementation of the Iraq Programme ‘information & advice’ service directly or through CARA’swebsite, facebook and NING platforms or various Iraq Programme listservs;
  5. Undertaking a daily media review to update website Iraq Programme with articles or relevant reports and to identify opportunities;
  6. Supporting promotion of the Iraq Programme through the CARA platforms and in the media;
  7. Developing and maintaining Iraq Programme filing hard copy and online systems;
  8. Developing and maintaining an Iraq Programme diary, including key dates for contracts, submissions and reports;
  9. Supporting fundraising and maintaining funder database;
  10. Managing Iraq Programme Interns;
  11. Representing CARA at events as required;

and other related activities that might arise in relation to the Iraq Programme or to the wider CARA work as required as the Executive Secretary or Deputy Executive Secretary may determine.

Understanding and maintaining client confidentiality is central to your role. As part of this undertaking you will be required to sign CARA’s standard confidentiality policy document. All information you will be privy, to, as part of this contract, falls under CARA’s strict confidentiality policy under which no personal data held by CARA can be released to a third party without the express written permission of the individual or individuals concerned.

Person specification

Essential

  1. Strong interest/empathy with core CARA’s beneficiary group
  2. Excellent communication skills
  3. Goodresearch and analytical skills
  4. Exellent administration and organisational skills
  5. Experience in office administration, including filing and database systems
  6. Good attention to detail and accuracy
  7. A high level of numeracy
  8. Self-motivated and able to work under pressure
  9. Ability to work independently to deadlines
  10. Ability to motivate others
  11. Good team worker
  12. Understanding of financial and related IT systems including Excel and Access (additional training will be provided)
  13. Understanding issues of confidentiality

Desirable

  1. Knowledge of higher education or charity administration in the UK
  2. Knowledge of Iraq/Middle East
  3. Arabic
  4. Proven experience of managing financial spreadsheets related to budgeting and income/expenditure