Capacity Building and Community Initiatives

Position type: Full-time contract, 40 hours/week

Location: Yangon, Myanmar

Reports to: Senior Program Officer-Myanmar

Deadline for Applications: February 20, 2020

Ideal Start date: March 1, 2020

ABOUT ASIA CATALYST

Asia Catalyst (AC) promotes the rights of marginalized communities by supporting a vibrant network of advocates committed to ending stigma, discrimination, and criminalization. We strengthen civil society by providing training and resources for community-based organizations (CBOs) to become more effective advocates for change, more responsive to community needs, and to conduct rigorous human rights documentation. We work side by side with grassroots activists to ensure that their voices are fully represented in local, national, regional, and global policymaking. We envision a world where communities have the space and capacity to effectively advocate for their rights and to bring about structural change.

Asia Catalyst is a US-based nonprofit organization and a registered Foundation in Thailand with staff presence across the region.

We are seeking to hire a Program Officer (PO) within the Capacity Building and Community Initiatives (CBCI) program. This position will be based in Yangon, Myanmar. 

The PO will be responsible for adapting and co-delivering Asia Catalyst’s rights training curriculum and other organization-strengthening and capacity-building activities for marginalized community-based organizations (CBOs) in Myanmar. Key activities include small-group training workshops, individual organization coaching, and field visits. 

The PO will work in a team with the CBCI Senior Program Officer to provide coaching support to CBOs using a variety of communication tools on human rights documentation and evidence-based advocacy. As needed, the position includes development of new workshop materials, editing and adaptation of existing curriculum material, and preparing materials for publication in print and online, The PO will also handle program logistics and some administrative work with the support of administrative staff in the Bangkok office.

Asia Catalyst is looking to fill this vacancy in March 2020. The position requires travel within the country and some possible international travel.  

 RESPONSIBILITIES  

  • Work collaboratively with senior program officer to develop training curricula in the areas of documentation and community-based advocacy for CBOs representing people living with HIV and key populations in Myanmar
  • Prepare, organize and co-facilitate training sessions and follow-up coaching together with the senior program officer
  • Organize and implement site visits including remote areas to partner organizations in Myanmar for individual organization coaching and additional support to the CBOs 
  • Assist senior program officer to develop police briefs and reports 
  • Keep up to date on issues faced by the communities we work with, including people living with HIV, sex workers, LGBT, people who use drugs and opium farmers in Myanmar and provide updates on new developments to the Asia Catalyst team
  • Build and strengthen relationships with stakeholders in Myanmar for strengthening advocacy work related to PLHIV, key populations, women and opium farmers
  • Support Asia Catalyst in reaching a wider audience by editing successfully tested and delivered Burmese curriculum for dissemination in print and on Asia Catalyst’s online platforms  
  • Support monitoring of participant organizations’ subgrant projects and provide necessary remote and in-person technical support for successful implementation 
  • Become a trusted resource and advocate for Asia Catalyst’s grassroots CBO partners in Myanmar
  • Work collaboratively with program team to monitor program quality and evaluate impact  
  • Coordinate between New York office, Bangkok-based administrative staff, finance manager and participants to coordinate logistical aspects of workshops; ensuring that AC’s financial policies are followed and that participants are able to participate in AC’s programming without financial burden  
  • Assist in grant writing and regular narrative reporting for the project                       
  • Assist in responsible financial management of CBCI program in Myanmar   
  • Regularly participate in internal meetings
  • Paid travel within Myanmar; some regional Asia or international travel may be necessary

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant field
  • Minimum 2-3 years’ experience in delivering participatory trainings; Experience in facilitating workshops and conducting trainings for a variety of audiences including marginalized communities
  • Excellent spoken and written both English and Myanmar languageKnowledge of drug policy, sexual and reproductive health rights, LGBT rights, HIV/AIDS or other public health and rights issues facing marginalized community and HIV “key populations” 
  • Basic understanding of qualitative research; data analysis, and policy-brief and report writing 
  • Ability to work a flexible schedule to accommodate communications over several time zones and 
  • Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, high emotional intelligence, and empathy
  •     Demonstrable accountability and the ability to deliver on agreed tasks to a high standard
  • Unwavering commitment to human rights principles Excellent command of Microsoft package
  • Excellent problem-solving abilities  
  • Excellent presentation and communication skills (both written and spoken) 
  • Community organizing and advocacy experience preferable

This contract position will provide:

  • 20 days of paid vacation
  • 15 paid public holidays based on duty station
  • Comprehensive International Health Insurance
  • Concessions and allowances for work travel

Asia Catalyst is committed to diversity and equal opportunity:

Asia Catalyst works in a wide range of cultural, ethnic, religious, linguistic and geographic contexts. We believe we can best advance the organization’s mission if our staff members reflect as much as possible the tremendous diversity of the communities in which Asia Catalyst works.

Asia Catalyst is an equal opportunity employer, and actively attempts to recruit and maintain a diverse staff. Asia Catalyst does not discriminate based on a candidate’s age, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identification), color, race, religion/creed, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, marital or partnership status, military status, domestic violence victim status, predisposing genetic characteristics, disability, or any other classification as provided by law.

Asia Catalyst encourages applications from members of the communities with whom we work, including LGBTI and gender non-conforming persons, persons with disabilities, persons living with HIV or hepatitis, persons who have used drugs or worked as sex workers, and persons from other marginalized groups.

Interested applicants should submit the following in English to be considered for this vacancy:

  • A cover letter indicating 
    • the position you are applying for 
    • how you heard of this opening 
    • summary of relevant experience and qualifications. 
  • Résumé or CV
  • Two page unedited writing sample in English
  • Email and telephone contact details for two references

How to apply:

Interested applicants should submit all of the following items in English to be considered for this vacancy:

  1. Cover letter indicating the position you are applying for, how you heard of this opening, a description of your interest in the job, a summary of relevant experience and qualifications, and your salary requirement
  2. Résumé or CV
  3. Two-page unedited writing sample in English.
  4. Email and telephone contact details for two references who can comment on your skills relevant to the position.

Please submit the requested items in one PDF or MS Word file to ksuwin@asiacatalyst.org. Zipped files will not be opened. Applicants that do not include all of the requested items will not be considered.

We will only contact applicants we wish to interview.

Inquiries about the position or the requirements will be answered within 3 working days.

Asia Catalyst will not contact a candidate’s references without prior permission.

Candidates must be able and willing to work in Yangon, Myanmar. Asia Catalyst is not able to provide financial assistance for relocation.

Contact: Khine Su Win: ksuwin@asiacatalyst.org