sportanddev: Project Officer (Arabic)

sportanddev is looking to recruit an Arabic-speaking project officer on a consultancy contract. We are open to applications from both individuals and organisations. Deadline: 11 September 2022.

The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) is the leading global hub for those using sport to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives. It is widely recognised as the foremost global platform to "share knowledge, build good practice, facilitate coordination and foster partnerships in sport and development". It is a multi-stakeholder initiative, with 600,000 unique annual visitors and an online community of around 10,000 registered individuals and 1,000 organisations, including NGOs, governments, intergovernmental agencies, sports federations and universities.

sportanddev’s Steering Board oversees the strategic direction of the initiative. It is comprised of leading organisations in sport and development: the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the UN Refugee Agency, the Swedish Postcode Foundation, the Foundation for Sport and Development and Peace, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Foundation and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (an observer).

sportanddev has been operated since its inception in 2003 by the Swiss Academy for Development (SA4D), a centre of excellence for sport and development. SA4D uses sport and play to empower disadvantaged children and young people in Switzerland and internationally to become healthy, educated and employed citizens. SA4D was founded in 1991 as a non-profit foundation in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.

The position

sportanddev is looking to recruit an Arabic-speaking project officer on a consultancy contract. We are open to applications from both individuals and organisations.

You will be responsible for developing and managing the Arabic version of sportanddev, which will be launched as part of the upgraded sportanddev.org website in the second half of 2022. This will include writing and editing articles, events and job opportunities.

This will require establishing networks with other individuals and organisations and spearheading the growth of the website in Arabic, including showcasing stories and voices from the region and soliciting content. You will assist the operating team with animating and moderating the community areas of the sportanddev website and responding to queries and feedback. You will also develop and maintain sportanddev’s social network presence (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn) in Arabic.

You will be expected to take part in team meetings (online) and to assist with various other activities within the organisation. The role will include networking, building partnerships and soliciting content and input from organisations in the region where you are based, and possibly attending relevant events.

In addition, you will be responsible for moderating and managing the massive open online course (MOOC) – Sport for Sustainable Development: Designing Effective Policies and Programmes. The course was launched in July 2020 and has attracted over 5,600 learners from 185 countries. The course has been translated into Arabic and this position will moderate and manage the Arabic course for sportanddev and other founding partners of the MOOC, the Australian government and the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) is the main founding partner of the Arabic version of the course.

Location

Remote, ideally based in an Arabic-speaking country

Start date

As soon as possible

Type of contract

Consultancy

Length of contract

One year, with the possibility of extension. Please note that we are looking for a long-term consultant; therefore, if performance is satisfactory, we are open to extending this contract regularly.

Level of effort

We are looking for a commitment of at least 20 hours per week – and would welcome a full-time commitment of 40 hours per week if possible. Working hours are flexible.

Salary

1,500 USD per month

Tasks

Content creation and management (40%)

Regularly writing articles about sport and development
Soliciting content from Arabic-speaking organisations, networks and individuals
Conceptualising and coordinating campaigns, article series and calls for articles
Providing feedback on documents written by other team members
Editing articles received by sportanddev community members for grammar, punctuation, accuracy and consistency with the sportanddev style guide, and publishing those articles on the sportanddev website. Occasionally translating articles from English into Arabic

Networking and relationship management (20%)

Building new relationships and networks with Arabic-speaking stakeholders in the region
Developing formal partnerships between sportanddev and other organisations, including potential funders, and leading on fundraising proposals and grant reporting in Arabic
Responding to inquiries and liaising with sportanddev community members

Social media (10%)

Creating a social media strategy for sportanddev in Arabic
Establishing a presence on social media in Arabic, creating sportanddev accounts in Arabic as required and posting on social media
Monitoring social media statistics and reporting on them
Responding to messages on social media
Following developments on social media to ensure sportanddev’s social media strategy is in line with current good practice

MOOC moderation (20%)

Manage the MOOC in Arabic, moderating the forums, engaging with learners
Reporting on the course and its progress to the course partners
Customise the MOOC in Arabic, soliciting original content from Arabic stakeholders

Other (10%)

Contributing to PR and marketing as required
Contributing to fundraising as required
Assisting with other relevant projects as required

Experience and qualifications

Essential

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant subject
A native Arabic speaker. A working knowledge of English is also required – most written outputs of this contract will be conducted in Arabic, but English is required for verbal and written communication with the team and partners, as well as some other tasks such as contributing to reporting. Full professional proficiency in English is desired but not essential.
A good eye for the Arabic language with outstanding editing and proof-reading skills
Knowledge of editorial principles and experience following style guides
Excellent writing skills
Social media skills and experience
Experience with conceptualising, developing and managing partnerships
Strong networking skills
Experience with teaching and learning – e.g. moderating courses.
Demonstratable knowledge and experience of sport and development
Experience in communications and/or editorial roles
Knowledge of one or more of the following topics: gender, human rights, social inclusion, disability and child safeguarding, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
An interest in working remotely while maintaining regular communication with a global team. Dynamic and independent individual who can lead this portfolio effectively.
Willingness to travel for events and meetings

Beneficial

An existing network in sport and development especially in the Middle East and North Africa
Skills and experience in fundraising and business development
Monitoring and evaluation and/or data analysis experience
Knowledge of policy issues (governmental and/or intergovernmental)
Knowledge of the use of sport to address specific development goals
Report writing and grant management skills and experience
Video editing, graphic design and production skills
Experience presenting to large audiences

How to apply

Please send your application to Paul Hunt, sportanddev senior project manager, on [email protected] by September 9, 2022, but we would encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible as we will review applications on a rolling basis.

Your application must include:

Your CV
A one-page cover letter explaining how you can contribute to sportanddev based on your knowledge, interests, skills and experience
A 400-800 word writing sample in Arabic of which you are the sole author.

All documents must be submitted in English (apart from the writing sample which should be submitted in Arabic). Please use Word or PDF formats. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

You can contact Paul Hunt by email for more information.