December 2017 jobs Tanzanian Children's Fund Volunteer Coordinator

Job description

If you love a challenge, working with children, and are looking to make a difference, we need you!

We are looking for a mature, organized and flexible individual with excellent interpersonal skills to manage our Volunteer Program at the Rift Valley Children’s Village (RVCV) in rural Tanzania. The Children’s Village is a permanent and loving home for 97 children and located in a remote and impoverished village in Karatu District, adjacent to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

This full-time position will offer you the opportunity to make an important difference in the lives of our children by helping our volunteers have a positive impact on the village and a meaningful experience during their stay. The Volunteer Program is a critical component of our organization, and RVCV hosts as many as 80 volunteers each year (approximately 5 to 10 at any given time).

The Volunteer Coordinator is a member of the senior staff at RVCV, and contributes to decisions related to the operation of the Children’s Village. He/she will be responsible for oversight of all aspects of the Volunteer Program, and act as an important liaison between the volunteers and the staff. He/she will also play a crucial role in the daily/weekly program of RVCV children, as well as extra planning and supervision of events over school vacations and special holidays. He/she should be able to both work independently as well as part of a larger team.

The duties of the Volunteer Coordinator include, but are not limited to:

In-Office organization: 20%

• Responding to all email inquiries regarding the Volunteer Program
• Scheduling and preparing volunteers to work at RVCV
• Maintaining a detailed volunteer calendar of arrivals, departures, housing arrangements, etc. in Microsoft Excel
• Managing volunteer postings online and partnerships with volunteer placement organizations to aid in the recruitment of volunteers
• Creating and maintaining files (hard copy and electronic file) on all volunteers
• Liaising with the U.S. office
• Applying for Work and Residence Permits for qualifying volunteers and foreign staff

Interpersonal volunteer relations: 30%

• Meeting and greeting volunteers and overnight visitors, conducting orientation and tours
• Daily management of volunteers; determining, scheduling and supervising volunteer job duties
• Conducting weekly group meetings with the volunteers to discuss plans, problems and concerns. Providing support, counsel and training as needed
• Scheduling days off for long-term volunteers and Sundays off for all volunteers and foreign staff

Children’s Program: 40%

• Overseeing volunteers running morning classes, supervising playtimes, making snack and breakfast for the children.
• Coordinating weekly class schedules for our Day Care program, which consists of informal morning and afternoon classes at RVCV taught by volunteers
• Planning special holiday events and activities for the children during school breaks
• Helping discipline all children and liaising with the Counselors when necessary
• Distributing and managing our stock of clothes, and shoes—for 97 children! Including conducting clothing swaps two times per year, and shoe exchanges weekly

General: 10%

• Communicating with the HR Director on volunteer/staff relations
• Helping with in-country travel arrangements, including transport, hotels, safaris, etc. as needed for volunteers and visitors
• Determining the most needed items at RVCV and communicating all needs to the US Office
• Receiving and managing shipments of donated supplies
• Keeping the library, preschool room and all materials for class times stocked and organized
• Coordinating with the Volunteer House cooks on meal planning
• Assisting Executive Director with special projects

Qualifications

• Must love kids! Experience or training in teaching or childhood development is helpful but not required
• Candidate must be outgoing, friendly, easygoing, and patient with all types of personalities coming from all walks of life, as well as open-minded to different experiences and cultures
• Strong attention to detail and ability to multitask
• Experience managing junior staff, volunteers or interns a plus
• Initiative driven and ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Team oriented and collaborative
• Ability to thrive living in a very beautiful but rural setting in Africa
• Experience living abroad for six months or more is helpful but not required
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Strict minimum commitment of 1 year
• Sense of humor and positive attitude

Why work with Tanzanian Children’s Fund?

• Be part of a small grassroots non-profit that is having a huge impact in the lives of children and in the wider community, through holistically addressing the root causes of poverty
• Live in one of the most beautiful, peaceful areas in East Africa with ample chances to see wildlife and forge authentic connections with students, teachers and local villagers.
• Be confident that you’ll be working for an organization that has strong accountability structures, and incredibly well regarded both in the region and on a global stage
• Have autonomy in your role, collecting experiences, honing your professional skills, and preparing you for your next endeavor in international development
• Enjoy being part of a dynamic, closely knit team of professionals who approach challenges with humor, and find creative solutions to problems
• Eat really delicious banana bread, watch the sun going down overlooking the Ngorongoro crater, and have the opportunity to meet a wide range of visitors and volunteers from around the world.

HOW TO APPLY

jobs@tanzanianchildrensfund.org

To apply, please send resume and cover letter to Natalie Pruell at jobs@tanzanianchildrensfund.org by December 4, 2017.